Helpful Tips for Reducing Holiday Waste
by JAI SHARMA
VP, Business Relations
November 29th, 2022
The winter holidays are the time of year to start winding down our activities at home and at work. Staff are tying up projects in time to relax into the new calendar year. Folks are relaxing into the holiday season. The leaves have fallen, temperatures are dropping, and we are settling into a period of rest. Here at Zero Waste Solutions, we take inspiration from the slowing natural earth systems that reflect this lowering of energy and return to self after a busy year.
The holiday season welcomes a time to come together and celebrate the joy of togetherness through sharing meals. This means a busy kitchen and often, a lot more waste in the bin than usual. Some easy tips to remember while preparing meals for the holidays:
Clear out the refrigerator prior to the holiday to make room for ingredients and leftovers
Save bones and food scraps to make stocks that will last until the New Year
Buy local ingredients when possible and buy only what you need
Use reusable cloths and utensils like ceramic, metal dishware, napkins, and tablecloths to save on waste
When preparing a special meal for guests, re-using holiday decorations is a great way to celebrate zero waste practices in any household or organization. Take care of holiday-appropriate decorations like wreaths, streamers, centerpieces, cornucopias, and vases and store them safely in an organized way to access them easily throughout the year. Purchase local or second-hand items from your closest goodwill stores that you can re-use each year or arrange an exchange of decorations with your neighbors. Consignment, thrift, and second-hand stores typically place out decorations for purchase according to the holiday. If you’re in need of a quick display or item, local shops cater to the holidays as well.
See also: Creative ways to sustainably wrap gifts
Zero Waste Solutions offers daily organics pick-up services for multi-family residential buildings and all commercial establishments. If you are an organization or a multi-family complex that sees a large amount of food waste production, we can cater to your needs of lowering this waste by measuring what is thrown out, creating a zero-waste plan, and providing all waste hauling services like trash, recycling, and compost pick-up.
Some ways to move toward zero-waste throughout the holidays can save your home and organization time and money:
Use bags, recyclable paper, cloth material, string, and wrapping paper already at home to wrap gifts
Re-use bows, paper, and candles for future celebrations
Venture outside to find decorations in nature like birch tree branches, evergreen branches, and pinecones
Lifestyle changes around waste can be adapted at any time of the year. Making these changes can save money, time, and resources throughout the year. The holidays are meant to pour energy into family, friends, and experiences. When we are intentional with our actions and planning for the holidays, we can sit back, relax, and now that we’ve done our part in making a more sustainable future for all.