FILE-A Christmas tree lies on a sidewalk before it is picked up by the City of Toronto on a scheduled garbage collection day in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images) Buying gifts made with recyclable goods can help reduce waste. LED lights are effective for decorating Christmas trees or homes because the items are energy efficient.
The average home produces 25% more waste during the holidays, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The holiday season is a time for gift giving and receiving, decorating, and feasting on a large meal with loved ones. And while these traditions are synonymous with many homes, it can result in inordinate amounts of waste.
The average household produces roughly 25% more waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s day, and this extra trash equates to 25 million tons of garbage, per the Environmental Protection Agency. RELATED: The ethical impacts of holidays: Balancing joy with responsibility Separately, Americans use 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper annually, mostly during the holiday season.
Unfortunately, various types of wrapping paper are not 100% paper and cannot be recycled, according to the Ecology Center . Fortunately, there are ways to reduce waste for environmental sustainability while reveling in the holiday season, and here’s what you need to know. Shopping for gifts When shopping for holiday gifts, it is good to buy items with minimal packaging and/or made with recycled material.
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