The most
wonderful time of year? Maybe. Trashiest time of the year? No question.
Boxes,
Styrofoam, packaging, wrapping paper, disposable plates, cups and utensils,
bottles, cans and food waste - our trash bins overfloweth. But there are ways
we can minimize the amount of waste we produce. Mainly, remember the simple
phrase "reduce, re-use, recycle" - and they're in that order for a
reason.
Reducing what
we buy and consume will have the greatest impact on the environment. That
includes the number and type of gifts we purchase and how we acquire them, as
well as careful menu planning related to the number of actual guests expected.
Look at your
trash from a fresh point of view. Getting rid of one bag of trash this season
may seem like a small dent in light of America's mountain range of landfills,
but if every household filled one fewer bag, imagine the difference we could
make.
Meal planning:
reduce before eating that big meal -
greening up usually takes a little extra time and thought, but it’s well worth
the effort. Here are two options for waste reduction:
Casual option: Look
for compostable tableware and bags – they may cost a little more than the run
of the mill plastic stuff, but you’ll be “Completing the Cycle” by re-using
recycled materials. And don’t throw the compostable items in the trash. Does
your community collect food waste? If so, be sure to place your compostables in
the food waste bin. It may look like trash, but these are valuable natural
resources that can and should be recycled into compost. Note: paper plates and
cups advertised as biodegradable are made to degrade in a commercial composting
facility (read the fine print on the package). Added to a small, home compost
pile, they may take many months to degrade.
Formal option: A
meal served on china surrounded by silverware, glasses and cloth napkins will
take longer to clean up than disposable dishes and plastic ware (taking labor
to buy them, and time and fuel to drive to the store). But china and glass are
classier, and you can recruit guests to pitch in after dinner – put on your
favorite Christmas tunes and the time will fly.
Tips for a
Greener Christmas:
Designate a recycling
bin for guests to use, and asking them to bring containers for leftovers. Remember
to buy local!
And what about
trees? Even environmentalists debate whether a live-cut or artificial tree
leaves a smaller footprint.
Live trees
provide habitat for critters, are a renewable crop, and when grown locally,
create local jobs. Making an event out of visiting a tree farm to cut a tree,
have a wagon ride and drink hot cocoa can be a pleasant family memory. Note:
don’t send your trees to the landfill – recycle ‘em! To properly prepare your
Christmas tree for recycling, make sure to remove all ornaments, tinsel, and
stands. Trees with stands and flocked trees won’t be accepted and can’t be
recycled. Trees over six feet should be cut in half. Visit www.lessismore.org for more info on Christmas tree
recycling and scheduled pick up in your area.
An artificial
tree re-used for 10 or 20 years would be cheaper and result in less consumption
than buying a live tree every year. However, it can't be recycled and is not
biodegradable, so when thrown out, it will be a landfill lump.
Economics can
be a challenge of going green. Green goods sometimes cost more, but on the
other hand, the prices of trash disposal, pollution and energy continue to
rise. Complete the cycle by re-using recycled materials and you’ll be helping
your community (and have a Greener Christmas.) Naturally!
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