By the Sylvanian Team
This article was previously published in the Sylvanian in 2024
It is clear from the number of articles, blogs, and websites each year talking about ways to reduce waste during the holiday season that many people are rethinking some of the common excesses. Here are some of those ideas and links to help you implement your own low-waste end-of-year season. Pick a few areas that you know you can accomplish without being a holiday killjoy, and maybe you can start some new low-waste traditions in your circle.
Share Your Intention – Consider letting your friends, family, and coworkers know you have set yourself the challenge of having low-or even no-waste holidays, and anything they can do to help will be a gift in itself.
Food – Most of us have been conditioned to prepare more than enough food when entertaining family and friends around the holidays. We make more dishes and plan larger portions than we normally would. However, this excess preparation has led to the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s as the time when Americans throw away 25% more trash than at any other. And since food is the largest single category of waste that ends up in landfills, according to the EPA, holiday meals present a great opportunity to reduce unnecessary waste.
Anne Bonneau, author of Zero Waste Chef, has a great blog on how not to waste Thanksgiving leftovers. Many holiday meals include lots of the same dishes as Thanksgiving (think mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, roasted veggies, pumpkin, cranberry), so check out her blog for leftover ideas. Have containers ready to send extras home with guests, and a plan for composting your scraps.
Travel – This is an area that can have a huge footprint, but if flying is the only way to see your family, then see your family. If you have alternatives to flying such as train or bus or ridesharing, check them out.
Gifts Received – If you normally receive gifts of things you don’t need or want, consider letting those annual givers know of alternatives you would most enjoy -- tickets to a show or concert, a subscription or membership to a local museum or garden, donation to a favorite charity, an evening of pet-sitting, an hour of gardening, a homemade pie, etc.
Gifts Given – Apply ‘what would you most enjoy receiving?’ in reverse. Ask the people to whom you always give gifts what they would most enjoy, or based on what you know about them, tell them some of your ideas and ask them to choose a favorite.
Wrappings – There are many great ideas to be found online to stop the scourge of wrapping paper that so often ends up in the trash. Brown paper saved from a delivery or from previous holidays works great, as does newspaper, and it can be recycled once it reaches the end of its reusable life. A wrapped box and lid, gift bag, or decorated paper bag can all be used year after year. Most tapes and ribbons are made of plastic, so look for other ways to secure wrapped packages or save the ribbons to use again next year.
Decorations – Holiday decorations run the gamut from treasured family glass balls to newer plastic items. Care for and save what you already have and consider making your own when additions are needed. The internet has lots of ideas for holiday crafts and DIY projects. Yes, you can buy LED lights for longer life and lower energy use, but resist the temptation to buy even more just because they are more efficient.
This blog was included as part of the November 2026 Sylvanian newsletter. Please click here to check out more articles from this edition!