By Layla Roy
After nearly two years of enduring COVID-19, there’s no doubt people are eager to celebrate the holiday season this year. We all deserve to enjoy our festivities in the coming months, but with global climate change and the multitude of environmental issues the world faces today, it is very important that we keep sustainability in mind. Over a million tons of wastes are created each week between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. The holidays are certainly bad for the environment, but there are many ways to be eco-friendly as a consumer.
With fewer COVID limitations, travel has once again become prominent this time of year. Flying, especially long distances, releases a lot of greenhouse gases at high altitudes, the effects of which are detrimental to our environment. Shorter flights cause the most pollution per kilometer, so if flying is essential to your holiday, consider one with no layovers. Trains are also a great alternative. They use less fuel and are less harmful to the atmosphere than planes. However, the best thing you can do for your environment is to stay local.
Light pollution, although often overlooked, is extraordinarily harmful to our planet and one of the main environmentally damaging factors during the holiday season. Strings of lights increase light pollution by nearly 50% in some places, and produce enough carbon dioxide to fill 15,500 hot air balloons. A vital step in solving this problem is switching to LED lights. They use 90% less energy, which can save you around fifty dollars on electricity bills this month, are equally strong, and are incredibly long-lasting. Using solar-powered strings for outdoor lighting also provides a great solution. If everyone in the US used LEDs in place of their traditional string lights, 2 billion kWh of electricity would be saved each month. In addition, if a tree is part of your celebration, opt for a real, locally sourced one, as they have the lowest carbon footprint than any other tree alternative, and are far more environmentally friendly than plastic trees, which are non-biodegradable.
The most significant contributors of waste during the holidays ultimately comes down to wrapping paper, plastic, and carbon dioxide emissions caused by transport. We use over eight thousand tons of wrapping paper and more than 3 billion holiday cards during this season. To overcome this issue, start by using reusable or recyclable wrapping paper and cards from materials of the sort. Reusing the boxes your packages may come in, as well as considering sending e-cards, promote sustainability as well. According to Stanford University, “If every American family wrapped just three presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.”
The use of plastics splurges during the holiday season from a number of various sources. Bows, packaging, plastic cups and silverware used at holiday parties, bags from stores, packing peanuts, and decor all contain plastic. The key to minimizing your plastic waste is reusing. Reuse any and all plastic items you can, such as the bows on gifts. Plastic may seem inescapable but making an effort to reduce your plastic waste makes a difference and greatly benefits the environment.
Perhaps the most important and essential thing you can do this holiday season to reduce your footprint is shopping locally. The great number of deliveries soon to come means more delivery trucks will be on the road, which thereby results in an abundance of carbon emissions. Shopping locally and supporting local businesses is by far the best way to remain eco-friendly. Try supporting local farmers that grow sustainable meat and produce. If you do buy online, try to use ground shipping, as it uses less fuel, and try to buy the bulk of your items in one order to minimize packaging. Alternatively, craft your own gifts or give loved ones experiential gifts. This could be a concert or a day trip, neither of which involve waste.
This holiday season, make it your goal to have fun while still remaining environmentally conscious. Shop locally, condense your waste, and have a happy holiday!