Waste Prevention World

Holiday articles

• Don't make the holidays "the haulidays"
• Holiday "peanuts"
• Toward a "greener" Christmas tree

Don't make the holidays "the haulidays"

Goal: To encourage readers to practice no waste holidays.

The days after major holidays are often major hauling days for garbage collection companies. Just picture that monstrous pile of wadded wrapping paper under the tree after Christmas -- not to mention the tree itself -- and you'll know what we're talking about.

Paper already makes up over 30 percent of California's solid waste stream. During the Christmas season alone, the average household will generate between 3 and 10 bags of beyond-the-ordinary trash.

And with California's population topping 30 million people, that's a lot of extra waste and one heck of a "present" for the neighborhood landfill.

It's easy to go overboard with gift wrapping. We all want the gifts we give to look special and exciting -- to give those gifts that personal touch. So we run out and sometimes spend even more on expensive wrapping paper, ribbons and cards than we do on the gift itself.

There is a better way. Try putting more "gift" in your gift wrap. Instead of disposable paper, make the wrapping part of the gift. For example, wrap Mom's blouse in a matching scarf and tie it with a hair ribbon. Or "reverse" wrap by putting the best thing on the outside. Wrap a good paperback in a nice bathrobe, using the belt as a ribbon, then pop a packet of cocoa or a candy cane in the pocket. The book inside gives support to the robe so it feels like a sturdy package.

One rationale for less gift wrap could be financial considerations. For economy's sake, you can plan the cost of the "gift" wrap into your budget for the gift.

If you really want to be a spendthrift, scour the attic or flea markets for old tins, hat boxes, fabric and other containers and materials that will make a unique, funny, or appropriate package for your gift. Wrap a granddaughter's gift in grandma's old lace curtain. The lace can be saved as a family heirloom. Put a check for a college student in an old bank book or an antique encyclopedia.

The ideas are endless. Gifts can be "gift" wrapped in purses, backpacks, tool chests, tablecloths, towels, hats and bread boxes. Almost any reusable container or fabric can be used in this creative way.

No-waste gift wrapping can actually enhance the quality of your gift, showing that you have done something extra special for that special someone. It also shows that you've done something extra for the environment -- and it's a lot of fun in the bargain.

P.S. Don't forget to recycle your Christmas tree.

For other no-waste holiday ideas and tips for reducing the amount of waste you send to the your local landfills, [insert local information here].

Holiday "peanuts"

Goal: To encourage readers to reuse or minimize holiday packaging.

Free! That may not be a word you'll hear much of this December as the emphasis is usually on spending -- not saving -- money. But believe it or not, some things in life are free, and they can definitely help you to reduce the cost of sending all of those packages to distant family members or relatives and friends. At the same time, you'll be doing your part to help protect the environment.

As one of Santa's helpers, many of you are, no doubt, busy preparing parcels to send. You are most likely scrambling to find packing material. Hopefully, many of you saved items such as corrugated cardboard boxes and "peanuts" from packages of your own so you could reuse them for occasions such as this, making your packaging costs practically "free." And reusing materials not only saves some dollars, but conserves valuable natural resources.

If you've been asleep at the wheel and don't have packing material of your own, you may want to look into opportunities for free packing materials offered by local businesses. The Polystyrene Packaging Council of California reports that over a thousand Mail Boxes Etc. franchises all across the country have developed holiday programs to encourage the reuse of loose-fill polystyrene packaging chips, commonly referred to as "peanuts" because of their shape. (Please, don't try to eat them.)

If you have too much packing material, you may want to donate your peanuts so others can reuse. The polystyrene must be clean and uncontaminated to be accepted in the Mail Boxes Etc. reuse programs as well as those established by other firms. Some local firms may also have other packaging material on hand, such as shredded paper or excelsior (wood shavings) and bubble wrap.

Consider checking the Yellow Pages under "Packaging Materials" or "Packing and Crating Services" and make a few phone calls. If the establishment does not have a reuse program, suggest they start one for next holiday season.

Beyond businesses participating in these reuse programs, check with neighbors, co-workers, friends. Many "pack rats," who have saved every box ever sent to them and can no longer get into their garage, would probably be happy to share their wealth. You'll be doing them a favor just as they do a favor for you.

Another packing option is newspaper. Instead of putting that large Sunday paper into the recycling bin for pick-up (or, worse yet, in the garbage) use it as packing material. You can even use it for gift wrap!

Packaging waste is the single largest component of California's, and the nation's, solid waste stream. Reusing packaging material, therefore, is an extremely important way for you to make sure that the holiday season is not only one of giving and receiving gifts, but marked by a respect for the Earth.

Toward a "greener" Christmas tree

Goal: To encourage readers to think about Christmas tree use.

The Christmas tree: for many Californians, it is the symbol of the holiday season. It comes in many sizes and shapes -- from a table-top trimming to a ceiling-scraping giant, from fir to pine, from live to aluminum.

Regardless of type, the Christmas tree has long been a symbol of joy and glad tidings; gifts seem to grow at its base.

But what happens to this arboreal harbinger of goodwill after all the presents are opened, the feast is finished, and members of the family have each gone their own and separate ways? You may be happy to know that your Christmas tree's useful life doesn't need to come to an end once the ornaments are carefully packed away.

Every year, more than 40,000 tons of Christmas trees require handling at the end of the holiday season in California. Most communities throughout the state are beginning to recognize that the final resting place for cut Christmas trees isn't in the state's burgeoning landfills. A growing awareness of environmental issues, coupled with a mandate to reduce the disposal of still-valuable resources, has convinced growing numbers of California cities and counties to plan Christmas tree recovery programs that give old Tannenbaum a second life.

The California Integrated Waste Management Act requires local governments to reduce solid waste disposal by 50 percent by the year 2000. New waste prevention and recycling programs are being implemented in almost every California community. Unlike most of these efforts, a Christmas tree recovery program is not a year-round effort. The trees are only collected during a specific time period, ranging from a single day or weekend, to as long as a month.

On top of that, these seasonal programs often involve folks not usually associated with waste management issues. This creates unique challenges and opportunities as local agencies, businesses, special interest groups, and citizens are all brought together in a collective effort to reduce wastes during the holidays.

The potential market for your fading Christmas tree may seem slim, but secondary uses are actually quite plentiful. After chipping and shredding, the trees can be used as: (1) mulch for water conservation and weed control; (2) erosion and/or dust control on hiking trails and bridle paths; (3) additives in composting operations; or (4) alternative fuel in special power generation facilities called "biomass" co-generation facilities.

Some communities have even used whole trees in wildlife habitat restoration projects by piling them around watering holes to provide shelter for birds, or by sinking them into lakes as a haven for small fish.

Local public works programs, such as park maintenance and public building landscaping, may also be able to utilize the trees as a resource. Community gardens are yet another potential market for mulch as well as whole trees, the latter serving as trellises for vining plants such as beans or peas.

The rewards for participating in Christmas tree recovery programs are varied. One of the most popular drop-off programs in Santa Barbara County in recent years was at a site where each resident received a small cactus for bringing in a tree.

Christmas tree recovery programs are just one part of broader efforts to reduce holiday waste. For instance, one way to prevent waste is to purchase a living Christmas tree or a reusable artificial tree. Either one of these approaches eliminates the need for post-holiday tree waste management. Though many argue there is a direct correlation between consumerism and economic health, a little forethought on the part of holiday shoppers and home entertainers reduces unnecessary waste without adversely impacting the local economy. Gifts of durable goods in sensible packaging, the use of washable plates at parties, and donations of used or unwanted clothes and toys, are all examples of simple holiday waste reduction ideas that provide boons to long-term economic and environmental health.

Remembering the ethics of reduce, reuse and recycle during traditional times of celebration reinforces a community's waste reduction efforts and helps California meet its resource conservation goals. For more information on waste reduction in your neighborhood, [insert local information].

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Last updated: December 31, 2009