I am not the most environmentally conscious person but I am trying to make little changes to my life to help out this awesome place we get to call home.
Apparently, a recent study has shown that Americans throw away 25% more trash between thanksgiving and Christmas! 35% of us have Christmas gifts we have stored and not used (definitely including myself here). This does not surprise me seeing how much I have wasted over the years with presents, decor and general consumption.
Below are just a few things that may help reduce waste over the holidays:
Give an experience.
Instead of gifting an item, try gifting an experience like concert tickets, a spa day, etc! We plan on gifting movie tickets to a few people this year!
Gift secondhand.
This is sometimes considered tacky but I believe it needs to become a thing! Gifting a used item is a great way to find something unique for that person. This of course is one of the most environmentally-friendly options. Thred Up up and Poshmark are both great online stores to find gently used items. There’s even a “new with tags option” if you want to keep your secret of buying second hand.
Use recycled or recyclable wrapping paper.
This is slowly becoming a trend anyway. You can just use rolls of the brown recycled paper and wrap it nicely with greenery and nice calligraphy.
Wrap with natural elements.
Instead of buying extra bows or string, use what you already have! I have some rope and twine I plan on using for the bow, with some dried eucalyptus I have left over from my decor.
Decorate minimally and with natural elements.
Use what you already own. If you want to do a little more decorating, go with live greenery!
Below are some minimal ways I decorated the house this year! I tried to use what we a already had. I also used some live greenery from the local florist to add in something extra on the mantel and shelves. Thankfully, going more eco-friendly was a cheaper option than years prior.
Enfp.
24 year old.
Mother of an adorable puppy.
Wifed up to the coolest husband.