Ah, the holidays. The most wonderful time of the year. It’s a period of love, happiness, and giving. But, while we’re worrying about the weather outside being frightful, the amount of waste we produce isn’t so delightful.
The amount of environmental damage that the holidays can generate is pretty unbelievable. Every year, the extra waste means 25 million tons of garbage is generated in the US alone ( that’s after factoring out all the coal from naughty kids). Polyurethane Foam Spray Machine
In recent years, there has been an increase in shopping online, and as we know, online orders often come with all sorts of packaging, meaning even more waste. According to an online survey by Metro Vancouver, there has been a 28% increase in online shopping since 2019. These online orders come with shipping materials are yet another form of waste, plus they can be confusing for residents to dispose of.
With this in mind, Metro Vancouver has launched its Create Memories, Not Garbage campaign, encouraging residents to celebrate the season with less waste. The campaign aims to support the region’s waste reduction targets, which include goals like reducing the waste we each generate and aspiring to raise the amount of waste being recycled in the region from 64% to 80%.
Together, we’ve created a list of helpful tips that will not only help you reduce waste to begin with, but also make it easier to dispose of garbage that’s more difficult to avoid.
While it may seem obvious, the easiest way to avoid excess packaging is to shop in person. This way, you can bring your own bag and say no when the store offers to wrap your item.
Another surefire way to reduce waste and landfill is by purchasing gifts, food, and decorations from brands that use minimal or eco-friendly packaging. And i f you need to purchase packaging, wrapping paper, or boxes for these gifts, try to choose options that contain recycled content. What’s more, this will also help save you time and energy as you can buy everyone a gift in the same place.
Let’s face it, it’s not just the planet that the holidays hurt. Buying fancy, glittered wrapping paper can also be pretty hard on our wallets. So, why not reuse some of the packaging from your online orders for Christmas gifting and storage?
Pair leftover kraft paper from your online package with ribbons from last year’s holiday gifts or hang on to those gift-bag-quality paper bags from delivery orders for lightning-fast, fuss-free wrapping. Common packaging items like bubble wrap and foam peanuts can also come in handy to protect any items you’ll be shipping as future gifts or to pack up your delicate ornaments at the end of the season.
Shipping packaging can be reused beyond the holiday season, too. Leverage bubble wrap or foam to maintain the shape of bags, purses, and tall boots, or use them to wrap, cover, and protect outdoor plants. If you’ve got kids in the house, these items can also make for some pretty decent entertainment on a rainy day — a quick online search will show you many DIY game ideas or crafts using cardboard boxes.
If you don’t have a way you can reuse these items, then give them to someone who can by offering them up on a local buy/swap group.
So, you’ve given your loved ones their well-deserved gifts, everyone is happy with what they got, and you can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Now, what to do with all of that pesky packaging that the gifts came in if you can’t reuse it or give it away? While the majority of us have the best intentions when it comes to recycling, it can be a little confusing trying to figure out what goes where.
The good news is that many packaging items are recyclable here in Metro Vancouver, including plastics like bubble envelopes, soft plastic envelopes, air pockets, and hard foam. The majority of paper products will also be recyclable too — unless they’re covered in glitter or shine. Sure, it may give the paper a little pizzazz, but it comes at the cost of making it garbage.
Meanwhile, dispose of mixed material items like bubble-lined paper envelopes, foam packing peanuts, and packing tape with general household garbage. If you’re unsure what to do with certain materials, you can double-check here.
For more inspiration on how to reduce your waste this Christmas, visit Metro Vancouver’s Create Memories, Not Garbage website.
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