Three Ways To Celebrate Sustainably
This holiday season, like many years prior, feels rooted in consuming and spending money, but this year I want to celebrate a little more slowly. I love this time of the year. It’s time to reset, breathe and look ahead to the next year.
It can be really hard this time of year to focus on sustainably, so here are some easy ways to incorporate sustainability into your holiday plans.
Top Three Sustainable Ways To Celebrate
Go Thrifting, DIY, Borrow & Upcycle
Thrift stores are loaded this time of year with holiday decor, serving and hosting dishes, and even gifts that you can give. Before clicking add to cart, see if you can borrow the item, upcycle something you already have, or buy it secondhand. The world has enough stuff, and so much of it is litters our thrift stores. Hit up your local consignment shops, antique malls and thrift stores to buy what you need and maybe even some holiday gifts.
Last year, I DIY’d my own orange garland, and made it red and green!
Eat Your Leftovers and Compost Your Food Waste
Small shifts in food can have a huge impact on the planet. Maybe you can make a vegan side dish this year, have a leftovers dinner the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas to ensure nothing gets wasted, and make sure you compost your food scraps.
Buy What You Need, Not What You Want
Don’t go shopping unless you absolutely need to! Resist the impulse or give yourself a “freebie” item that you can buy that you weren’t in the market for, because maybe it’s a really good deal and you could actually use it. Before buying something new, check Facebook Marketplace to see if you can buy it secondhand!
Tip: Unsubscribe from any emails for places that you don’t need to buy anything from.
8,000 Tons of Wrapping Paper Are Used Every Christmas
Thats equivalent to 50,000 trees-worth of wrapping paper! Instead of buying it, save the shipping paper from orders and wrap gifts up. You can also use newspaper, cloth or things you have around your home!
Here are some easy ways to upcycle wrapping to wrap your gifts:
