9 Ways To Implement an Eco-Conscious Mindset This Holiday Season
As fall comes to a close and a crisp chill hits the air, many of us begin preparation for the various holiday festivities that come with the winter season. From hosting large gatherings on Thanksgiving and Christmas, to gift-giving and decorating our homes with extravagance in mind, it is only natural that the season brings with it a lot of consumption, waste, and detriment to our planet.
But it does not have to be this way! The team at Garden Goods Direct has come together to share some tips and tricks for implementing an eco-conscious and sustainable mindset for the holidays!
It’s The Most Wonderful, Yet Wasteful, Time of The Year
Before we discuss tips for a sustainable and greener holiday, we want to examine some statistics that highlight just how impactful holiday waste can be on our planet. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of household waste in the United States increases by more than 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
For some perspective, the 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high. Additionally, on average, enough wrapping paper is consumed to stretch around the equator nine times. Not to mention all the ribbons, boxes, tape, and décor that get thrown out each December!
Now, we don’t share all of this with you to dampen the holiday season. We love the holidays just as much as the next guy! We only want you to be aware and more mindful of how you choose to celebrate. Luckily for you, we have a few great sustainable ideas to implement this eco-friendly mindset into your celebrations year after year!
1. Consider a Live Christmas Tree
Did you know that Americans discard nearly 15 million Christmas Trees each year? This waste ends up in landfills, where it slowly rots and produces harmful greenhouse gases that impact climate change and negatively affect our planet.
Consider celebrating the season with the planet in mind by using a live Christmas tree in a pot! There are a bunch of incredible options, ranging from our Eastern White Pine Trees to our Norfolk Pines! These trees are just as fun to decorate, but unlike your typical Christmas Tree that you will leave out for the trash truck to take to the dump, you can keep this tree as a memento and watch it grow as your memories and family do!
Once you're done celebrating, you can plant your tree outside and contribute to bettering our planet!
2. Opt For Living Décor!
Sticking with the theme of live plants, you can use various houseplants to dress up your home instead of tacky décor that you will likely throw out or donate at the season’s end. For Thanksgiving centerpieces, we’re picturing warm tones of Croton splashed with the fun textures and shapes of Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera truncate).
Around Christmas, you could consider a large live indoor plant, like a Fiddle Leaf Fig, to accent your home year-round! Dress it up for the holidays with twinkle lights and ornaments! Some more festive planting favorites include Cyclamen, Lemon Cypress, and Rosemary Topiaries.
3. BYOB–Bring Your Own (Reusable) Bags!
We recommend this practice not only when Christmas shopping but also as a habit to instill year-round! According to an EPA study, Americans alone use 4,200,000 tons of plastic bags each year, and only .42 million of that amount are recycled. The rest end up in landfills or pollute local ecosystems and cause detriment to our planet.
By using reusable bags for your shopping trips, you are playing a key role in reducing the amount of plastic that pollutes our environment!
4. Give a Gift That Keeps On Living!
On the topic of shopping comes the familiar task of gift-giving! A great eco-conscious practice that can mean a lot to a loved one is a gift that keeps on growing far beyond the weeks following the holidays. What better way to show someone you care than through a gift they can watch grow and blossom as your love and memories do with this person?
Some popular houseplants that make great gifts include air-purifying favorites like the Peace Lily or the Spider Plant. For a loved one who exudes light and happiness, consider gifting the Monstera Adansonii, also known as the ‘Swiss Cheese Vine!”
5. Gift an E-Gift Card!
Do you have a loved one with a green thumb? They will likely appreciate the saved paper just as much as the planet will! Consider gifting them an e-gift card that can be sent directly to their email. This is a great gifting option for long-distance loved ones as well!
6. Reuse and Repurpose Old Bags and Boxes
Now that you’ve found the perfect gifts for your friends and family, it’s time for the daunting task of wrapping. The practice of wrapping gifts dates back to ancient times and aids in the anticipation and surprise of your gift-giving. But buying wrapping paper, gift bags, and ribbon each year adds up significantly, only to have it all quickly crumble and be discarded in a matter of minutes after unwrapping.
In recent years, the practice of reusing and repurposing old bags and boxes has become a popular eco-conscious practice around the holidays. Trendsetters and influencers on the internet have shed light on their creative minds using things like old newspapers, paper Trader Joe’s bags, and more to create a fun yet sustainable wrapping for their gifts!
7. Get Resourceful For Décor
Next on the list of ideas for implementing a greener holiday season is getting resourceful with your interior décor! Consider using the lemons of your Meyer Lemon Tree to create a dried fruit garland! Or head outside to your landscape for inspiration and forage magnolia leaves, berry branches, and red twigs to add a festive flare to your indoor displays.
8. ‘Tis The Season To Recycle
The next important step in bettering our planet this holiday season is to recycle what can be recycled! According to a 2024 report from The Recycling Partnership, 76% of recyclable materials in the United States are thrown away in the trash each year.
Take note that the following materials can be recycled-
- Plain wrapping paper, gift bags, and envelopes can be recycled. You can test if wrapping paper is recyclable by scrunching it into a ball. If it stays scrunched, it's likely recyclable. Paper with glitter, metallic or wax coating, or other additives should be thrown away
- Cardboard gift boxes and wrapping paper tubes can be recycled. Flatten all cardboard boxes before recycling.
- Rigid plastic storage containers, plastic bottles, and food containers can be recycled if they are clean and don't contain food.
- You can compost food waste into fertilizer for your garden. You can compost outside if you have a backyard or live in a warm climate, or you can compost indoors in a compost bin.
9. Plant More Trees!
Last but certainly not least, on the list of contributing to a happier and healthier planet this holiday season is the practice of planting trees! Trees actively remove carbon dioxide from the air, store carbon in the soil, and release oxygen into the atmosphere. In the US, forests offset 10-20% of the country’s annual fossil fuel emissions. Trees also benefit our planet by protecting our soils from erosion and runoff and providing food, protection, and homes to local wildlife!
Is it too cold to plant in your area? Take advantage of winter savings and select a ship date for spring! For an extra eco-conscious effort, consider protecting your newly planted tree with our biodegradable tree trunk guards!
Connect With Our Team At Garden Goods Direct
If you’ve read this article, you’re already one step closer to making our planet a better place. For more eco-friendly tips and tricks to sustainability, be sure to connect with us across our various social media platforms and join our Garden Goods Newsletter!