Cutting waste during the holiday season
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Media Contact: Trisha Gedon | Communications Specialist | 405-744-3625 | trisha.gedon@okstate.edu
‘Tis the season to celebrate the holidays, exchange gifts, attend parties and enjoy extended family around the table. It’s also the season to generate more waste: Between Thanksgiving and mid-January, most households generate about 25 percent more waste than any other season.
All the pretty wrapping paper and colorful bows make a nice backdrop for the holidays, but not so much at the curb, said Keima Borsuah, Oklahoma State University Extension assistant state specialist with the Solid Waste Management Program.
“When planning gifts and menus this time of year, think about the three Rs — reduce, reuse and recycle,” Borsuah said. “Of course, people enjoy giving and receiving gifts, but choose items of value, purpose and meaning. These gifts will be less likely to end up in a yard sale or even the trash.”
Another suggestion she has for cutting down on waste is to focus on gifts of experiences, such as museum or zoo memberships or tickets to an amusement park. For those family and friends who have everything already, consider gift certificates for cleaning services, car detailing or a homecooked meal.
“Often during this time of year we want to give things, but something as simple as a gift of your time is priceless,” Borsuah said. “Do an activity that creates a memory, not more waste. Another idea is to give a homemade gift certificate for shoveling snow this winter, planting flowers in the spring, mowing the lawn in the summer or raking leaves next fall.”
Other ways to cut down on holiday waste include:
- Shop local to reduce cardboard waste. This not only eliminates the need for a box in which the gift is shipped, it also saves money on shipping costs.
- Choose gifts that have been recycled or made from sustainably sourced materials.
- Consider rechargeable batteries and chargers for electronic gifts.
- Reuse old maps, comics, newspaper or old posters as gift wrap.
- Reuse ribbons, bows and gift bags.
- Skip the wrapping altogether. Instead, hide the gift and leave written clues as to where it can be found.
- When decorating the tree, use energy efficient LED lights.
- Start a child’s or grandchild’s savings or educational account, or donate in a family member’s name to their favorite charity.
Crystal Bennett, manager of municipal services with Republic Services, said her company services 14 million customers across 40 states, including Oklahoma.
“We see upward of 25 percent more at the curb during the holiday season and on through January,” Bennett said. “This extra trash not only affects the landfills but also our drivers. It takes them longer to get through their route, and because each stop has more waste than normal, the drivers must divert to the landfill more often.”
She also noted the increased amount of cardboard generated during the holidays, which she described as the “Amazon effect.” Customers order small products from the website that are shipped in large boxes, creating extra waste.
“During the pandemic when people were isolated in their homes, they began doing more and more shopping online,” she said. “Consumers need to break down the cardboard boxes before putting them in the recycle bin. This way the boxes take up less space and consumers can get more in each container. Also, when shopping in person, check products and packing for the recycling symbol.”
While many residents are good at recycling, Bennett said people aren’t as good at reducing and reusing.
“Think about what you’re buying and consider if it can be recycled or reused. So many things can’t be recycled, but they can be reused or repurposed,” she said.
With the new year right around the corner, Borsuah suggests embracing “reduce, reuse, recycle” as a personal mantra going into 2022.
“Get your new year started off right with resolutions that will truly make a difference in everyone’s lives,” she said.
OSU Extension offers a variety of fact sheets on recycling.