Out of bed at the crack of dawn, my brother and I would eagerly creep our way towards the living room where Santa had left his mark, the stockings were stuffed full and the space beneath the tree was piled high with presents. We were always astounded by the sight.
Santa’s gifts were almost always unwrapped – so no stopping the two overly excited kids from getting acquainted with the goodies. But, it was incredibly tough waiting until a “decent” time to wake the folks, so we could start ripping into all that shiny festive wrapping paper.
Besides the memorable gifts, the family time and the wonderful food, I fully remember the gift aftermath resulting in mountains of wrap, ribbon, bows, cards, gift tags and boxes.
What could not be reused (boxes, bows, ribbon and the odd card) ended up in the trash and often filled two large garbage bags. There was definitely some major over-consumption going on during my late childhood and teen years.
I’ve gained some wisdom over the years and see the issues with all that consumption. Garbage isn’t what I want for Christmas. This time of year, paper usage is at its highest. In Canada, the annual waste from wrapping paper and shopping bags equals about 545,000 tonnes.
What’s a person to do with all that waste?
The first step would be omitting the amount of gift wrapping waste as much as possible. But while you can control your actions, you can’t always control those of others and you end up with a pile of non-recyclables. I mentioned a few ways to wrap eco-smartly in last month’s story. These include using recyclable paper (such as packing paper), fabric, yarn and previously used ribbon.
Unfortunately, traditional wrapping paper cannot be recycled. It has many issues – like dyes and non-paper additives (i.e. glitter) – that make it unsuitable for recycling.
The CVRD does not accept traditional wrapping paper or tissue paper in those blue boxes. At curbside pick-up and in the recycling depot bins, the CVRD does accept corrugated cardboard, boxboard and greeting cards. Many of the boxes that presents come in can also be recycled, as well as plastic packaging (# 1 – 7). Be sure to flatten boxes and remove any tape and packing material.
There are options for all those items that can’t be recycled:
-When opening gifts, don’t rip the paper so it can be reused down the road,
-Save the gift tags and greeting cards for next year (these can easily be reinvented for reuse) or for crafts,
-Save the ribbon and bows for reuse with gifts or crafts,
-Recycle gift boxes that can’t be used in the future, and
-Reuse all that non-recyclable packing material (i.e. Styrofoam and bubble wrap) when shipping parcels throughout the year.
It’s not all about the wrap. Other waste is generated from gift giving as well.
This often happens when new appliances have been gifted and the old ones are in great shape. What to do with that second toaster, blender or alarm clock?
You can donate, sell or recycle appliances and devices such as cell phones and ipods. Rather than tossing them in the trash, such things can be discarded responsibly and with little effort.
And what to do with that dried out cut tree? You can get rid of it by taking the tree to a recycling center, dropping it off at local fire stations and other locations in January (we’ll have a full report next week) to have it chipped or by having it hauled away by a pick-up service. If you decorated a live tree, be sure to plant it.
Goods are everywhere and part of the holiday festivities no matter what we believe. While it’s easy to get swept up in the giving vibe – there are much smarter, earth-friendly ways to go about giving, getting and disposing of all that non-recyclable stuff. Being aware of what goes into the recycling bin and what goes into the landfill is a great way to celebrate the planet.
What are you doing to cut your waste this holiday season?
Wishing you all the best of the holiday season and a green New Year.
