Dashing Through the Trash: How to Live More and Waste Less this Holiday

Here at the Navigator, we are so pumped for the holidays. Not even the boulders of 2020 could crush our holiday spirit, and we are gearing up for a season of giving, loving, and--of course--presents.

After the rush of excitement and the tearing of paper, we know our living rooms can resemble Santa’s workshop after a reindeer stampede. But what happens to the waste generated by the giving season? Millions of tons of ribbon, wrapping paper and holiday cards end up in landf

ills each year. In fact, between the period from Thanksgiving to New Years, Americans make 25% more waste then at any other time of the year--amounting in one million additional tons of garbage per week(Frequently Asked Questions: Holiday Waste Prevention)!

And it’s not just gift-giving that leads to lots of waste--holiday meals grow landfills in addition to waistbands. Landfills, the smelly grave for the millions of wasted pounds of turkey, pie, ham, and cookies, prevent oxygen from reaching the food. As a result, the waste releases methane as it breaks down--one of the most harmful greenhouse gases.

So this season, we wondered: how can we have a celebration that is festival, plentiful, and environmentally conscious? After scouring the Internet and our own brains, the Navigator is proud to present: Top Ten Ways for a Green Holiday.

Number Ten: I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Stuck for present ideas? Try gifts that either protect or promote the environment. A symbolic adoption of an animal through the World Wildlife Fund is a great gift for friends, family, and teachers. Or, go for a 4Ocean recycled glass bracelet: each $20 bracelet removes one pound of trash from the ocean!

You can always go for a classic reusable straw or set of cutlery (#lunchgoals). Save the sea while you munch your salad! Check out the Package Free Shop to find low-waste gifts that support a green lifestyle.

Experiences like concerts or plays, while free of packaging and trash, are sadly on hold for the time being. Instead, consider the gift of subscriptions and memberships! From magazines to tea clubs to kids science projects, there is a subscription service for everyone on your list.

Alternatively, consider a donation in the name of your loved one. In this time of instability, local businesses and charities need help more than ever. Make your gift do some good!

Number Nine: Get New Clothes, Donate the Old

When it comes to old and new fashion, one is silver and the other gold. However, the influx of the holiday fashion industry generates tons of waste each year. In fact, the average American will throw out 81 lbs of clothes every year(Beall)!

Instead of chucking those outgrown sweaters and coats, pass them down to younger friends, siblings, or cousins. Make room in your wardrobes by donating to a secondhand store like Savers in Hanover, or to the current NHS clothes drive to benefit Catie’s Closet. Drop gently used clothing in the bins in the lobby!

Number Eight: How Lovely Are Your Branches

Although artificial Christmas trees can be more cost-effective, nothing beats the aroma and atmosphere created by a real tree. Many garden stores and pick-your-own trees sell quality trees for as low as $17.99 (try That Bloomin’ Place in Norwell or Wyman’s Nursery in Hanson).

In addition to smelling great, real trees replace harmful plastic needles with biodegradable ones. If you do get a real tree, be sure that it is recycled instead of doomed to a landfill. The Norwell Boy Scouts will pick up trees around town to be recycled. Email troop192trees@gmail.com for more information!

Number Seven: Oh Tupperware, Oh Tupperware…

With many holiday celebrations looking much smaller this year, be sure to not overstock the refrigerator. Instead, carefully plan holiday meals, and save those leftovers! An incredible way to save money and resources this holiday season.

Number Six: Trim Up Your Tree (with LEDs)

Saving energy is the perfect way to reduce carbon emissions this holiday. Light timers, available at most local hardware stores, can turn off your outdoor light displays when not a creature is stirring (not even a mouse!).

Bedeck your tree with LED lights that save on energy and money. And remember to turn them off before you go to bed!

Number Five: Walking in a Winter Wonderland

It’s sweater weather! The winter can get chilly, but by bundling up inside your house with festival and fuzzy clothes, you can use less heat, saving sleigh loads of money and energy. Turning down the heat just two degrees could save up to $200 each year (“Ways to Save Heat & Fuel at Home.”), and reduce your carbon footprint to the size of an elf’s.

Number Four: Wrap (and Unwrap) with Care

This is one of our favorites on this list. The only limit to your holiday wrapping is your imagination! Instead of traditional wrapping paper, use old newspaper pages--especially the cartoons! Or, try strips of fabric, vintage maps, or pages of an old book. If you must use wrapping paper, try a recycled alternative!

And when you open a present, resist the urge to rip through the wrapping like a reindeer searching for a carrot. Instead, gingerly lift the tape and leave the paper intact--it can be used to wrap other gifts in the year ahead! Gift bags and tissue paper are also super easy to repurpose.

Number Three: Rudolph the Recycling Reindeer

Countless holiday cards cannot be recycled due to the material they are made from. Cards with a glossy coating, metallic or glittery accents, or plastic will end up in the trash (as will cards printed on photo paper).

If your family is planning on sending out cards, be sure to purchase ones made completely of paper so they can be recycled!

Number Two: Deck the Halls with Carbon Offsets

Carbon offsets--certificates purchased that remove CO2 from the atmosphere--are a great way to balance out the emissions from the extra shopping, sending, and cooking of the holidays. Check out TerraPass to offset vehicle emissions and CarbonFund for general offsets.

Number One: And a Greener New Year!

Here at the Navigator, we see the New Year as a symbol for fresh beginnings. What better time to set up an environmentally-friendly 2021 with some New Year’s ‘Greenolutions’? Take this time to dedicate yourself to one or two actions, like always bringing your own straw or shortening your shower by five minutes. Check out this helpful site for more resolutions, and comment your own Greeolutions!

We hope this list will be a starting point for your own eco-friendly holiday. Small steps like these can add up to great change, so consider starting a new tradition! From everyone at the Navigator, we wish you tidings of a brighter--and greener--2021.

By Rose Hansen