Have Yourself a Sustainable Holiday

December 14, 2021

No matter how you celebrate the holidays, don’t forget to put Mother Earth on your nice list.

Statistics show Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than any other time of year. The extra waste totals 25 million tons of garbage annually – or about one million extra tons of trash per week.

To help minimize this impact, FirstEnergy’s Green Teams are sharing easy ideas to make your shopping, decorating, wrapping and recycling efforts more pleasing to the planet this year.

Shopping & Gifting

  • Buy local or from companies seeking to leave a smaller carbon footprint by using less water and energy during goods production.
  • Choose vendors selling gifts that incorporate reused or recycled materials.
  • Give the gift of an experience rather than things. Believe it or not, most people prefer it.
  • Don’t be afraid to say, “no, thank you,” to extra wrapping or plastic bags. Bring reusable bags to carry your items around in.

Decorating

  • Utilize natural materials, like tree clippings, to make wreaths and décor around the home.
  • Purchase indoor or outdoor plants that can be enjoyed throughout the season – and long after the holidays are over.
  • Choose a real Christmas tree over a manufactured one.

Wrapping

  • Forgo expensive wrapping paper and use packing materials or brown paper bags for a rustic, natural look.
  • Try to use as little material to wrap as possible. For example, use tissue paper to wrap flexible clothing and skip the gift box.
  • Reuse last year’s non-damaged bags and gift paper. If a gift bag can no longer be used, remove any fabric handles before placing in the waste bin.

Recycling

  • Check with local parks or water cleanup groups to see if they collect used, live holiday trees to repurpose as aquatic habitats.
  • Recycle cardboard boxes and qualifying wrapping paper. Some wrapping paper cannot be recycled (check with your local recycling company for the criteria). Anything shiny, glittering or metallic is typically contaminated with chemicals and cannot be recycled.
  • Flatten cardboard boxes and take to a recycling facility.
  • Check for companies that will collect your unwanted household items (shoes, clothing, kitchenware, etc.).