Cheers to an eco-friendly holiday season

Four easy ways to up your eco-friendly lifestyle this holiday season

In our books, it’s officially holiday season. Between the parties, planning travel and finding that special gift for a loved one, it can be easy to lose sight of the eco-friendly habits you typically hold near and dear. We’re here to help you out! We’ve pulled together the top four actions you take this holiday season to make sure you’re not only giving back to your loved ones, but to the planet too.

Give responsibly 

This season, gift experiential gifts or purchase products that come in minimal packaging, are made from sustainable materials, and/or can be easily recycled. You can also encourage people to live more sustainably by gifting them a compost bin, a reusable water bottle, a steel reusable straws, or an electricity-free slow cooker. Find more ideas in this Buzzfeed article or this one from Lifehacker.

Rethink gift wrapping and greeting cards

We understand that presentation is very important, but don’t forget that the environment is too! Send e-cards instead of paper cards and create your own wrapping paper for your gifts. Don’t be afraid to get creative. If you have leftover gift bags from last year, reuse them, or try using newspaper, brown paper bags, or even a piece of cloth that you no longer need. You can even forgo wrapping the gift all together! For more inspiration, check out Maya at The Art of Simple.

Donate your time or money to an environmental cause (give back!)

This holiday season try volunteering with family, or even alone, to improve the environment in your community. A few ideas include cleaning up your local park or planting trees. Organizations, charities and the planet need dedicated volunteers like you to make an impact. No effort is ever too small for the planet. Check out this article from One Green Planet for ideas on how you can volunteer and give back during the holidays, or any other time of the year.

Recycle your packaging

Recycle your food, beverage and gift packaging. Whether you buy gifts at the store, order online, or make them yourself, remember to recycle your packaging, bonus points if you save any gift paper or bags for next year. According to the American Forest & Paper Association, last year the United States recycled 300,000 tons LESS of corrugated containers (standard shipping boxes) than the year before. Let’s not repeat that mistake! 

Do you have additional tips for how to stay eco-friendly during the holiday season? Please share with us by using #recycleyourcartons on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, or emailing us at info@recyclecartons.com