May your holidays be merry and sustainable!
With the holiday season right around the corner, it's a great time to think about how we can make our festivities a little more eco-friendly. (Not-so) fun fact! Canadians produce over 1.3 million tons of extra waste during the holiday season, which includes wrapping paper, packaging, and food waste. This is a significant increase compared to the rest of the year.
From gift-giving to decorating, small changes can add up to make a big difference. No matter what you're celebrating this holiday season, here are a few tips to make your holidays a bit more green.
Travel
While a one-horse open sleigh is a sustainable option, it might not be the most convenient or accessible. Instead, try some of these travel tips!
Reduce the travel in your holidays. If you do travel, consider an airline that provides carbon offset options.
Rethink your travel plans to make a more efficient trip. Perhaps you take a longer trip over the holidays rather than two smaller trips split between winter and Easter holidays. Maybe you can take the train rather than a flight, or the bus rather than a car.
Carpool when you can. You can carpool with strangers and even make some money along the way through ride share apps like Poparide.
If travel isn’t in the cards this year, why not enjoy a Staycation. Explore local parks, trails, or holiday activities close to home. What are your favourite local spots to explore?
Food
Are you sick of Who Pudding and Roast Beast? Try these tips to spice up your holiday feasts!
Shopping locally and choosing seasonal produce not only supports local farmers but also reduces the carbon footprint of transporting food long distances.
Plan your meals carefully to avoid excess food waste. If you do have leftovers, get creative and repurpose them into new dishes or ask your guests to bring tupperware and take some food home.
Consider incorporating more plant-based meals into your holiday spread. They have a lower environmental impact compared to animal-based products.
Decorations
Deck the halls with homemade crafts!
Use natural decor. Decorate your home with pinecones, holly, evergreen branches or upcycled items you already have at home!
Visit Crossway Community Thrift, or your local thrift store, for some awesome finds. Did you know, you can find many second-hand LED lights, which use less power and last longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
If you are wanting a live tree, consider getting your tree from local, sustainable farms or areas where the trees will already be cut down. Check out Tree Lane Farms for some inspo!
Gifts
Brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of our favorite gift tips!
Gift items that are thrifted, second-hand or hand-crafted. These gifts are not only unique but often have a smaller carbon footprint and are more heartfelt. Whether it’s knitting a scarf or baking cookies, personal touches make a big impact.
Choose gifts that you know the person will use or need. Perhaps provide a gift receipt so they can return it if need be.
Try a year without gifts. What creative ways can you connect in lieu of gifts?
Instead of material items, consider giving your loved ones experiences or acts of service. From a day of skiing, to a night at the movies, there are plenty of experiences to choose from!
For those hard-to-buy-for folks, consider an e-gift, digital subscription, or donation in their honour.
There are many creative, sustainable ways to wrap your gifts using reusable wrap, old newspapers, fabric gift bags. Repurpose items like scarves, tote bags, or jars. Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese wrapping method which uses cloth to wrap gifts. It’s stylish, eco-friendly, and reusable!
The holidays are a great time to support charities and organizations that focus on sustainability, environmental protection, or social good. You can donate money, goods, or your time to make a positive impact.
Consider giving the gift of lasting impact to the Biosphere Institute
Looking to give a donation as a gift? Why not help us reach our goal of raising $10,000.00 for the Shift: Climate Transitions program by January 1st. You will receive the below certificate with the recipients name and the appropriate value.
