How to give back to Mother Earth: Tips to be more sustainable this holiday season

During the holidays, Georgians – like everyone else – are consuming more than usual. Holiday shopping and party-throwing come hand-in-hand with buying food, gifts and décor throughout the season.

For those looking to reduce waste during this time of year, here are some ideas to be green this holiday season.

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When it comes to reducing waste, Heather O'Sullivan, who runs Savannah Refillery, has worked on plenty of ways shoppers can get what they need and want with sustainability in mind.

Savannah Refillery sells reusable goods and bulk items. Refillery stores are becoming more common for people wanting to shop sustainably and locally. They sell goods, whether it be laundry detergent or pantry staples like rice, without packaging. Shoppers can bring their own reusable containers and buy as little or as much as they want, often reducing food waste as well.

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About 40% of plastic waste comes from just packaging alone, so cutting it out of shopping goes a long way in reducing waste, according to National Geographic.

"We certainly do not preach that it is the consumers' responsibility for the plastic pollution crisis," O'Sullivan said. "Corporate responsibility and legislation are the two things that are going to push the needle the farthest to really reduce ... the amount of plastic waste that's being created."

O'Sullivan said those looking to do something a little green over the holidays don't have to radically turn all their holiday plans on their head. Picking just one or two sustainable ideas to explore can be a fun way to get creative during the holidays.

"Small efforts collectively can make a big difference," O'Sullivan said. Here are some ways she recommends reducing waste during the holidays:

Shop local

Packaging and shipping can have big environmental impacts, and O'Sullivan said shopping local is a great alternative to support local businesses and find gifts, goods and food from your community. Headed to a local farmers market, art and craft fair, or business just around the corner can spark new ideas and gifts for the holidays.

Get creative with gift wrapping

"For gift wrapping I love using old newspaper, sometimes magazine. We always tend to have packing paper around," O'Sullivan said. A lot of gift wrap available in stores isn't recyclable due to coatings like metals or glitter.

A trend she saw last year was Furoshiki, the Japanese art of wrapping gifts in fabric. The wrapping can be a gift itself: scarves, cloth napkins or pretty swatches of fabric can be used to wrap those odd-shaped gifts that can be a challenge to wrangle. It can also be an opportunity to upcycle leftover fabric from projects.

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Gift alternatively

Just because your guests open a gift during the holiday party doesn't mean they immediately have to cash it in. O'Sullivan, as well as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, among many others, say you can opt to gift an experience. Whether it's a cooking class, tickets to their favorite band's concert or gift certificates to their favorite museum or movie theater, these alternative gifts can be thoughtful and give the gift-receiver something to look forward to even once the holidays are over.

For the thrifty bunch, O'Sullivan and Emory University say that scouring the vintage store shelves for gently used or vintage items can be another way to reuse, reduce and recycle this holiday season. Just because it is used doesn't mean it's dirty or cheap, whether it's some of that mid-century modern home décor that keeps getting snapped up on Facebook Marketplace or a vintage Levi's jean jacket, there's plenty of items that can find a new life this holiday season.

Reduce food waste

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 30% to 40% of the nation's food supply goes to food waste. The agency says that beyond the economic impact broadly, and in individual's pockets, this over-100 billion pounds of waste also diverts food that could be sent to families in need to landfills, and wastes land, water, labor and other inputs used to produce, transport, prepare, store and dispose of discarded food.

O'Sullivan said you can start saving food and money right at home: go shopping in your pantry. See what ingredients you already have that can be used in holiday meals. And that journey can finish at home too by storing leftovers in the freezer or sending them home with guests.

Recycle your tree

Choosing a Christmas tree, setting it up and decorating it are some time-treasured traditions for plenty of Georgians, but disposing of the tree is often a hassle many leave until well into the new year.

Many municipalities throughout Georgia offer Christmas tree recycling and wood chipping programs. Make sure to take off all decorations, and then check with your local government to see where you might be able to recycle your tree:

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Augusta: Augusta's Solid Waste department offers Christmas tree recycling as part of its yard waste program after Christmas and during the month of January.

Athens-Clarke County: Athens-Clarke County residents can drop off their trees at to-be-determined locations around town. "The Chipper" event, where trees will be woodchipped, will take place on January 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.,  location to-be-determined. Citizens may bring their trees to a chipper location for a free tree seedling and seed packets. Chipper sites will also accept wreath metal and light strings.

Roll offs for undecorated trees will be available from December 26 to January 15, 2023, according to Athens-Clarke County's website.

Chatham County/City of Savannah: The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport hosts a "Bring One for The Chipper" recycling event annually for Christmas trees. For those who can't make it to the airport, residents can also put trees to be recycled with regular yard-waste pickup.

Marisa Mecke is an environmental journalist. She can be reached at mmecke@gannett.com or by phone at (912) 328-4411. 

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Tips to be more sustainable during the holiday season