Try these tips to reduce holiday waste this year2 min read

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The holiday season doesn’t have to lead to increased waste!

Use these 10 waste reduction tips for your next get-together, because every piece counts!

1. Reduce food waste. If it’s a potluck, suggest what guests can bring. Have containers available to portion out and share the leftovers.
2. Whether you are buying groceries or gifts, make sure all packaging is accepted in our Blue Box program.
3. Stock up on kitchen container and green bin liner bags.
4. Set up an “eco depot.” Place your green bin beside blue boxes and garbage can for an easy-to-use sorting station for you and your guests.
5. Use reusable dishware and napkins. Or recycle paper ones in your green bin.
6. If you are buying presents, consider giving the gift of an experience such as tickets for a festival or museum. Consider digital gift cards. Donate to a local charity on behalf of your loved one. Or give gifts that give to our earth, such as refillable water bottles, travel coffee mugs and litter-less lunch kits. Share your skills and make your gift (bake, knit, scrapbook special photos, create a poem, carve or weld a masterpiece, create “coupons” for chores or special things such as an extra story at bedtime for your children).
7. Buy durable decorations that will be long lasting. Or make your own decorations out of stuff you have around your house (there are lots of ideas online). Make gift tags out of old greeting cards.
8. If your celebration produces more organics than your green bin holds, put the organics in an acceptable liner bag, and place on top of your green bin for collection. (If you have extra organics on a regular basis, pick up an extra green bin.)
9. Recycle alcohol containers and packaging through the Ontario Deposit Return program, also known as the “Bag it Back” recycling program.
10. Make the most out of wrapping (and unwrapping) gifts. Make the wrapping part of the present (such as a scarf or towel). Reuse cereal or cracker boxes, cookie tins, or pages from comics and magazines.

When unwrapping presents have:

• A box to collect gift bags, bows and ribbons, and tissue paper for reuse.
• Grocery-sized plastic bag(s) to recycle any paper gift wrap.
• A garbage can or bag for anything that you don’t want to reuse or can’t be recycled (such as foil wrapping paper, Styrofoam, and bubble wrap).
• Choose a person to flatten and bundle corrugated cardboard.