The holiday season is one of the most magical times of the year. Right after Thanksgiving, poinsettias, lights, and Christmas trees start to pop-up everywhere, like a winter wonderland was just mysteriously created overnight.

The holiday cheer in the air reminds us to finish Christmas shopping before the end of the month. People spend their free time rushing around to get presents, cooking delicious meals, and preparing for the celebrations. Though this all sounds wonderful, it can cause a lot of environmental impact due to driving, discarding old items that were replaced with new ones, and don’t forget all of the waste generated from the packaging all your gifts are wrapped in.

With all of these factors in mind, Swell Vision has decided to bring you the gift of some ideas on how you can make your Holiday season greener! 

1. It’s the day after Christmas and you are surrounded by empty boxes, bottles, and containers. Before throwing those into the recycle bin, make sure you rinse any recyclable items to eliminate residuals before you discard them. The process of recycling items does not account for the cost of water to clean dirty recycling, so if you don’t rinse it, it won’t get recycled.
   
   
   Image: PublicDomainPictures 
   
   
2. Has your country signed the Paris Agreement? Good news is that you don’t have to wait for political change! You can make your own agreements by simply walking, biking, or riding public transportation during your Christmas shopping, to cut down on carbon emissions.
   
   
3. Shopping can be tiring, requiring you to get hydrated more often. Create the habit to carry your own water bottle with you to eliminate plastic waste from cups or single-use plastic water bottles.
   
   
4. We know it’s Christmas. We know a lot of families plan around a big turkey and other types of meat. However, if you go meatless on the days prior and following Christmas you can help to reduce the processing and emissions associated with meat consumption.
   
   
   Image: Lesley Negus
   
   
5. Recycle old bags and newspaper for gift wrap. You don’t need to spend money on another item that will just end up in the garbage. By wrapping your gifts in reusable materials you are reducing waste and keeping a little extra green in your pocket this holiday season.

Cover image: ymkaaaaaa