Deck the Halls—Without Plastic
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! Time for gifting, decking the halls, entertaining and ringing in the New Year. But it’s also the most wasteful time of the year. According to the EPA, American waste jumps by 25% from Thanksgiving to New Years, averaging out to an extra million pounds per week! December’s edition of Pitching Plastics is here to offer creative tips on how to avoid plastic pitfalls.
Looking to update your holiday wardrobe? Glitz, Glitter, Sparkle? Yep, all derivatives of plastics. So what’s a person to do? Think gently-used. Shop local resale shops and Goodwill or online at Ebay, Poshmark, and The RealReal. Try borrowing or swapping with friends. Rent the Runway for that one special event.
Are global supply chain troubles taking the fun out of gifting? Is all that plastic packaging getting you down? Think handmade, digital, and experiential.
Gift Markets are back! Check out Christkindlemarket, One of a Kind Show, Renegade, and Randolph Street Market for artisan, handmade, and upcycled gifts. And don’t forget to bring your reusable bags, water bottle and container for leftovers while you are out and about.
Consider gifts of service as a loving and personal way to give. Offer to babysit for a date night or weekend getaway for your family or friends or cook a gourmet meal. What could be more special?
Is tech more your style? Subscriptions to Rosetta Stone or Babbel are perfect for learning a language, while Masterclass and Udemy cover an incredible range of subjects with acclaimed teachers. Amazon Kindle and Audible subscriptions for bookworms and roadtrippers. Still at a loss? Think digital gift cards.
An experiential gift of dining out or taking in a show is a fabulous way to gift and support local restaurants and theatres that have been hard hit over the last 20 months.
Now to wrap all those fabulous gifts. Watch this video for tips on how to reduce the gift wrap. Baskets, jars, tins, and fabric are reusable alternatives that are gifts themselves. Newsprint, paper bags, string, raffia and garnishes of fresh greens, rosemary and berries make for great recycled gift wrap. If you use traditional wrap, skip the foil or glitter-decorated paper, tape and bows. Gift bags and boxes can be reused again and again.
Hosting? Practice your grocery shopping skills from last month's Pitching Plastics. Skip the plastic utensils and pull out the crystal and china. And best of all...wine and champagne are essentially plastic free. Cheers to you!
Lastly, when it comes to holiday decor, fresh is always best. BUT, using and reusing artificial materials for many years can also be environmentally friendly. When items are at the end of their useful life, consider resale or donating instead of sending to the landfill. And remember to compost your fresh decor. Check out the City of Chicago’s free program for tree composting in January.
Wishing you safe, happy and plastic-free holidays. See you in the New Year!
The Environmental Action Committee meets regularly via Zoom. Next up are meetings on January 3 and 17.