Tis the Season for Not Discarding

While the winter holiday season brings good cheer to many, it also brings a lot more solid waste to landfills and harm to our environment. During the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period Americans throw out 25% more trash than during the rest of the year. That extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage.

With a little thought though, you can create an eco-friendly holiday and give the earth something to celebrate. Here are some environmentally smart tips for a less wasteful holiday this year.

Yes recycle:

• Glass bottles

• Water bottles

• Juice bottles

• Plastic milk containers

• Food plastic containers and lids like yogurt, cottage cheese, butter spread, cream cheese

• Catalogs

• Cardboard

• Canned foods

No recycle:

• Milk Cartons

• Clamshell plastic containers (salad containers)

• Pint or quart food containers from the deli

• Any part of the gel packs from food delivery cool packs

• Plastic cups

There are so many ways to be friendly to the environment during the holidays. The best way to change your consumption habits is to simply ask yourself when shopping, “What will happen to this item when I’m through with it?” If the answer is, “It will get thrown in the trash,” rethink your purchase. Is there a replacement that can be reused, repurposed or re-gifted? If so, that’s a better choice for you and the planet.