top of page

How to Reduce Holiday Waste This Season


Looking at past year’s most popular toy items, we can clearly see that a majority are made of plastic and are likely packaged in plastic as well. On top of that, these toys are wrapped in holiday-themed wrapping paper and sealed with a beautiful bow! Have you ever stopped to think what happens to this plastic and paper after the holiday season?

Holiday surplus does not stop with plastic toys and wrapping paper, however. Americans dispose of an enormous amount of food waste as well during the festive season—according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, approximately 200 million pounds of turkey meat over Thanksgiving alone. Additionally, cheap decorations, disposable wrapping paper, fake trees, cookie packaging, cards, white elephant gifts, etc. are all being disposed of in excess during the holidays—what a waste!

Here are some tips and tricks to play your part in reducing waste this season:

  • Food Waste

  • Calculate portions. Use the Guest-Imator to determine portion sizes so you can cook the correct amount for your guests as you host the most fabulous holiday party in town. This tool can greatly reduce the amount of food waste generated from your household while still ensuring all guests receive belly-filling portions to keep them coming back year-over-year.

  • Enjoy the leftovers. Prior to cooking your holiday meals, take a second look at your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry to see what items can be used in your recipes. Additionally, after your holiday meals have been cooked, enjoyed, and packed away in your holiday Tupperware, use these leftovers the following days to make sandwiches, use leftover vegetables as a snack, treat yourself to some leftover pie as your after work snack! Get creative with your food.

  • Gifts and Wrapping

  • Rethink stocking stuffers. Use items like homemade soap, lotions, and products as your main stuffers. Also, adding bamboo toothbrushes as a stocking stuffer surprise is both economically sourced and environmentally friendly.

  • Use homemade wrapping paper. The inside of paper grocery bags can easily be reused into sturdy gift wrap. Moreover, if you’re a newspaper lover, save your papers throughout the year and make this your holiday wrap strategy—pro tip: use the comics section of the newspaper to create a fun, child-friendly wrapping paper design!

  • Reusable Items

  • Make natural decorations. Create a wreath from greenery in your neighborhood and surrounding parks or gardens. Items like dried leaves, cedar clippings, oak bark, dried orange slices, etc. can be great for creating natural, festive decorations for your home during the holiday season.

  • Use a REAL tree. Plastic trees will ultimately be discarded as trash when they begin to break or fall apart. A real tree, in comparison, can be recycled and turning into beneficial soil mulch in your local community. Do research in your city or county to find responsible disposable methods for your tree this season.

  • Use precious serving dishes. The fancy traditional family heirloom that is serving dishes (the ones kept in that box in your garage) are perfectly suited for the holidays. Instead of purchasing plastic serving trays that are conveniently disposed of post-holiday feast, use your precious serving tray that your grandmother so proudly displayed each holiday. This effort will greatly reduce the amount of plastic waste in your community and will make an incredible impact on the environmental efforts for the holidays.

Do you have any questions regarding holiday waste or need additional tips on recycling or reducing household waste? Give our experts a call today for more information! (844) 88TAKE2 or (844) 888-2532

Take2_v2.png

P.O. Box 6234

Westlake Village, CA 91359

©2019 by Take 2 Services, Inc.

bottom of page