10 Easy Ways to Host a Waste-Free Holiday

Happy Wednesday and welcome to my first holiday post of the season! Since Thanksgiving is only a week away (crazy), now is the perfect time to start planning your menus and getting everything ready for guests. It's also the perfect time to start thinking about how to reduce waste this holiday season. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is so much excess that can get thrown out, so I wanted to share ten ways that you can eliminate waste this holiday season.

ONE | Plan in advance! If you know that you end up with too many leftovers each year, try cutting back on a few sides and skip buying every type of pie that the bakery has to offer. You'll spend less and end up with less leftover food that goes to waste.

TWO | Though it might seem easier for setup and clean up, don't use disposable plates, cups or utensils for your holiday dinners. Instead, opt for reusable glasses, metal utensils, and ceramic tableware. Also, dishwashers are more efficient than washing by hand, so when you can, use your dishwasher to reduce wasted water and energy. It is also recommended not to rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, so just wipe off excess food scraps into a compost bin or garbage and then put your used dishes in the dishwasher to run (once full!)

THREE | Compost the food you don't use. When you are cooking, make a compost pile and throw any food scraps in there. After eating, wipe plates clean into the compost bin also. Same goes for leftovers. Some cities actually mandate composting, while others don't, but it's such a great way to reuse your food -- once your compost is made, you can use it for growing your own vegetables and herbs.

FOUR | Speaking of leftovers, it's likely that you won't be able to eat everything yourself. Distribute leftovers between guests and wrap everything in reusable glass Tupperware or mason jars.

FIVE | When purchasing holiday decorations, buy things that you know can be used year after year. My family had custom wreaths made years ago for our home at Christmastime, and now when we purchase decorations, we make sure that they go with what we already have. We also have a set color scheme for our Christmas tree and reuse the same ornaments each year (see above). We've kept a few of the novelty Christmas ornaments that we really love and my siblings and I each have our own mini tree where we can display our novelty ornaments.

SIX | When sending invitations to family dinners, holiday parties, and new year's eve events, try sending the information via email, text, Facebook, or a virtual invitation company like Paperless Post. Odds are that your guests will look at the invitation once to write down the date on their calendar or add it to their phone, then throw the piece of paper away. Using a virtual invitation tool reduces your paper waste. You might also opt to send your holiday cards over the Internet as well.

SEVEN | Limit your physical gift giving. If there is something you know someone really needs (like a new pair of snow boots) or this is an item they will absolutely love, then feel free to purchase a gift. But in the spirit of zero-waste, gift your loved ones with experiences you can share together. I'll be sharing some great experiential gifts in the coming weeks.

EIGHT | If you decide to purchase physical gifts that must be wrapped, choose eco-friendly wrapping options. Use repurposed materials like newspaper or brown paper bags for a fun touch on gift wrap. If you have gift bags lying around from years prior, reuse the old bags to wrap new gifts. 

NINE | You can also get creative and put gives inside a reusable wooden advent calendar, a stocking, or gift a reusable shopping bag and fill it with other gifts. This is like getting two gifts in one!

TEN | Purchase a real Christmas tree instead of a fake one. Not only will it make your whole house smell wonderful, but it is also decomposable. Unlike a fake tree that is laden with plastics, your real tree can break down much more quickly and return to the soil to nourish other growing trees. I would also recommend purchasing your real Christmas tree from a local nursery, which helps support small businesses during this time of year.