Have you wondered about all the waste that the Christmas holiday generates? I see neighbors' trash bins stuffed so tight that the lids can't close. We have neighbors who have asked to put their holiday trash in our bin because they just can't fit it in theirs.
Some of you know that Art worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago. He's worked in the water, land and air divisions so is very conscious of the pollution and waste we generate. He also worked to promote recycling in different regions.
Think of the packaging. The wrapping paper? The cellophane bags? Cardboard? Chipboard? Styrofoam? Ribbons and bows?
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For my small part, I will re-use those beautiful gift bags that we get from people. I enclose the names of who the bags came from and then fold and store them for appropriate gifts in the following years making sure it goes to different people.
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However, I finally told my son to not pay the additional cost of those gift bags anymore and that I would be happy to just wrap it for him in biodegradable paper or put it in a re-used gift bag.
In fact, I sent him all the gift bags they'd bought for us so he could re-use them for the gifts we sent him through Amazon.
I was happy to see photos of the bags under their tree this year.
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Do you see it?
Then there's Christmas cards. And yes, we got some with only a name on it with no personal message.
If there's no personal message, I like photocards because you can at least see the faces of those people on it. And this is just me... so please don't tell anybody I said this.
Oh... and it's wonderful to see photos of the grandkids, but I'd like it better if you put yourself in the photo with the grandkids, too. But hey... that's just me. (And don't tell anybody I said this either.)
As for myself, I will send hardcopy newsletters to friends and relatives by snail mail who don't do computers. That's about a 1/3 of my list. I send the others by email with a personal message and a few more photos that they can blow up on their computers to see.... sigh... my wrinkles.
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I scan them onto my computer. I then cut off the card front and use them for name tags for next year's gifts.
It's not much that I do.
But I feel like every little bit might help.
"Among industrialized nations, the U.S. is one of the largest generators of municipal solid waste per person on a daily basis."
And to my Canadian bloggers, I hate to tell you that other websites say Canada is even worse.
So anyway... like I said, every little bit might help.
I too have noticed the colossal waste generated by this holiday. We try to do our part in not generating any more than we have too. It is easier now that the kids are older and want less things and those fewer things come in fewer plastic encased packages. I am reminded of a sister (think Catholic nun type) who used to give my two girls cards every holiday. They were always cards that had been given to her where she cut them up and glued them to a cereal box cardboard backing piece in a new arrangement and personalized. I was always amazed at all the thought and effort that went into her cards.
ReplyDeleteWe do our part by not exchanging gifts any more. But we are old and trying to get rid of things, not accumulate more! I love how conscientious you and your family are, Kay! :-)
ReplyDeleteEvery little bit DOES help, just like voting--Kay, good for you. You're the Queen of Organization. :^)
ReplyDeleteWell done Kay. Love those gift bags myself and do reuse those sent to me. Good idea of putting the card inside the bag to know who sent it to you. I had just been relying on their and my poor memory:)
ReplyDeleteWe can only put out one bag/bin per week, but this week we can do three. We will only have one, though. We use and re-use bags, but still often do wrapping inside, which I guess is strange. Sometimes, however, I haven’t wrapped inside but just stuffed some reusable tissue in the top. We give and get very few cards. I only sent via email and social media this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks for raising awareness. We hardly use wrapping paper anymore just bags that we reuse I did use some cellophane wrap for a few gifts
ReplyDeleteWaste & pollution comes in many forms. I think of how air waves are polluted with digital transmissions; space is polluted with satellites for these transmissions; devices are constantly being upgraded & replaced when still useful; electric cars have batteries made of elements difficult to source & dispose of with the ramifications of all of that. Think of the waste generated by Amazon yet it seems we "need" that in order to get what we want when we want it. Think of the waste generated by health care in its attempt to minimize expenses - employ fewer people for sterilizing & cleaning & replace with single use items. It goes on and on. One thing is exchanged for another. There are many trade-offs.
ReplyDeleteI may have to try your idea about the cards turned into gift tags. The cards I dislike are the ones with glitter. It gets everywhere. I slipped a whole family photo into the cards I sent this year. Would you believe I have 50 more copies of it? Shutterfly lost my initial order so I complained and they sent a second set. Well first set showed up later on the day I complained. What to do with 50 more photos?
ReplyDeleteI have photos on my NY cards plus I write a short personal message. And I'm in at least one of the photos, generally the family one. We don't give gifts to adults any more and I too re-use all my gift bags. But I know I can do better! I like how you're always looking at ways to conserve and recycle.
ReplyDeleteVery well said.
ReplyDeleteLin Floyd says good ideas. We stopped giving presents and just give money to our families saves us postage and time...
ReplyDeleteLots of holiday trash here on our block. Not us as we didn't give or receive gifts. There is one neighbor on our street who had to get a second trash container because the family generates so much.
ReplyDeleteI use an Ottoman to store used bags to reuse. But our trash can is still pretty full
ReplyDeleteWe were discussing gift bags in our family. My only comment was about the barbarians who write directly on the bags themselves. "WHO EVEN DOES THAT?!!!" I asked looking sternly at my husband. Everyone laughed and my niece pointed out that they make extra large stick on gift tags for those who live amongst the barbarians.
ReplyDeleteWhat?!?! Seriously???
DeleteYes. It is a tragedy.
DeleteSince I am a bah humbug Christmas person, I hardly give or receive Christmas presents. But some giving is mandatory - like my kids and now 2 grandsons. For large things, I wrap them in fabric, furoshiki style and ask them to give me back the fabric if they won't use it. I agree with you that we Americans have too much waste.
ReplyDeleteWe try. All of our Amazon shipping boxes are saved and reused or flattened to be picked up with recycled pick up. Gift bags are reused year to year. Any non-foil wrapping paper is put in the recycle bin. Some ribbon is reused. Jill wraps some gifts in fabric or cookie tins that are reused. That reduces the "garbage" to just one kitchen sized bag full.
ReplyDeleteWe have to start getting very serious about waste. It can be done. You've shown us.
ReplyDeleteI hope the neighbors didn’t load up your trash bin. They need to keep it aside and put the rest of it out next week in hopes that they then can think about how much trash they are generating.
ReplyDeleteAbout wrapping paper… I don’t use much any more. I went to Walmart, bought fabric, cut them up in various sizes and sewed them. We used them like furoshiki for some of the gifts. They are washable and reusable and can be used for many things other than gift wrap. There are all kinds of instructions online on how to tie them. We taught our grandson how to use those to tie up his lunch.
Linda
I remember my aunt doing this in Japan. She gave me some furoshiki too and when you think about it, we should be doing this here when we bring things over to friend's/relative's houses, instead of plastic bags. Hmmm.... Or, instead... I could just sew some bags to bring things over. Hmmmm... So much to think about.
DeleteWe have a couple of those Amazon gift bags, but ours have yellow ribbons.
ReplyDeleteWe only give to my daughter's family. Mostly we reuse gift bags!
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't do Christmas cards anymore!
DeleteThis year I gave all my grandkids $ in a Christmas Card. They are young and older teens and they liked it.
ReplyDeleteIt always gives me pause for thought when I think of all the stuff in dollar stores at Christmas, a few weeks later it ends up in landfill! There are so many ways to lessen our impact on the environment from using natural fruits and veggies, branches and greenery for decor, using reusable bags as you do, or even just keep using paper ones until no longer able.I have cloth bags we use that are years and years old but still going strong, if we each just try to lessen the trash what an impact that would be. Thanks Kay for reminding us of our responsibilities, ❤️👍
ReplyDeleteI really have always loved to wrap gifts, but I have gone to the reusable bags -- paper and cloth ones. When I am especially ambitious, I use fabric scraps from my sewing stash to make a custom shopping bag so the gift and the bag are both gifts. I use cards for tags as well, but I don't get many cards anymore, nor send all that many.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I still send Christmas cards and even birthday cards. And I still mostly wrap most of my my Christmas gifts although I do use reusable gift bags too.
ReplyDelete