“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” As Christmas songs begin to inundate the stores, we enter the holiday seasons. From Hanukkah, to Christmas, to Kwanzaa, December is jammed packed with events. Throughout the madness, we sometimes forget that our planet is going through a global warming crisis. As Bill Nye put it, “By the end of this century, if emissions keep rising, the average temperature on Earth can go up another 4 to 8 degrees.” Many points lead back to the holiday season festivities. From wrapping/tissue paper to packaging bubbles that protect your packages during shipping, it can lead to several issues in our Earth’s future. To combat these issues, let’s talk about some ways we can be eco-friendly during the holiday seasons.

1. Order from eco-friendly small businesses:

Our first suggestion this holiday season is shopping from a small business who is eco friendly or donates parts of their profits to relief organizations globally. Although they may cost a little more, you are saving the environment from mailer bags that take 10’s of 1000’s of years to decompose. That is compared to compostable mailer bags that only take 3-6 months to decompose. They are also beneficial to any gardens in the spring. These small businesses can be found all around us! By just looking on Etsy and TikTok, you can find thousands of different shops that you can support based on your interest or gift giving restrictions.

       2. Wrapping paper? How about newspapers?:

Our next alternative for the holiday season is using newspapers instead of wrapping paper. Although it may seem a little odd, you know having a headlining article about a new vegetable on the side of your little siblings newest toy, but there are several ways to make it work for you. One way is brushing paint over it for a more rustic look. You can also have your little sibling or cousin color it to make it brighter(and to keep them distracted as you wrap their gift). Stickers are also another great alternative. Another option is to tie a ribbon around it. That may seem a little counterintuitive seeing that you could easily throw out the ribbon, but there are several things you can do with post presents.

        3.  Cloth Ribbons:

Many people choose to decorate their gifts with cloth ribbons. Those who receive these gifts may end up throwing them away. But this season, recycle these ribbons. You can save them for future gifts to wrap with. Another option could be to create bows for your younger siblings or cousins. This also works for crafting projects and can come in handy if you are interested in fashion design and need a simple ribbon.

      4. Gift Bags:

One thing you can do with gift bags is to reuse gift bags from previous years and save any you receive this year. You can help with this by not writing the person’s name on the bag when gifting it. This then allows them to reuse the bag and continue passing it on until it can not be used anymore. Another way to help with these is use them to create a new bag once the original is unable to be reused any further. Templates online can help with this DIY project.

     5. Don’t shop fast fashion.

Fast fashion is a growing trend that is extremely harmful to the environment. Not only does it waste product and materials, but in most cases, the workers are paid unfairly. Many companies who are not a part of fast fashion also recycle their clothing and use recycled cottons and polyesters. Some companies that don’t use fast fashion are Patagonia, MATE the Label, and LACAUSA. Other companies can be found at https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-clothing

    6. Eco-friendly gifts:

Instead of getting your friend a single-use travel package, consider giving them reusable gifts. Examples could include a personalized reusable water bottle which initiates hydration habits and reduces plastic bottle wastes. Other products can include a bamboo cutlery kit, Burt’s Bee’s products( no animal testing and recyclable packaging), plants that are pet friendly (Spider plants, Chinese Money plant, and String of Hearts), and Dab Herb’s natural and organic makeup.