The holidays are fast approaching and soon the halls will be decked with boughs of holly. But after the holidays, where does that plastic holly go?
Americans contribute 65 pounds of trash to landfills each a year. With all of the joy that the holidays bring, many people are opting out of gift buying this holiday season, and instead, hosting dinners or sending e-cards as a way to reduce waste and give a gift to the planet.
Cheryl Goudie with the Ecological Research Center at The University of Memphis said about one third of the items found in landfills are recyclable. Landfills are very expensive and, according to Goudie, take up a lot of land. Goudie said eventually landfills are filled up, and new ones have to be created.
"If we had to walk up to a landfill and put the item in the landfill ourselves, most of us would not put it in," said Goudie. "We'd try to find some way to recycle it."
Goudie said students should try to choose gifts that have as little packaging material as possible. Most companies use heavy packaging as a security measure, so after you purchase the item, Goudie suggests asking the store to keep the plastic. According to Goudie, most of the clear packaging plastics, such as those for iPods and cell phones, can be recycled.
When wrapping those new iPods and cell phones, Goudie said students should try to reuse wrapping paper or use old newspaper. Instead of buying gifts, many people are giving gift certificates, movie tickets or donating to a charity in the name of their friend or family member.
"It's just more environmentally friendly," said Goudie.
Another way students can be more environmentally conscience is when buying Christmas cards. There are 2.6 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the United States. This is enough to fill a landfill the size of a football field 10 stories high. For all your computer savvy family and friends, send an e-card. You can find free electronic e-cards on many Web sites and some allow you to add your own photos. Or, for those loved ones who like to keep holiday cards from year to year, buy recycled cards. Many retail stores have a large selection of cards made from recycled paper. Also, old Christmas cards can be used to make gift tags.
Decorating that fraternity or sorority house for the holidays?
Goudie said instead of using conventional incandescent Christmas lights, use energy efficient LED lights. Although they can cost more than twice as much as traditional lights, LED lights can use up to 95 percent less electricity than conventional lights. They also can last up to 10 times longer and produce much less heat than incandescent lights. Once you take the lights off the trees, be sure to recycle live trees. They can be used for mulch.
When moving out of the dorm, students may find lots of clothes and shoes they no longer wear. Donate those old clothes to thrift stores and local charities. Also, for all the clothes you take home with you, be sure to wash them in cold water. Using cold water uses less energy and money.
You can also take those old shoes to your local Nike store and help out the community. Nike has implemented a new program, in which they take any brand athletic shoe and recycle them into turf for basketball courts, playgrounds and tracks.
Instead of buying gifts for friends, invite them over for a nice gourmet dinner. Turn off the electricity and burn a few candles made of beeswax or soy. You can send e-vites instead of mailing invitations and use cloth napkins and washable dishes instead of paper products.
For the new parents who haven't had a night out in a long time, offer a free night of babysitting. If you are a good cook, you can bake cookies and breads and give them as gift, or offer to give cooking lessons.
With New Year's right around the corner, Goudie suggested students make early resolutions. She said students should decide to make recycling a part of their everyday life. She said the next time you go to throw something away, stop and think about ways it could be reused.
"Little personal choices, small ones, will make a big difference," said Goudie.
