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Talking Trash with TVCR: Waste Free Holidays
The holidays are a season of joy, family, tradition, and, you guessed it, increased trash. American households produce 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Years Day than throughout the rest of the year. Want to save money and celebrate sustainably throughout the holidays? Here are some tips to make it happen.
Head to thrift stores to find good quality, second hand gifts for the people you love. You’ll avoid waste from packaging and shipping, while also saving money. Sometimes we feel like gifts have to be new. Ask yourself why you hold this belief. Is it entirely true?
Decorate with what you already have, and if you truly need more decorations, thrift stores have plenty! There’s no need to buy brand new decor.
Gift experiences to your loved ones! Make memories and decrease waste in the process.
Wrap with paper you already have - newspaper or brown paper work great! At my house, we have a tradition of wrapping presents in brown paper and drawing decorative patterns on the paper. Seeing the homemade artistic paper is nearly as fun as the gift inside.
Remember, traditional wrapping paper can’t be recycled in our County. It contains plastic coatings that contaminate the whole bale of paper.
Include food waste in your meal planning. How do you plan on storing leftovers? When will you have time to eat all those leftovers? Have guests bring a to-go container so that they can take leftovers home, too.
Recycle broken holiday lights. Bring them to TVCR’s drop off station at the Teton Valley Welcome Center (formerly, the Geo Center), or put them in the e-waste recycling bin at the Transfer Station. You can also find a tool at the Welcome Center to try and fix your holiday lights.
Keep Christmas trees out of the landfill! Instead, compost clean trees without glitter, plastic, or lights at MD Nursery beginning December 26th or at the Transfer Station in Driggs. You can also reach out to local farms to see if they’d like trees for livestock (be sure they’re untreated) or compost.
P.S. Want to support waste diversion and make a difference in our community? TVCR is looking for two new board members! Apply by December 1st on our website - https://www.tetonrecycling.org/about-us/staff-board
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