Are you ready for the holiday season to begin? The calendar has begun filling up with the many celebrations, events and gatherings, but have you made room on the calendar to consider the impact all this season has on our environment? While you don’t really have to set aside a dedicated time to reflect on the environment, there are small steps you can take during the festivities to make your holiday season more sustainable.

Whether it involves the food you make, the gifts you give, or the events you participate in, we’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks you can use to help make this truly the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Food, Food, Food

One of the things we all look forward to during the holiday season is gathering around the table with friends and family for large feasts. These are special times that should be cherished, yet they can end up being extremely wasteful. Consider these tips to make your holiday meals a little less so.

• Plan Ahead - It sounds simple enough, but knowing how many mouths you’re going to feed and what your dinner menus are going to look like in advance will ensure that you’re preparing the right amount of food. Here’s a great portion planner from the Food Network. It’s also a great time to clean out your freezer so you have plenty of room to save those amazing leftovers (more on that later).

• Soup Time! -While prepping all of your favorite holiday recipes, remember that “soup season” is a great time to use those peels, scraps, bones and fats. Throw them in a container and put it in your freshly cleared out freezer. Now you can pull that out on a cold winter day and simmer them in a pot with some herbs and water for several hours. Here’s a great recipe for turkey stock from All Recipes. Your home will smell incredible and you’ll end up with some amazing homemade broth for your soups all winter long.

• Get out the fine china! - It’s so tempting when hosting a large group to just opt for disposable dinnerware. Please don’t! If you have those “good dishes” stored away for a special occasion…this is it!! Get them out. If you don’t have fancy dishes, don’t fret, you can find some incredible sets at your local thrift stores and give them new life.
• Showcase the leftovers - Everybody’s favorite part of the big feast...the LEFTOVERS! Personally, I love an open-faced turkey sandwich smothered in gravy as much as anyone, but holiday leftovers can really lend to creativity in the kitchen. You’ve already cleared out room in the freezer and made the broth, might as well have a nice bowl of turkey and noodle soup or try one of these Thanksgiving leftover recipes from Delish.

Gifts Galore

‘Tis the season of gift giving. Many of us stress out over finding that perfect gift for those we care about. Now is a great time to be mindful of the environmental impact of your gifts, and think about how you purchase and give them as well. Here are some things to consider:

• Make memories - Replace the giving of “things” with gifts of experiences. My personal favorite is to give concert tickets, but there are so many options available. From cooking/art classes, to sports/museum tickets, there is sure to be an experience that is perfect for the person you are buying for. Here’s an article from Good Housekeeping about gifting experiences.
• Wrap responsibly - Did you know that the majority of commercially available wrapping paper is NOT recyclable? Look for gift wrap that is clearly marked as recyclable, or better yet, use materials that you know can be recycled to make your own wrapping paper. Here are some of Martha Stewart’s favorite eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas.
• Shop Local - One of the most sustainable things you can do when buying gifts for the holidays is to shop local. Shopping locally is beneficial because local businesses tend to source their products from local suppliers thus cutting down on transportation and packaging waste. Many times local businesses also locate themselves in town or city centers which benefit the local economy.
• Upcycle - Another way to minimize your environmental impact is to get crafty and give upcycled gifts. There are so many creative ways to turn old items destined for donation into great gifts for loved ones. Here’s a Pinterest board with 110 ideas for inspiration.

Festive Fun

We’ve covered food and gifts but what about all the festive fun that comes along with the season? From arranging dazzling light displays to taking those cross-country trips to visit family, here are some ways you can celebrate the season sustainably.

• Lighting refresh - LED Lights use significantly less energy than their incandescent counterparts. Look at replacing any older light displays you have with LED lights and put them on a timer so they aren’t constantly running. Here is a calculator you can use to estimate the energy consumed by your light display.
• Give back - A great activity over the holidays is to coordinate a volunteer day for your organization. Our department at UNI goes to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank every year on the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week to hand out free meals for those in need. This is a great way to bond with your team while giving back to the community during the holiday season.
• Travel wisely - For those who travel during the holiday season, look for the most fuel efficient routes when driving or the fewest stops when flying. You can also minimize plastic waste by using refillable bottles instead of buying disposable “travel” items. Here’s a great article from the University of Colorado featuring some sustainable travel tips. 

Now that you have some tools to reduce your impact on the environment this holiday season, go and enjoy all the season has to offer. Best wishes and safe travels!