When people think of the holidays, they often recall images of Santa’s red velvet bag stuffed to the brim with gifts, but a black plastic bag crammed with trash might provide a more accurate depiction. The holidays are a particularly trashy time of year. In fact, Americans produce about 25% more trash than usual between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. That extra waste amounts to about 1 million additional tons of garbage going into landfills each week during that time. For a visual of just how much that is, the number of Christmas cards sold in the U.S. each year could fill a football field 10 stories high. The amount of ribbon that would be saved if each family used two fewer feet would be enough to tie a giant bow around the entire planet. This might go without saying, but all that waste does not bode well for our environment — whether we’re cutting down more trees for wrapping paper or dumping it into landfills to break down into potentially harmful chemicals or microplastics. So in the holiday spirit of giving, give your dumpsters and landfills a break, and follow these tips on how to cut back on waste this holiday season. To view the full article visit the Courier Press.
