How can you generate less trash and less junk?
This is from the Story of Stuff. I hope you will give it some thought and make thoughtful purchases for the holidays and all year.
“This time of year, the pressure to buy more — and waste more — is everywhere.
Black Friday doorbusters, holiday flash sales, limited-time offers: overconsumption during the holidays isn’t an accident. It’s by design.
And the consequences are massive. Americans generate 25% more waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s — an extra one million tons of trash every week. From impulse purchases tossed by January, to mountains of packaging, the holiday season has become a pipeline of extraction, production, shipping, and disposal.
What we rarely see are the impacts hidden upstream. Most of a product’s environmental footprint happens long before it reaches your door — through rapid mining of raw materials, energy-intensive manufacturing, and global shipping emissions that fuel the climate crisis.
Fast fashion hauls and holiday overbuying only accelerate the damage. Every second, a garbage truck’s worth of clothing is landfilled or burned. Electronics, toys, gadgets, and seasonal “stuff” flood into toxic e-waste dumps around the world.” Story of Stuff
But there’s a different story we can tell — and build — together.
Trying to be more climate friendly with gift giving this year? This holiday gifting guide will help you get in the spirit while saving you money and deepening the meaningfulness of your holiday season.
Bring your own plastic-free reusable cup for drinks on the go.
Bring your own metal fork from home so that you can skip plastic utensils.
Say no to receipts (BPA).
When it comes to leftovers, store food in glass, ceramics, or stainless steel foodware.
Shop naked. Buy produce that isn’t wrapped in plastic.
Don’t forget your reusable bag so that you can skip single-use plastic bags.
Health4earth 