Waste-wise holidays
Sustainable living › Step up your green game › Sustainable holidays › Waste-wise holidays
Learn how you can reduce waste and help the planet by making more sustainable choices about gift giving and entertaining this holiday season.
Go green with packaging and wrapping
Buying and tossing disposable wrapping paper and packaging can contribute to holiday waste. Decrease your impact with these simple steps. Think about packaging before you buy. Purchase gifts with little to no packaging or packaging that’s recyclable.
- Put gifts in reusable containers, wrap them in fabric or use boxes, paper and bows saved from last season.
- Buy recycled-content gift wrap or make your own from paper bags, newsprint, old maps or other paper you have on hand. You can paint, draw, stamp or print designs on the paper.
- Avoid wrapping gifts in materials that aren’t recyclable or reusable, such as foil or plastic-coated paper and tissue.
- Also consider using greeting cards made from recycled paper or make your own cards.
Learn more about recycled-content paper choices
Discover the Japanese-inspired practice of cloth gift-wrapping
Entertain more sustainably
For many, the holiday season is a time for hosting gatherings with family and guests. Food plays a major role in these festivities. Food and how it is produced, packaged, shipped and disposed of accounts for more than 13 percent of human-caused carbon emissions in the United States. Make more sustainable food purchases.
- Buying local food helps maintain a stable agricultural land base near Portland and supports the region’s economy. It's estimated that for every $100 spent at a farmers market, $62 is re-spent locally.Learn more
- Ask your caterer to "Fork it Over!" Caterers and restaurants can donate leftover food through Metro's Fork it Over! program. Food and other organic matter that end up in landfills produce methane gas 23 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. Learn more
- Find more great resources and information about food choices that can help you reduce waste this holiday season by visiting Portland’s Climate Action Now! Go
Bike and walk there
Whether you're headed downtown for a holiday tuba concert or going to a friend’s holiday party, consider leaving your car at home. Have fun, get fit and help the planet by walking, biking or taking public transportation.
Learn more about biking safety
Learn about fun walking routes in your area
TriMet offers bus and light rail service to most corners of the region and is a fun, affordable and easy alternative to driving. Bring a good book to read, sit back and let mass transit chauffeur you to your destination. Use TriMet's online trip planner to map your trip. Go
If transit isn't a feasible option, consider carpooling with a friend or neighbor. In addition to saving gas and carbon emissions, you'll get to extend the party by spending more time with friends!
Recycle your Christmas tree and holiday lights
Recycle your tree or wreath with your curbside yard debris, or use a drop site or pickup service operated by a community group or business near you. Learn more
For information on other recyclers accepting holiday lights, call Metro Recycling Information at 503-234-3000.
Reuse or recycle the rest
When the holidays are over, reuse or recycle what's left. Save bows, containers, packing peanuts and wrapping paper for reuse next year. Make this year's holiday cards into gift tags for next year. Recycle paper, boxes, cards and peanuts that you can't reuse, as well as holiday catalogs and magazines.
Donate
Want to get rid of any electronics, toys, household furnishings, clothing or accessories? If they’re still in good working condition, consider donating them to charitable organizations.