Celebrate winter holidays with these sustainability tips, which make it as easy as A-B-C
Winter holidays are fast approaching, and Hoosiers have options if they want to celebrate with an eco-friendly mindset.
Americans generate about 25 million additional tons of waste between the end of November and New Year’s Day, according to a study at Stanford University. There are creative and inventive ways to reduce this waste and sustainably observe traditions from cooking to wrapping gifts.
Shikha Bhattacharyya, executive director of Terre Haute’s nonprofit organization reTHink, works to educate and empower Hoosiers to take care of the environment and their own health with a focus on waste reduction.
With the holidays in mind, Bhattacharyya said it’s as simple as ABC to reduce waste and protect the environment.
A is for Avoid
Furoshiki is the Japanese art of wrapping gifts in reusable fabric. Bhattacharyya said this unique approach looks pretty and the fabric can be repurposed many times. This saves people from having to spend money over and over on wrapping paper that ends up in the trash bin. Doing this also reduces reliance on cutting down trees.
Commercial gift wraps can include glitter, which contains microplastics that pollute U.S. waters. Fabric, or even newspaper gift wrapping, protects drinking water and ultimately human and wildlife health.
Glitter isn’t the only plastic to try to avoid during the holidays. Product packaging, household decorations and single-use items made from plastic also can lead to problems in the waste stream. In addition, waste is created when those items are made, Bhattacharyya said. Extracted fossil fuels are converted into these plastics in a process that leaches pollution into the environment.
B is for Buy Local
Buying local is a win-win when it comes to celebrating holidays. The money spent on local businesses helps the community and business owners while cutting down on the carbon emissions used to transport goods to big box stores around the country.
Winter farmers markets are popping up in Indy and surrounding communities with local vendors selling handmade goods as well as fresh ingredients for those favorite holiday dishes.
The Green Gift Shop at the Carmel Clay Public Library hosts a smorgasbord of local vendors and organizations. The market will take place Thursday, Dec. 5, from 1:30-7 p.m.
The newly established Fort Ben Winter Market operates Thursdays from 4–7 p.m. at Lawrence Community Park off North Franklin Road.
The Indy Winter Farmers Market at The AMP, 1220 Waterway Blvd., runs from 9 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. every Saturday through the end of April.
C is for Cooking at Home
One centerpiece of a winter holiday is the food, and the kitchen and dining room table are great places to consider switching it up this year for sustainable celebrations.
There’s a culture of disposability that can leak into our homes when preparing big meals. Bhattacharyya said one way to enjoy a sustainable holiday meal is to plan ahead and consider the leftovers. That could mean cooking just enough for the anticipated number of guests or finding a community kitchen or other organization that will accept premade foods.
If a home chef still has leftover food, or inedible scraps from certain ingredients, composting can be a good option to keep waste from ending up in landfills.
Composting is a lot easier than it is perceived to be, Bhattacharyya said. In very simple terms, it is just giving our food back to nature and can be as easy as digging a hole in the backyard, putting food waste in and then covering it up.
Small steps toward sustainability
Bhattacharyya’s ABCs are a good starting point to consider as the holidays approach. There is no ultimate guide, nor do Hoosiers need to take the concept to extremes.
“People don’t have to do everything to do something,” Bhattacharyya said, “but you do have to do something and be a good example.”
Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk or BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social
IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.