Did you know that during the holiday season, we throw away 25% more trash than any other time of the year? From uneaten party food to an abundance of packaging and decorations you no longer need, the holidays can be a season of waste – but it doesn’t have to be.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite ways to reduce waste and recycle more this holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving!

• Reduce food waste. In Franklin County, over a million pounds of food waste enters the landfill every day. Save money – and space in the landfill – by preparing only the food you need. Whether you’re prepping for Thanksgiving or a holiday party, enter the number of guests into our Guest-imator tool to see how much food you should buy.

• Still have leftovers? You can freeze them to enjoy later or get creative and keep leftovers longer by using them in new ways (check out Save More Than Food's Holiday Hub for recipes and ways to use leftovers and food scraps). Or ask guests to bring their own reusable containers to take home leftover food. 

• Show where to throw. If you’re hosting friends and family this year, make sure they know where to put any recyclable materials. Keep your recycling container in a highly visible location and consider attaching a sign that shows guests what should be recycled, and what should be put in the trash. 

Download and print this sign from SWACO before your next holiday party!

• Donate decorations or lights. As Thanksgiving winds down and holiday decorations go up, you may have decorations or lights that you don’t plan to use this year. Instead of throwing them away, donate the items to a local non-profit that can sell them secondhand or even use in their facility. Or check out this list of locations that accept holiday lights for recycling.
• Recycle Right. Online shopping is convenient, but it creates a lot of waste. Break down cardboard boxes before you discard them and keep recyclables loose in the curbside recycling cart to ensure materials can reach their potential as new products for future use. 

It’s easy to have a green holiday season. For more tips like these, download SWACO’s updated Green Holiday Guide. 

Happy Holidays from SWACO!