It’s easy to overdo it during the holidays in a myriad of ways. From getting sucked into a Black Friday “doorbuster” to piling Santa figurines on your mantel, we sometimes go a little crazy.
But a Zero Waste holiday season is totally doable. Here are some tips and tricks to help you navigate the holiday shopping scene.
1. Plan ahead
Whether you’re headed out to buy the ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner or are looking for the perfect gift for your sister, sit down and make a list ahead of time of what you need—and don’t veer from it.
The mix of holiday tunes playing, free samples, major sales, and extra fancy displays are all strategically set up to get you to buy more and give in to an impulse – it’s how you end up with 10 bags of marshmallows that were only $1 each but will eventually just go stale in your pantry.
It’s easy to feel impulsive or filled with the need and desire to buy more during the holiday season – and heck, it’s fun! But a major key to reducing your waste during this season is avoiding excess.
If you have a strict “stick to the list” rule, you might still get tempted to veer away from it, but you’ll have a guideline as to why you shouldn’t. Here are some more best practices for planning ahead to avoid waste!
2. Stock up on reusable bags
Reusable bags will become your best friend during the holidays. Keep them stocked in your car or by your door so when you’re heading out to run errands you won’t forget.
4. Don’t feel the need to accept free gifts with purchase
It’s in our human DNA to love FREE THINGS! How many times have you accepted an ugly, ill-fitting t-shirt with a terrible design on it because “it was free!”?
The thing about a free gift with purchase is that it’s already chosen for you what that free gift will be, and oftentimes it’s not something you wanted or needed in the first place. Here’s a little secret – you don’t have to take the free gift. We know, it’s an odd concept for our consumerism-obsessed society.
But it’s also a great practice to get comfortable saying “no, thank you” to something you realize you don’t need or don’t even truly want. This practice can overflow into other areas of your life as well. Overeating, over drinking, gossiping – what do you get sucked into because it feels normal, but don’t truly need in your life?
5. Ask for email receipts
Chances are you’ve got a bunch of crumpled up receipts in your wallet or at the bottom of your purse – a waste of ink and paper.
If it’s an option, always opt for an email or text receipt. If you’re someone who doesn’t like giving out your personal information to stores, make a special email address for shopping only. That way all of your receipts are in one place and you avoid getting spammed with too many emails in your normal inbox.
6. Shop Package Free
Shameless plug. But Package Free has got it going on when it comes to holiday gifting. Not only are all the products sustainably made, or made for the purpose of helping you live more sustainably, but everything ships 100% plastic free! So you can rest assured that you won’t be dealing with packing peanuts, bubble wrap, or unnecessary foam or plastic packing materials.
Package Free Favorites To Get You Started
The holidays are filled with so many opportunities to get trapped into wastefulness, but all it takes is being a conscious consumer to keep your holidays #zerowaste!