Plastic is the gift that keeps giving and giving and giving. Long past its use, plastic lives on, albeit in micro form.
The holidays can be a time when petroleum products sneak into our homes under the guise of cute, Christmasy, or hilarious, but are these temporary moments worth their legacy to future generations?
Going plastic free is classy. It brings us back to the cozy holidays of our grandparents’ time.
Homemade wreaths adorned walls, simple paper décor hung from modest evergreen boughs, and beeswax candles warmed hearts around the dinner table. Many of us are revisiting the ways of old, delighted with their simplicity and charm.
When planning your holiday celebrations, staying plastic-free adds a classic touch to everything you do. Start with décor made of objects found on walks through local forest trails.
Alternatives to plastic holiday trees include evergreen boughs or simple branches set in a vase or inserted in a drilled log base, driftwood creations, and even an artful stack of books.
Ornaments made from felt, wood and metal can be found in thrift stores and craft fairs near and far. Gingerbread cookies hung with hemp rope and dried oranges adorned with cloves add another layer of both scent and colour, and look at home next to kids’ paper creations on any tree.
For family meals, if your crew insists on skipping the dishes and using disposable wear, choose unlined paper plates and wooden utensils. Compost these afterward, rather than needlessly sending them to the landfill.
That said, a dish-pit crew is usually easy to wrangle in exchange for a holiday feast, so real dishes are the way to go.
When you don’t have enough dishes, invite those coming to bring a few of their favourites to create a festive potpourri of tableware. For larger gatherings, borrow the community dish supply available through Let’s Talk Trash at no charge.
Start thinking about gifts that take your plastic-free commitment to the next level by gifting things that replace single-use plastics.
Start with making sure your loved ones have some of these basics that are a part of every plastic-free household: to-go coffee mugs and water bottles, a metal lunch box, reusable cotton shopping bags, a fair-trade woven shopping basket, a wooden cutlery set and reusable metal straw, a metal razor blade, or beeswax-infused cotton food wrap.
If these are already on hand, then consider gifts that skip the petroleum in other ways: gifting experiences, such as hosting a meal instead of getting takeout; teaching someone to fix things instead of replacing them; or giving natural-fibre clothing, like linen and wool, rather than plastic-infused synthetics such as nylon and acrylic.
Plastic trinkets and well-intended gifts spark joy for a moment, while creating garbage and microplastic litter for centuries. This season, gift the planet, not the landfill.
Happy holidays from Let’s Talk Trash!
Let’s Talk Trash is contracted by qathet Regional District to offer its waste reduction education program. For more information, email [email protected] or go to LetsTalkTrash.ca.
