When we think about the holidays, oftentimes it is easy to forget about the amount of waste that we generate while spreading the holiday cheer. Here are some interesting facts about waste generation associated with the holiday season:

• Just over 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold each year in the United States (that is enough to fill a football field 10 stories high)
• Between Thanksgiving and the New Year, Americans throw out an extra million tons of trash each week (that’s a 25% increase)
• 38,000 miles of ribbon alone are thrown out each year–enough to tie a bow around the Earth
• Each year, 50 million Christmas trees are purchased in the U.S. and about 30 million go to the landfill

Think about some ways to reduce our waste generation, such as using electronic greeting cards, recycling your wrapping paper, and cutting down on food waste.  While forgoing the annual Christmas tree tradition is a bit extreme to reduce the landfilling of the evergreens, Scott Martin, a landscape designer in California, has established a business that literally “greens” Christmas.   A recent New York Times article writes that his Christmas tree rental company delivers trees to LA homes using biodiesel trucks. After the holidays, the trees are picked up and planted on industrial properties, saving the tree from the dump. While not all increases in waste generation can be avoided during the holidays, it is important to consider similar innovative ways to reduce the long-term impact of waste and landfilling.

[Sources: California Integrated Waste Management Board, Recycle Works (a program of San Mateo County, California)]