Tis the season -- peak garbage season, that is. These 10 trash-busting steps can help reduce your contribution to holiday waste when wrapping, packing and opening gifts...
1. Give gifts that don’t require wrapping. Tickets, memberships, subscriptions, gift cards, and certificates for babysitting, snow-shoveling and other services. Or how about just an e-card and a hug?
2. Make the wrapping part of the present. Present gifts in baskets, tins and other reusable containers. Or wrap them in scarves, handkerchiefs, pillowcases, cloth napkins or tablecloths.
3. Don’t wrap presents for pets. Does Fido really care?
4. Hide unwrapped gifts and make finding them part of the fun. Provide cards with clues for finding them. Hang jewelry and other small items right on the Christmas tree.
5. Use gift bags instead of wrapping paper. They’re just as attractive and readily reusable.
6. Buy recycled wrapping paper. Look for paper with a high percentage of postconsumer waste.
7. Avoid foil, metallic and glittery papers, which are not recyclable.