Plastic is the gift that keeps giving and giving and giving. Often, long past its use, plastic lives on, albeit eventually in micro-sized pieces of itself. The holidays can be a time when it creeps into our lives more than usual.
Luckily, going plastic free just takes a little planning, but adds a lot of class. This new trend is really a very old one that harkens 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 children’s paper creations on any tree.
Gifts can be wrapped with newspaper, old music scores and scraps of fabric. Replace plastic bows with natural rope, and polystyrene foam or bubble wrap with shredded paper for mailed gifts. Get extra creative with wrapping techniques and find ways to avoid using tape altogether.
Homemade paper cards are the perfect pairing and plenty of ideas are out there for simple, attractive designs. A sprig of rosemary or some cinnamon bark can complete the look.
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.
Start thinking about gifts that take your plastic free commitment to the next level, giving items that replace single-use plastics. Some great ideas include to-go coffee mugs and water bottles, a metal lunch box, reusable cotton shopping bags, a fair-trade woven shopping basket, bamboo cutlery set and reusable metal straw, a metal razor blade or beeswax food wrap.
Plastic gifts are more likely to be mass-produced, and so lack some of the care and attention of items made in smaller batches. This season, invest in gifts made with a little more love and a lot less plastic.
Let’s Talk Trash is qathet Regional District’s waste-reduction education program.
