These tips for a greener holiday season are part of a shop that has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are my own. #PowerYourHoliday #CollectiveBias
The holidays are my favorite time of year: family gatherings, special meals, thoughtful gifts, warm decorations, and that crisp winter air. At the same time, the season often brings higher energy use and more waste than any other time of year. This year I decided to focus on reducing our household’s environmental footprint with practical, easy-to-implement steps. Below are three simple strategies for a greener holiday season that save energy, reduce waste, and still keep the celebration joyful.
Three Steps for a Greener Holiday Season:
Reduce paper waste — Each year we end up with at least a couple of large bags of discarded wrapping paper, ribbons, and packaging after our gift exchange. To cut that waste, try reusing materials you already have and involve the kids in making creative gift wrap. Upcycled wrapping offers a fun family activity, saves money, and reduces the amount of single-use paper going to the landfill.
Ideas to reduce wrapping waste:
- Use paper shopping bags, brown kraft paper, or newspapers decorated with stamps, paint, or metallic markers.
- Turn cupcake liners, fabric scraps, or ribbon alternatives into decorative elements instead of buying single-use bows.
- Wrap a few gifts in cloth or reusable gift bags that can be sent back and reused year after year.
Conserve energy — Heating a home during the cold months can raise energy consumption quickly. To keep heat where it belongs and stop drafts, check door and window seals and add inexpensive foam trim tape or weather-stripping where needed. Sealing gaps around doors and windows takes little time and can make an immediate difference in comfort and gas or electric heating use—especially in older homes with worn seals.
Other energy-saving tips for the holidays:
- Set programmable thermostats to lower temperatures when the house is empty and raise them shortly before people return.
- Use energy-efficient LED tree lights and timers so lights are only on when needed.
- Group gatherings into shorter time windows or one main event to avoid extended heating and lighting throughout the season.
Recycle and choose recycled materials — After the unwrapping is done, collect cardboard boxes, paper, and packaging for recycling. Reducing waste at the source is great, and ensuring recyclable materials make it to the proper stream closes the loop. Another small but meaningful change is to choose batteries and products made with recycled content when possible.
Energizer EcoAdvanced™ is one example of a battery that incorporates recycled battery material—advertised as the world’s first AA battery made with 4% recycled batteries. For households that receive toys, gadgets, and battery-powered decorations during the holidays, switching to batteries with recycled content is an easy way to reduce environmental impact while maintaining performance. These batteries are available at major retailers and are comparable in price to regular batteries, making the switch practical and affordable.
Small choices add up. Energizer has stated a goal to increase the percentage of recycled battery material in its products over time, with a target of reaching higher recycled-content levels in the coming years. Choosing products with recycled content, recycling packaging and used batteries properly, and cutting energy waste during the holidays all contribute to a greener season.
These three steps—reducing wrapping waste, conserving energy at home, and choosing products with recycled content—are simple to adopt and can make the holidays more sustainable without sacrificing fun or tradition. What changes will you try this season? Which devices in your home use the most batteries, and where could you switch to batteries that include recycled material?