the unwash: guide
When thinking about sustainability for the holidays our thoughts often stop at the gifts. Choosing sustainable gift options is only part of the equation. Regardless if you commit to the most zero-waste, most sustainable presents around doesn’t mean that everyone else around you will. The holidays aren’t always green in the way we want, no matter how hard we commit to it ourselves individually. So, how else can we lean into environmental responsibility during a time fueled by consumption? Let’s explore how to do so when entertaining, wrapping presents, and what to do with all of the inevitable waste.
Sustainable Entertaining
When entertaining for the holiday season it can be easy to reach for single-use dishes and flatware. Sticking with items that you already have whether they be saved for special occasions or everyday pieces is a simple way to reduce waste. Cooking from scratch or doing a potluck can help reduce waste from catered events but you can’t always get around it. Plastic containers food comes in can be great to keep on hand for future events, especially to send people home with leftovers in. If you’re the host there is no hurt in asking for your guests to lean into the sustainable theme. If they’re going to bring a dish or a host gift stay away from anything single-use or gifts that will be collecting dust never to be used. Your house, your rules! And, we really don’t think anyone would make too much of a fuss about having an eco-loving holiday.
DIY Decorations
We’re glad the dried orange garland is a continued theme this year because this is a sustainable swap that is probably unbeknownst to most. Wanting to get crafty? Felt and paper decorations like garlands are a super cute DIY that takes minimal effort but still creates a cozy holiday atmosphere. A DIY vibe is all over everyone’s feeds right now so you won’t be short of inspiration. We definitely appreciate the way these trends are ultimately more sustainable than going to Target or Amazon.
“A lot of stuff ends up in the landfill. So thinking about how we can reduce the stuff is probably a big one.” – Kate White, Senior Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability at British Columbia’s Saunder School of Business
Repurposed Gift Wrap
Gift wrap is sneakily difficult to opt for something more eco-friendly. There’s a lot of ways to go about it. If these are gifts that are leaving your house and you have no control over whether the wrapping gets tossed or saved to reuse is a factor to keep in mind. A good entry level choice is sticking with reusing boxes, butcher paper, newspaper, or even traditional wrapping paper scraps that you already have. There are plenty of ways to spruce up the presentation which we’ll get into. Another option is to find gift wrap that is 100% recyclable or compostable. Brands like Simply Zero are a great go-to. Ready to go the extra mile? Get out of your comfort zone with fabric wrapping. Either use pieces of deadstock you have on hand or from a local retailer to make an artful gifting experience. Brands like Darn Good Yarn make reusable fabric gift wrap that can be used year after year and on a variety of occasions. Now time to add some holiday cheer. Using ribbon that can be repurposed for things such as hairbows is a great option or choosing more renewable materials such as twine that limit waste creation make for beautiful gifts that don’t have to scream ‘sustainable’.
Tackling Waste
After the whirlwind of the holidays begins to settle there is a good chance you’ll look around your house seeing a plethora of wrapping paper and tape torn to shreds, boxes and plastic packaging. Before you go to throw everything in the garbage let’s get a little creative. If you search online trying to find different ways to recycle gift wrap you’ll probably come across blog posts telling you to repurpose it to make jewelry, ornaments, craft supplies, if you have time for those things then do it! But, there’s a lot of you reading this that might not be able to do so. Companies like Ridwell and Pact make recycling a lot easier and help consumers feel more assured especially when dealing with materials such as plastic. Get ahead of the problem and lean into sustainable entertaining, DIY decor, and sustainable gift wrap which will make tacking waste a whole lot easier.
Our biggest goal is that nothing goes to waste when celebrating but that we don’t lose the joy of the holidays. Sustainability doesn’t have to be boring, especially not for the holidays. You can still have the sparkle, shine, and coziness that is embodied during this time of year, it just takes a little more creativity but that’s what I’m here for so that you don’t even have to think about it but rather have the ideas right at your fingertips.
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Aora Mexico
You can kick the plastic buying habit for good with Aora Mexico, a zero-waste beauty brand that makes plastic-free look and feel luxurious. The brand highlights the beauty of Mexican culture with bright colors, shining formulas, and ingredients fueled by ingredients indigenous to the country. Aora is rooted in Mexican tradition and puts Mexican beauty on a global stage.
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Lesse
Lesse thinks about skincare from a different perspective where you can have minimal products that deliver optimal results. The brand is focused on representation, sustainability, and integrity within the industry and is fueled by organic ingredients and environmentally conscious formulations.
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Submission
Submission Beauty is a completely plastic-free beauty brand that embraces maximalism with its biodegradable glitter. Traditional glitter products are not completely body safe and do not completely disintegrate even years after disposal. Submission Beauty is changing this by making a body-safe, plastic-free, biodegradable, luxury glitter.
