Happy Green Holidays!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, which means one thing: chaos! As you’re scrambling to check off everything that needs to be done before the new year, here are some tips to celebrate in eco-friendly style.
Avoid single-use items — especially plastic. If the prospect of doing dishes for everyone is daunting, recruit the fam! Hosts take hosting more seriously than guests do, and your family members will be happy to pitch in or to congregate in the kitchen to chat and take turns. Plus, every family has an introvert who might appreciate the chance to contribute without having to speak!
Last minute gift ideas — subscriptions are all the rage in 2024! Not just for streaming platforms (of which there seem to be an infinite number), but also for newspapers, online classes, tickets to a museum or concert, or membership to the Chicago Tool Library (or search for museums, concerts, and tool libraries in your loved one’s hometown). You could even give a (non-plastic) gift card or membership to one of our local sustainable shops (Eco Flamingo, Refilleri, or Unwaste Shop) or to national ones (Grove Collaborative, Zero Waste Store). An eco-friendly gift is a great chance to try something new for free!
Cleanup — What do you do with broken holiday lights? Reduce Waste Chicago has the answer: give them the lights at one of their 30+ locations to recycle! They’re on a mission to break last year’s record of 3,000 pounds of broken lights collected. Drop them off by January 31!
Don’t forget to compost your food scraps from all the holiday cooking and eating! When food is sent to landfills, it undergoes a chemical decomposition that produces methane, which is enormously more powerful than carbon dioxide. Pick a bin or large Tupperware to put scraps into, and then drop them off for free at your closest local composting drop-off!
The City of Chicago also hosts an annual composting collection for trees and other organic holiday decorations, so keep your eye peeled for information in January!
Join the Environmental Action Committee as we work to justly affect climate change with the ultimate goal of preserving democracy by maintaining the health of our one and only planet and all that lives on it. Email us at environment@lwvchicago.org for access to our next meeting.