With the holiday season upon us, here’s a little seasonal sharing of some alarming stats.

According to Stanford University, “Americans throw away 25 percent more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period than any other time of the year.” The article goes on to put that into perspective by demonstrating how many football fields can been covered with paper or how we could tie a bow around the earth with the miles of ribbon saved if we reused.

So with the same holiday spirit of sharing, here are four tips on cutting back on the holiday waste. Hopefully those crazy stats motivate you to try something different this year.

1. Get others to join you in the effort – Encourage your secret Santa group to get creative in how everyone wraps their presents. Make it a new rule that everyone must use recycled material to wrap this year’s gift, and give a creative award to the group’s best reused/recycled gift wrapping effort.
2. Donate vs. buy – Instead of picking up a gift from a big box retailer at the mall, consider making a donation on a person’s behalf to a charity that matches their personality. For instance, if the person is an animal lover, why not make a donation to your local shelter?
3. Pass on the disposable dinnerware – If you’re hosting the holiday party, be sure to go with the washable items versus the disposable ones. Don’t be reluctant to ask everyone to bring along extra plates, silverware or cups if you’re short.
4. Mom/dad, it needs batteries – Don’t forgot to check those boxes (which hopefully you’ll recycle) to find out what type of batteries Suzie’s new toys need. But most important, pick up the rechargeable batteries.

Photo credit: Flicker user Mooslcorn Ranch