Consumer culture encourages us to buy more than we need during the holidays. But what we buy and how often we purchase new things has a big impact on the well-being of our planet.

Everything we buy has a climate impact before it arrives on a store shelf or doorstep. Climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions are created throughout the entire lifecycle of the things we buy – from the process of extracting natural resources, to manufacturing and transporting products.

These emissions are greater than the total emissions from electricity, transportation and natural gas combined. This means that what we buy has a bigger environmental impact than how we get around and power our lives. Each of us plays an important role in curbing these emissions and keeping waste out of our landfills.

Here are some ideas to help you deck the halls with sustainability this holiday season:

At the Table

  • Use online meal planning calculators to determine how much food to buy for guests and holiday gatherings.
  • Prepare meals with local ingredients, making use of what's in season in Colorado and reducing the transportation impact of your food.
  • Buy ingredients in bulk when possible. Don’t forget to bring refillable bags and containers with you to the grocery store.
  • Set the table with reusable plates, glasses, utensils and cloth napkins.
  • Get creative with leftovers and then compost all other food scraps in your backyard or curbside compost bin.

On and Under the Tree

  • Use energy-efficient LED holiday lights to decorate your tree and home. Remember to unplug lights when not in use to save energy.
  • Wrap gifts in reusable materials, like newspaper, fabric and gift bags. Avoid shiny, glittery and metallic papers; these are not recyclable.
  • Repurpose old holiday cards, calendars and scrap paper for gift tags and cards.
  • Swap decorations with friends and family, make your own, or buy used décor at thrift stores and consignment shops.

Greener Gift Giving

  • Buy gifts from thrift stores, local shops or artisan markets.
  • Give memories instead of stuff. Gift experiences like tickets to a museum, a series of art classes or dinner out at a local restaurant.
  • Share your skills. Bake sweet treats, knit a hat or take someone to a show.

Dispose of holiday decorations the right way.

Eco-Cycle’s Holiday Guide can help you find the best place to dispose of holiday leftovers — or better yet, ways to give them new life.

Here are some common holiday leftovers and where they go:

  • Compost natural Christmas trees in your curbside bin or drop them off at Western Disposal’s Wood and Yard Waste Drop-Off Center. If your tree is longer than six feet, please cut off the top so it fits in your compost bin.
  • Bring broken holiday lights and extension cords to Eco-Cycle's Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM). Attached light bulbs are OK. Please bundle cords and tie with the loose end so they don’t get caught in machinery.
  • If you can’t reuse them, recycle paper shopping bags, cardboard boxes, and other papers in your curbside bin. Large staples and shiny graphics are OK. Please remove non-paper handles and any metal.

📣 Wrapping paper is not accepted in curbside recycling or compost. Please put it in the trash.

For a limited time, wrapping paper can be recycled at the Boulder County Recycling Drop-Off Center.

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