Waste reduction for the holidays

Related topic: Waste reduction

Turn trash into treasures: low-cost ideas for holiday gifts

Now that the official holiday season has begun, Sonoma County residents should be on the alert for ways to avoid holiday waste. The quantity of trash generated during this time period increases dramatically; according to estimates from the California Integrated Waste Management Board, almost 25 million tons more waste is created during the holidays than over a typical ten-week period. Discarded items include holiday wrap, cards and ribbon, not to mention the enormous quantity of cans, bottles and plastic containers tossed after holiday celebrations. Despite these excesses, Donna Caldwell, recycling coordinator at the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency, observes that the holiday season isnšt only a time to create more waste. "Many of the items we typically recycle or even throw away can be transformed into fun or imaginative gifts. Containers such as glass and plastic bottles, or aluminum and tin cans can be particularly useful during the holidays." "Family members and friends often appreciate the thoughtfulness of home-made gifts, and gifts made from reused materials are easy on your budget and good for the environment, as well," Caldwell adds.

Following are some examples of how to turn ordinary bottles, cans and jars into gifts or decorations for the holidays.

Tin can VOTIVE Fill an empty soup can with water and then freeze it. Once the water has frozen, use a nail and hammer to create a design in the can. Allow the ice to melt, pour the water out of the can, and place a candle inside. q Holiday CANDLE HOLDER Remove all labels from a small jar, such as a baby food jar. Using old holiday cards, cut pictures into sizes small enough to fit on the jar. Glue the pictures to the jar and put a rubber band around the jar until the glue dries. Paint glue over the entire outside of the jar, then sprinkle on salt to make it sparkle. Let dry and put a small candle inside. q Tin CANDY CONTAINERS Paint the outside of tuna or cat food cans with white paint. Punch two holes near the top edge on opposite sides and use lightweight wire to make a handle, converting the can into a basket. Decorate the outside with stamps or paint. Fill rectangles of colored cellophane with a few pieces of hard candy, tie the top closed and put it all inside the can. q Plastic BOTTLE BIRDFEEDER Remove labels from a two-liter plastic bottle and keep the cap on. In the bottom of the bottle, drill two small holes. Thread a piece of wire through the holes and make a loop to hang the birdfeeder, then use duct tape to seal the holes and keep out rain water. Near the neck of the bottle, drill holes on opposite sides of the bottle and slide an 8- to 9-inch dowel through the holes to make a perch. Make one-quarter inch slots 2 inches above the perch. Remove the cap, fill bottle with a mixture of sunflower seeds and other birdseed, replace the cap tightly and hang the feeder where birds can enjoy it. q Bottled ORANGE VINEGAR In a large saucepot, place 1 quart white vinegar, 1 cup of sugar and the peel from one medium orange; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Transfer vinegar to glass bottles or jars and cover tightly. This flavorful vinegar can be added to salsa or meat marinades to give it a tangy flavor, or use it as a vinaigrette with light-flavored olive oil. q Bottled OCEAN WAVES Start with a glass or plastic bottle with a tight screw cap. Baby food jars work especially well. Mix half vegetable oil and half water. Add food coloring and glitter to create your own holiday snow globe. Finally, a large-mouth jar can find numerous new purposes: a vase (add marbles on the bottom and dried or fresh flowers on top), a container for candy or homemade cookies (decorate with stickers or ribbons), or packed with delicious homemade jam. In addition to turning containers into gifts, individuals who wish to have more Earth-friendly holidays can take action in many different ways. Gift wrap creates a tremendous amount of waste during the holidays, but can be avoided by choosing reusable gift bags or boxes, recyclable colored comic pages or attractive magazine pages, or brown bags that children can color for a rainy day activity. Last yearšs holiday cards can be pasted onto colorful paper to make new cards, or trimmed to make gift cards. Christmas trees are one of the largest items that most families discard during the holidays. For Sonoma County homes that have greenwaste service, Christmas trees can be cut down to fit in the greenwaste toter and picked up with other yard materials. Or watch for flyers from local community organizations, which sponsor programs to pick up trees. In addition, the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency has a Christmas tree hotline at 565-3333, or visit the Agencyšs Web site (listed below). For details about recycling and reuse opportunities in Sonoma County, visit the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency Web site at www.recyclenow.org. For numerous reuse craft ideas, including many appropriate for children, visit http://craftsforkids.about.com/library/bltrashtr.htm. The Sonoma County Waste Management Agency is the joint powers authority of the nine incorporated cities in Sonoma County and the County of Sonoma. This public agency implements regional waste diversion programs as required by State law. In particular, the Agency works to promote recycling in Sonoma County, divert wood and yard waste from the landfill, encourage proper disposal of household hazardous wastes and recycling of motor oil and filters, and educate the public about recycling, reuse and waste reduction. Consider giving a gift of sharing.

Sharing time

For your friends, how about certificates for time to help at a garage sale, baby-sitting, planting a tree or a garden, building a compost bin, or spring cleaning.

For kids, a date for an environmental excursion, like a whale-watching or camping trip.

For your significant other, a weekend at a bed-and-breakfast, a bike riding or other adventure in San Francisco, or a trip to a scenic destination in California.

Sharing talent

Your own certificates for home-cooked healthy meals, or homemade foods, like jams, breads, or salad dressing.

Handmade cloth napkins, tea towels, or handkerchiefs. Handicrafts, such as hand-painted flower pots.

Sharing beliefs

Membership in an environmental or other nonprofit organization; books or magazines that can be recycled after reading.

For soon-to-be parents, a cloth diaper service like Dy-Dee Wash (800-242-1889), Tidee Didee (800-892-8080), or Bottoms Up (707-894-5424).

To promote transportation without using cars, give transit passes, walking shoes, skateboards, or bicycle accessories.

Gardening tools and books, seeds, compost, plants, a terrarium, flower pots, seedlings, bird feeders, window boxes, or a compost bin.

Long lasting gifts like a solar battery charger with rechargeable batteries; massaging water-conserving shower heads, recycled writing paper and cards, reusable canvas or string shopping bags; biodegradable lotions, soaps, and shampoos in refillable containers; or ceramic mugs.

Wrapping

Cloth napkins, dish towels, scarves, handkerchiefs, and clothing can be both wrapping and gifts. Use comics and magazine pages as gift wrap. Decorated paper or grocery bags can add a personal touch. A personal quote or favorite poem adds meaning.

Reused and reusable boxes, baskets, bags, and tins. Decorate with paper ribbons, colored strings or yarns, origami figures, dried flowers, pine cones, acorns or shells instead of plastic ribbon. Old cards can be recycled into gift tags.

Mailing

Pack with air-popped popcorn. Newspaper or scrap paper also make great packing material and can be recycled after using. Reuse packing material saved from previously-received packages.

If you celebrate Christmas

Consider decorating your favorite plant or tree instead of buying a new one.

If you do purchase a tree, consider a live, potted tree (refer to the back panel for a list of sources) or a reusable one. The Living Tree Company 707-792-1000 offers free delivery and pickup of potted trees for about the same price as a cut tree. Live trees can be planted in pots to be used year after year, or planted outside.

If you purchase a cut tree, make sure you recycle it. The Christmas Tree Recycling Program runs the first two weeks in January. Call the Eco-Desk at 707-527-3375 in late December for instructions.

Decorate your tree with paper chains, snowflakes made from scrap paper, dried flowers, cards, pine cones, fall leaves, photographs, ribbons, yarn, drawings, shells, sand dollars, popcorn, cranberries, cloth and edibles such as cookies.

When entertaining

Send invitations on recycled paper. Use postcards.

Buy in bulk and buy only what you need.

Use reusable dishes and utensils and cloth napkins when possible; if you need to use paper products, buy products made from recycled paper. Set up an area to recycle bottles, cans, and other recyclables at your party.

Decorate with plants, flowers and reused materials instead of plastic streamers, mylar decorations or balloons.

Rent or borrow infrequently used items like punch bowls or large platters.

When it's over

Keep old cards, wrapping paper, and packing materials for reuse during the next Holiday Season.

Old cards, cut into strips, make great package tags for use during the next Holiday Season.

Recycle your vegetable and fruit trimmings by composting. To learn how, call the Master Gardeners Composting Program at 707-527-2608.

Recycle desktop calendars and other nonreusable materials. Donate used holiday cards to Bay Area Creative Reuse, call 707-546-3340.

Donate unwanted clothing and gifts to thrift stores. Look in the Yellow Pages under Thrift Shops for a location near you.

This site is sponsored by the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency.
Contact us at eco-desk@recyclenow.org

terrell owens to lions