Challenge yourself and reduce holiday waste

The holiday season can bring decorations, events, gifts, and feasts! These often generate a lot of waste. Challenge yourself this year to create less. See how you can create memories, not garbage.

Before

Try incorporating a few low-waste options in preparation for the holidays. Often, decorations kick off the holiday season. Try to carefully choose decor so that it can be used year after year. Find more low-waste decor suggestions. 

There are many options to generate less waste when it comes to gifts! Try giving: an experience, homemade good, secondhand item, or a repaired belonging. Find over 200 low-waste gift ideas sorted by price range using Metro Vancouver’s Merry Memory Maker tool.

When it comes to wrapping gifts, cost and waste can be kept to a minimum by using materials you already have! Reuse wrapping paper from the previous year, use newspaper or the brown paper found in delivery boxes. Check out Metro Vancouver’s Wrap Wise tool for more options.

During

When you go shopping for holiday food, don't forget to check what you have before you go and bring a reusable bag with you. Don't let any of your delicious meals go to waste, encourage dinner guests to bring their own reusable containers to take leftovers home. Region-wide 30% of what we send to the landfill every day is food. You can find more ways to reduce food waste here.

After

When the festivities are over, take a moment to brush up on what does and does not go in the recycling, green cart, and garbage. If you need to dispose of household waste such as small appliances, electronics, batteries and string lights, these items can be recycled year-round free of charge thanks to provincial recycling programs. See what can be taken back to a depot.

If you purchased a real Christmas tree, choose a sustainable way to dispose of it by taking it to a Recycling and Waste Centre for composting or bring it to a community tree-chipping event hosted by a local not-for profit organization. More information will be posted on our website soon.

Challenge yourself to make a difference this holiday season and share your effort with friends and family. For more ideas and tips on how to celebrate with less waste, visit Metro Vancouver's create memories, not garbage website.