Give Joy, Not Garbage: Low-Waste Holiday Tips

This holiday season, make a lasting impact by creating memories—not garbage. When gift-giving, think beyond traditional presents. Consider experience-based gifts like museum tickets, a spa day, a weekend getaway, or trying a new hobby together. Homemade treats, vintage items, handmade crafts, and thoughtfully selected or upcycled books and clothing also make meaningful low-waste gifts. Explore over 200 ideas sorted by price range using Metro Vancouver’s Merry Memory Maker tool.

When it comes to wrapping gifts, you can reduce waste by reusing materials you already have. Try fabric scraps, old maps, or magazines, and be sure to check the back of your closet for last year’s half used roll of wrapping paper. You can also repurpose brown paper bags or make your own gift tags from cardboard. Find more sustainable wrapping inspiration with Metro Vancouver’s Wrap Wise tips. Take care when unwrapping gifts and save wrapping paper for reuse next year!

After the celebrations, take a moment to sort your waste properly. Use the Township’s What Goes Where tool to check what belongs in your recycling, Green Cart, and garbage. Wrapping paper is recyclable in your Yellow Bag (single family homes and townhomes) or Mixed Paper Cart (apartments) if it’s made of 100% paper. Wrap made of plastic, or embellished with foil or glitter is not recyclable and should go in the garbage

Got a new gadget? Items such as old batteries, light bulbs, small appliances, and electronics can be recycled year-round at no cost through provincial programs. Find drop-off locations here.

Post-holidays, real Christmas trees can be composted by taking them to a Metro Vancouver Recycling and Waste Centre or by attending a local community tree-chipping event hosted by a non-profit organization.

If your community group is hosting a tree-chipping event in the Township, please contact us by email at opsinfo@tol.ca or by phone at 604-532-7300 before Thursday, December 18, 2025, to be added to the event list that will be posted at tol.ca/christmastrees.