Going Green for the Holidays

‘Tis the Season for Another Eco-Chat

I don’t know much about the infamous White Christmas, living in North Central Florida most of my life, but these days I’m dreaming of something a little more… green.

Y’all loved the Halloween Howliday Guide so I thought we’d bring it back for a chat about how to have a greener giving season. Considering its reputation for being a consumer-centric eco-disaster, it’s surprisingly easy to be more sustainable during the holidays. I used to really worry about gifting and receiving gifts, but once you establish some ground rules, with yourself as well as your friends and family, you’ll see how fun it is to be in full holiday-swing, without all the pollution and waste.

Reusing what you already have is always the most eco-friendly option and the most sustainable gift is the one you don’t buy, HOWEVER, a Zero Waste Lifestyle does not have to be restricting and giftless. We don’t have to be a bunch of Scrooges. We just need to embrace consumables, natural materials, and edit everything that doesn’t meet our expectations.

I’ll break it down a bit so you can reduce waste in all areas of the holidays.

Environmentally-Friendly Holiday Decorations

You’ve probably heard of popcorn garland and pinecone ornaments, but with a little creativity you can create some beautiful holiday decorations out of natural materials.

The first thing you’ll want to do is head out and collect materials. If you live in an area with woods this can be as simple as going for a walk! Keep an eye out for:

Pine boughs/branches
Pinecones
Dry grass stalks (especially ones with little seed tufts on the ends) or cattails
Winter berries
Seedpods
Twigs and branches of various sizes
Nuts
Flowers for drying

Then you can supplement those materials with items you’ll find at local farms, supermarkets, on your Buy Nothing Group, at thrift or crafting stores. Consider:

Oranges, cranberries, pomegranates, or dried fruit
Nuts in the shell
Cinnamon sticks
Dried herbs or flowers
Feathers
Natural cotton
Burlap, muslin fabric, jute twice, or raffia ribbon

If you plan on going to a roadside stand or tree farm ask if you can take home some of the leftover boughs – people often leave branches at the base of the tree if it’s a bit too tall or just a tad unruly at the bottom. Most places won’t charge you for this and they’re highly versatile in your holiday decor.

Wreaths

Natural wreaths have such a classic holiday feel to them, plus the smell of pine as you come in the door is sure to lift your spirits.

While you can make them completely compostable and from scratch with some greener branches, you can also purchase a metal frame and reuse it year after year. Grab some twine and simply tie the sticks and boughs around the frame, then add your accent pieces.

Try cinnamon sticks or dried oranges for some more fragrance, or dried flowers and berries for extra color. Feathers, pinecones, seed pods and dried grasses add various textures and colors as well.

I recently saw this wonderfully whimsical wreath, made from repurposed toilet paper rolls, of all things. But everything Emily Ehlers does is amazing, go follow her insta!

Mantles, railings, and entryways

This is where those spare boughs come in handy. Laying them across a mantle or bookshelf, wrapping along a railing, or framing a doorway with pine boughs brings the joy of Christmas throughout your house – so it’s not just in the room with your tree.

Try laying out bowls of nuts in the shell, pinecones, pomegranates and red and green apples to get in the natural holiday spirit.

Wine corks also make fun decorations and can be crafted into everything from Christmas trees and snowmen to these cute little reindeer figurines.

The Tree

As far as decorating a tree, consider some of those natural decorations we’ve already talked about. Make garland with cranberries, popcorn, or wine corks. Try ornaments with pinecones, dried orange slices, and bundles of cinnamon sticks.

You can also find recipes online for sugar cookies and gingerbread that can be made into ornaments, which is a great activity for both adults and kids.

If it’s time to buy a new strand of lights, consider LED as they are more eco-friendly.

Sustainability showdown: Is it more eco-friendly to get a real Christmas tree or a fake?

Christmas trees come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. Overwhelmingly, there are just two normalized choices, and there is a debate in the sustainability community about which is more eco-friendly: getting a real tree or a fake?

The arguments go something like this: Cutting down a real tree sounds bad in theory – don’t we always want more trees? But it’s in the interest of Christmas tree farms to replant, the growing trees absorb lots of CO2, and that land may not be suitable for much else. Plus if a tree is composted, it releases very little carbon back into the atmosphere.

The main argument for a fake tree is that you can reuse it year after year, and it doesn’t involve cutting down a new tree each time. But they are made from all sorts of synthetic materials including plastics, so the ultimate ecological cost of manufacturing and eventually disposing of a fake tree is fairly high.

The winner? Honestly, whichever one is right for you. In the grand scheme of the holidays, whether you go with a real or fake Christmas tree is not going to make or break your carbon footprint. We need to hold corporations accountable for their emissions and target whole industries like fast fashion. Then we can worry about our Christmas trees.

Ultimately the idea here shouldn’t be that one is right or wrong, but how you go about it. If a fake tree is right for you, try to reuse it for as long as you can and try to keep it out of the landfill. If you go the route of real trees, buy local and compost it when you’re done.

Sustainable Gifting Ideas

It is the season of giving after all! And while I think the real power of the season is in spending quality time with loved ones, there’s nothing quite like the delight of a friend or family member opening a gift they love.

There are plenty of ways to be sustainable with your gifts. So as you run through your list this year consider some of these options:

Tree-Friendly Holiday Cards

Thoughtful Human makes beautiful cards with tree-free, plantable seed paper that grows wildflowers. It’s an interactive gift that will bring joy now and again when the flowers bloom.

Or go digital! While it may not have the same feel as receiving a card in the mail, you can now make it super personal with a video message. Plus adding GIFs and memes can make them highly entertaining and bring the holiday cheer to your loved ones.

Zero-Waste Gift Wrapping

Save the brown paper that comes in your online purchases and use it to wrap gifts!

**Local tip: I have a TON of brown shipping paper I’ve been saving all year that you can grab for wrapping next time you stop by the shop! It’s a little crinkled, but I think it adds to the charm.

Tie them up with twine or ribbon and add some snowflakes or christmas trees with a marker or stamp. These come out with a classically rustic look that people always love.

If you want something a bit more colorful and funky (especially for the kids) consider what you have lying unused around the house: old maps, comic books, newspaper and magazines make for great wrapping paper.

Try yarn or twine instead of ribbon, or make the wrapping part of the gift by using something like a thrifted silk scarf or cloth napkins. You can use an old brooch to pin it all together.

I have also seen various sized reusable fabric wrapping bags. You can make your own with any fabric or even get away with an old pillowcase when push comes to shove.

And of course – if you don’t already – save any gift bags, bows, or ribbons you receive this year to reuse for your gifts next year. (I actually save tissue paper too, but that’s just me, lol.)

Our Sustainable Gift Guide

As a conscious consumer I’m sure you’ve heard many of the classics: DIY candles or soaps; baked goods; candied nuts; experiences such as tickets to a show or play, art or cooking class.

But some of us aren’t that creative, or simply don’t have the time to invest in DIY gifts. If you love the feeling of stuffing a stocking, or handing a heartfelt gift to a friend and watching their face as they open it – we have put together our list of favorites from Life Unplastic so you can give gifts you trust are not negatively impacting the planet. Consumable gifts and gifts made from natural materials top our lists.

For the men: Florida-made beard balm, lava pumice stone, or a rosewood beard comb

For the femme: tassel hoop earrings, this jade facial roller, or these adorable wood animal magnets

For the kids: 100% recycled crazy crayons, this plant-based finger paint kit, or this honeycomb candle making kit

For the student: decomposition books and/or a fancy, zero waste highlighter pencil

For that on-the-go friend: a collapsible straw with keychain case or locally roasted coffee beans (by the ounce, so a great opportunity to package in a fun, thrifted jar!)

For your out of town family: these “someone in Florida loves you” ornaments or magnets

For the tricky-to-buy-for: a 30hr outdoor candle, organic seasoning blends, or a pound of local orange blossom honey

For self care: beautiful holiday themed locally-made soaps, locally-made body butter, or this pot of gold

For a White Elephant/Gag party gift: people will go nuts over these wood britney or dolly face ornaments

For your best bud (pooch or kitteh): treats, treats, and more treats!

For advent calendar, festival of lights, or stocking stuffers: a vitamin-rich lip balm, these travel size shampoo bars, an exfoliating woven soap bag, or a washable/reusable bamboo spork

For anyone: cute swedish dishcloths, a gallon-sized silicone storage (freezer) bag, or these versatile string grocery bags

When in serious doubt, a Gift Card can still be presented in a really thoughtful way.

Remember too, if you’re ordering from us or elsewhere online, order early – experts predict the shipping delays may be even worse than last year.

Hopefully this gets you in the holiday spirit and feeling like it’s going to be a very green Hanukkah, Christmas, or whatever you are celebrating this time of year.

Voting – It’s more than just bubbles on a ballot!

Heading to the voting booth to cast our ballot each year is an important political civic action. Those collective choices shape government policy, which has the power to bring about considerable change to the society we encompass.

But today I want to talk about a different type of vote. Because whether or not you bubbled in your ballot, you are voting this November. In fact, we’re all voting every single day, without realizing it.

You vote for the world you want to live in whenever and wherever you spend money.

Why? Every purchase you make supports the organization you’re buying from. To that end, every purchase you choose NOT to make can be an effective signal that you, a consumer with a monetary vote, have found an alternative that you prefer, for one reason or another (even if it means not buying anything at all!).

It may seem insignificant – after all, what’s one more Amazon order?

To multinational corporations or fast fashion conglomerates, perhaps it IS insignificant. But – every time you DON’T choose the giant corp and you buy local produce, thrifted clothing, or refill your containers at your local refillery (a-hem), it means absolutely everything!

Do my small purchases really make a difference?

The short answer: YES!

For better or worse, your purchase supports the company and people who are working for that cause. It helps them keep going, perpetuating the values and standards that company shares with the world.

And collectively, these consumption choices yield great power!

If you need a little more convincing, take a look at some of these examples where the consumers shifted the balance of power and took matters into their own hands.

The 1791 English Sugar Boycott

One of the first known examples of a boycott, 1791 English citizens who opposed slavery took it upon themselves to boycott sugar produced by slaves in the West Indies. Many of the political leaders had stakes in the sugar industry. After sales dropped by 30%, political campaigns and policy reform began to ramp up in earnest.

It took several years, but the sugar boycott is credited with being a driving force of abolishing slavery in England. It may seem like large corporations are impenetrable, but reducing their purchases by only one-third was enough to create sweeping legislative change for the entire nation.

2010 Nestlé Palm Oil Boycott

A much more recent example is the 2010 Nestlé boycott over unsustainable palm oil. Palm oil production created rampant deforestation across Indonesia and beyond. To stop the devastating effects, Greenpeace organized a boycott campaign.

It only took 8 weeks of pressure by consumers for Nestlé to change its tune. They quickly released a new policy promising zero deforestation in their palm oil supply chain.

2019 Chick-fil-A Donations

After some online backlash regarding anti-LGBTQ donations hit the internet in 2012, Chick-fil-A made a few changes, but did not completely stop the donations in question. When consumers stepped in again and initiated a boycott in 2019, the company formally changed their donation policy to focus on education, homelessness, and hunger, officially ending those anti-LGBTQ donations.

🟔 Note: I’m not necessarily saying these companies are now doing everything right, but they make for good examples of how your dollar CAN make a difference. 🟔

How can you determine what companies deserve your vote?

As a conscious consumer you know how to reduce, reuse, refill, and rethink, but sometimes it can be time to buy something new.

You’re smart, so I’m sure you can tell when a company is obviously not good to purchase from. Triple-wrapped in plastic? Nah. No thanks. Costs one-third of what its competitors do? Probably not a good sign.

On the other hand, if it is clearly made with recycled materials, organic, or fair-trade, you can probably tell the company has some of your shared values.

Certifications are a good place to start, but it’s important to know whether (a) those certifications are reputable and (b) what they really mean.

Some trustworthy certifications:

Certified B Corporations – audited regularly to ensure high standards of social and environmental impacts. B Corps maintain a high level of sourcing and financial transparency within their business.
Rainforest Alliance – a certification for paper products, food and drinks, as well as tourism businesses. Pretty much any industry can have a negative impact on the rainforest, but the Rainforest Alliance Certification let’s you know they’re doing their part.
Green Seal – often found on paper products, it sometimes crops up in other places. Green Seal indicates that a company is not contributing to deforestation or other unsustainable practices.
Cradle to Cradle – focused mostly on textiles and home goods, Cradle to Cradle certifies companies that are committed to creating a circular economy.
LEED Certification – a designation for buildings that were constructed in a low-impact, socially conscious way, often with recycled materials.
Leaping Bunny Certification – a way to identify cruelty-free cosmetics, personal care, and household cleaning supplies. Leaping Bunny is different from other third-party cruelty-free certifications because of their strict no animal testing standards, Supplier Monitoring System, and independent audits.

Some other certifications:

1% for the Planet – pretty much exactly what it sounds like, this designation indicates that a company donates 1% of its profits to eco-friendly efforts. While that is certainly something to be celebrated, and I know lots of brands doing this, realistically it tells you nothing about how the company actually conducts its sourcing and manufacturing. Just something to consider.

Carbon Offsetting – if a company is carbon offsetting, it means they are donating to environmental projects that reduce carbon in our atmosphere. It’s helpful and very powerful when combined with strong efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of production, but some companies use it as an excuse to continue (or cover up) other harmful practices. Be sure to dig a little deeper.

FSC Certification – a certification for paper products that is intended to reduce deforestation. It’s better to buy certified products than not, but some experts have questioned the effectiveness of the FSC, finding that audits aren’t thorough or often enough to truly protect the forest. Again, try to dig a little deeper and look for sourcing transparency.

Energy Star – similar to the FSC, it’s better to have the certification than not. But the Energy Star logo simply means that a product is slightly more energy efficient than the current industry standard, and how much better varies from product to product. Consider doing a little more research before you buy.

You have the purchasing power!

All this is not to make you feel guilty or overwhelmed, but rather empowered.

Your choices make a difference.

The choices of large corporations make a bigger difference – but you have the power to influence them with your own.

In the age of smartphones, it’s easier than ever to search for a company’s reputation before you make a purchase. And if you’re shopping online, that information is just one tab away.

This little bit of extra effort has a compounding effect. The more of us who consistently shop consciously, the greater the results.

As we head into the holidays, and particularly Black Friday weekend, I encourage you to think about your purchases as a way to support and perpetuate your values in our community.

Together we can drive lasting changes. 🤍

At Life Unplastic’s sustainable shop and refillery, you can shop confidently (and guilt-free!) knowing that I have personally vetted every brand we sell. Your purchases support normalizing low waste consumerism as opposed to throwaway culture and the people who are making that possible.

So thank you for supporting my small business that supports other small businesses. We love you!

Spooky Season – A Howliday Sustainablilty Chat

As we near the end of October, I find myself digging through decorations and pulling out that bin of mismatched costumes. I’ve always loved Halloween! But now as an eco-conscious consumer, this time of year brings up mixed emotions.

Like me, you might have conflicting feelings and find yourself caught between enjoying the spirit, the decorations, the festivities, and holding back because you feel guilty about all the ramped up waste and consumerism.

So I want to take this moment to remind you that it’s okay to participate and enjoy this spooky season. That as we strive to reduce waste in our lives, it isn’t going to be perfect.

Choose to refuse, reduce, and reuse what you can, and encourage others to do the same, but don’t let it dampen your Halloween spirit.

To that purpose I’ve put together this inspirational guide to help you seek out sustainable options, while still participating in the festivities. Whether you’re hosting a backyard Halloween party or want to win the annual costume contest, you can feel good knowing that you’re intentioned, solution-oriented, and treading more lightly on the planet.

Sustainable Halloween Decorations

Is your neighborhood getting all decked out a la the Sanderson Sisters? Don’t miss out on the fun! Here are some ways to darken your doorstep, while keeping your carbon footprint clean.

Pumpkins and Gourds (duh):

Of course you should partake in pumpkin traditions!

Painted pumpkins can last for what seems like forever, opt for eco-friendly plant based paints and skip the glitter completely. Also, if you plan to compost or feed your pumpkin to neighborhood wildlife, peel and discard the painted/decorated outer layer first.

Carving pumpkins is my personal favorite way to pumpkin. Take these measures for extra-eco-credit:

Save the pulp for making pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, or pumpkin soup – it freezes well too!
Toast your pumpkin seeds with seasonings for a super fibrous snack. (You can find recipes all over but this one offers six different ways to flavor them).
Don’t forget to refill/exchange your candles at the shop before the big night, or grab some LED lantern lights to use year after year.
After Halloween be sure to compost your carved pumpkins. Gourds last a very long time and some varieties can be turned into bird houses.

Hay Bales, Cornstalks, and Scarecrows:

A great addition to your lawn decor is biodegradable materials like hay bales, dried flowers, or corn stalks. These are relatively cheap (with a low environmental cost) and can usually be found at farm supply stores or crafting shops.

You can also use hay or straw to make a scarecrow! Use old clothes and rags or dress it up in last year’s costume.

Old Jars

It probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that one of my favorite “reuse” decorations is old jars. Old jars can be colored or decorated to look like a potions kit or a creepy apothecary.

**Reminder: we have a stock of community donated jars at Life Unplastic that are free for the taking!**

To color your jars simply mix some mod podge with a dash of water and the food coloring of your choice. Roll the mixture around the inside of the jar and prop it upside down to drain for at least 15 minutes. Bake at 200 for about an hour, or until it’s totally dry. You can print out labels and pictures for the insides or get creative! (Think gummy worms in colored water, cicada shells, or painted lollipops to look like eyes).

Craft with Kids

The internet is bursting with cute and fun crafts for the kid in you and actual kids, but I like the ones that involve less single-use plastic.

Try using sticks and t-shirt yarn to create a spiderweb wreath, or you can make dangling bats with toilet paper tubes or cardboard egg cartons.

If you need any boxes for decorations or costumes, we have lots of shapes and sizes for the taking right now!

Don’t Forget the Sounds and Smells

While many of our traditional decorations are visual, don’t forget about the other senses to create a truly delightful Halloween experience.

Hook up your speakers in the window with some eerie sounds and consider adding some scented candles to your ensemble. Celebrating the season we currently have special scents like “A Walk in the Woods” and “Pumpkin Spice” from local maker, Earth Tonix, so you can get the ambiance just right. The Earth Tonix candle jars are returnable for reuse when you’re done.

Thrifting

You can always stop by the thrift store to reuse and recycle decorations, but remember to look beyond just the Halloween section. Keep your eye out for sepia tone photographs in dusty frames, creepy porcelain dolls, or vintage books – all of which make for perfect mantle decorations.

Halloween Tricks to Avoid:

Although I’m all about joining the party (in a responsible way), I can’t help calling out a few particular traditions that any eco-conscious consumer will want to avoid.

Fake Spider Webbing: While fantastically creepy, this stuff can be dangerous to small wildlife who get tangled in its long fibers, and it’s nearly impossible to reuse (plus it’s usually plastic!).

Bleaching pumpkins: At some point it became a popular trend to soak or spray your carved pumpkin with bleach to make it last longer. Unfortunately this can be toxic to wildlife who like to munch on the sweet squash after you compost it. There are plenty of other techniques like soaking your pumpkin in ice water, but if you want the foolproof way we recommend just carving it closer to Halloween.

Sustainable Halloween Costumes

Now that you’ve got your ambiance all figured out, it’s time to dress the part. See if you can utilize any of these eco-friendly approaches.

Swapping with a Friend:

Wearing the same costume year after year is just no fun. But swapping with a friend (or a fellow mom for your kids) can get you all the excitement with none of the work. If you’re looking for the kids you can also try Facebook groups or neighborhood forums for this kind of swap.

Thrifting Garments:

Digging through the Goodwill bins can be a fun Saturday activity, and it’s a great way to stretch your creativity to go in without a definite idea.

But if you do have a specific costume in mind, it can be a bit of a chore to find exactly what you’re looking for. If you don’t have the time or energy to thrift locally, you can try an online store like Thred Up which offers thousands of second-hand items. And you can even filter your search by things like size and color!

DIY:

Of course there’s always the DIY costumes for those crafty enough to brave it. There are thousands of guides online teaching you how to create various looks. You can make robots or armor out of cardboard. Paperboard is great for giving shape or stiffness to clothing, and nearly any prop can be fashioned from some creative paper mache.

Make-up:

If you’re going all out we do offer some items such as mascara cakes, plant-based glitter, and even solid perfumes.

Progress, Not Perfection

Overall I want to wish you a Happiest of Halloweens and that you are able to get in the spirit and have some fun this year. Even if you just take a few of these ideas, you’re helping create a culture of reuse and repurpose, and that makes a difference.

I hope you’ll spread the spook and teach your friends, family, and children about making more eco-friendly choices this year. And maybe even offer to compost your neighbor’s pumpkin for them! (Your garden will love you next spring).

🐊 For the Gainesville Locals

If you’re a local to Gainesville, check out The Reuse Planet (a new location by The Repurpose Project) which is currently stocked full of Halloween decorations and costumes!

Candy PSA

When you pick up your treats for the candy bowl this year consider avoiding unsustainable palm oil (which is causing rampant habitat loss for orangutans and tigers) as well as toxic ingredients like high fructose corn syrup. Bonus points if the candy comes in paper, little cardboard boxes, or foil as opposed to single-use plastic. GreenHalloween.org highlights what to look for here.