Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) has launched a new education campaign aimed at reducing waste across the region this holiday season. Whether it’s limiting holiday food waste, using cloth gift bags or giving gifts that focus on shared memories, CSWM is sharing some ideas on how we can rethink waste production this time of year.
The holiday season is a wonderful time to create lasting memories with friends and family. Unfortunately, be it through decorating homes, wrapping gifts or cooking meals, it can also create a lot of unnecessary waste. In Canada, household waste can increase by more than 25 per cent this time of year. This CSWM waste reduction campaign is focusing on ways we can still bring joy, warmth and family traditions to the season, but doing so in a way that creates as little waste as possible.
“We can all take steps to make less waste each year, and it’s important to be mindful of this during the holidays when our waste production tends to skyrocket,” said Marc Rutten, General Manager of Engineering Services. “Not only have we created a list of ideas to enjoy the holidays to their fullest while being mindful of excessive waste, we also want to hear your waste-free tips for this season.”
Visit cswm.ca/wastefreeholiday to explore categories like gift giving, decorations and gift wrapping for inspiration. If you have ideas to prevent and reduce waste this holiday, please share your tips with us on Facebook so we can update our list with ideas from the community.
For whatever packaging that does come your way this season, thankfully much of it can be recycled. Visit cswm.ca/recycle to find out what can be recycled in your area, or use the Recyclepedia website or app to find specific information for different items.