From Turkey to Tinsel: The Mountain of Holiday Waste and How To Reduce Your Impact

The stretch from right after Thanksgiving through Christmas feels magical…But for our planet (and our oceans), it’s also the most wasteful time of year!

Between extra shopping, shipping, cooking, decorating and partying, our trash cans overflow and a lot of that waste is plastic and packaging that sticks around far longer than our holiday cheer.

Let’s pull back the curtain on what really happens to all that “holiday joy”… and then walk through simple, feel-good ways your family can cut back, shop smarter and celebrate in a way that’s kinder to the Earth.

How Much Waste Are We Really Talking About?

25% More Trash in Just a Few Weeks

In the U.S., household waste jumps by about 25% between Thanksgiving and

New Year’s Day.

That adds up to tens of millions of extra tons of garbage created in just over a month. One often-cited estimate from Stanford puts it at about 25 million additional tons of waste during the holiday season alone.

A huge share of that is:

• Food that never gets eaten

• Packaging and shipping materials

• Gift wrap, ribbons and tape

• Single-use plastics from parties and gatherings

  
  

A lot of this is used once… then hauled to landfills, where it breaks down into microplastics.

Holiday Food Waste: The Feast No One Eats

We love a big holiday table but our plates are a major source of seasonal waste.

• On Thanksgiving alone, ReFED estimates that Americans waste around 316–320 million pounds of food, representing more than $550 million worth of groceries thrown away in a single day.

• Across the year, roughly 38–40% of all food in the U.S. goes unsold or uneaten, and that share goes up during the holidays. 

• Food is now the single largest category in U.S. landfills, making up about 24% of municipal solid waste, and it’s a major source of methane as it rots. 

Think about it: all the water, energy, fuel and labor that went into growing, shipping and cooking that food only for it to end up in a trash bag!

Gift Wrap, Packaging & “Stuff”

All those shiny packages under the tree have a bigger story too.

• Americans use an estimated 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper each year, much of it during the holiday season. About half of that, roughly 2.3 million pounds ends up in landfills. 

• A lot of gift wrap is not recyclable especially anything metallic, glittery or coated in plastic film. Those pretty patterns often come with a hidden plastic layer that sticks around in the environment.

• One analysis suggests that up to 80% of holiday waste could actually be reused, repurposed, or recycled with better choices.

  
  

Add in cardboard boxes, plastic shipping bubbles, toys wrapped in multiple layers of plastic and electronics with Styrofoam and film and it’s easy to see how quickly the trash (and the impact on oceans and wildlife) adds up!

The Good News: We Have SO Many Better Options

The holidays don’t have to be wasteful to be wonderful. With a few shifts, you can keep all the fun and tradition while sending a lot less to the landfill.

Below are practical, family friendly ideas you can mix and match this season.

1. Shop Secondhand, Vintage & Antique – Online and In-Person

Secondhand doesn’t mean “second best” anymore. It often means more unique, more affordable and far less wasteful.

Why secondhand is a holiday superhero

• No extra manufacturing or packaging

• Often plastic-free or lower-plastic

• Keeps beautiful items in circulation and out of landfills

• Supports local shops and small online sellers

Where to hunt for treasures

In your town:

• Thrift stores

• Vintage clothing boutiques

• Antique malls

• Consignment shops (for kids’ clothes, gear, and sporting goods)

• Used book stores and record shops

Online:

• Resale platforms for clothing and gear (Poshmark, ThredUp, Depop, etc.)

• Vintage and handmade on Etsy

• Local “buy nothing” and resale groups

• Online used book shops

Kid-friendly secondhand gift ideas:

• “New to you” skateboard or surfboard

• Retro jerseys or vintage band tees

• Classic toys and dolls from antique shops

• Beautiful storybooks or graphic novels

• Vintage jewelry or enamel pins

You can even make it fun: give your teen a “Thrift Adventure” envelope with a small budget and a date to go hunting together.

2. Give Experiences, Not Just Things

Experiences create memories without creating clutter.

Some ideas:

• Whale watching trips (We live in the Whale Watching Capital of the World! Get out there!)

• Surf lesson, kayak tour, or paddle outing

• Movie tickets, theater or concert

• Art, pottery, or cooking class

• “Day with me” coupon: their pick of activity + meal

• Annual pass to a local park or nature area (State Park Passes are great!)

  
  

Package it in a creative way:

• Print or hand-letter a “ticket” and tuck it into a repurposed jar

• Add a small secondhand or handmade item to match (paintbrush with a painting class, reusable cup with a coffee date, etc.)

  
  

3. Make It With Love: Homemade Gifts & Meals

Homemade gifts are often the ones people remember most and they can be low-waste and lower-cost.

Homemade gift ideas:

• Jars of homemade granola, spice blends, or cookie mix

• Bath salts or sugar scrubs in reused glass jars

• Hand-painted ornaments or seashell art

• Upcycled fabric tote bags or produce bags

• Photo books or printed postcards of special memories

• Playdough, slime, or “ocean in a jar” kits for kids

  
  

Kitchen tips to cut food waste:

• Plan your portions: Use a meal calculator so you don’t wildly overdo it.

• Love your leftovers: Turn turkey into soup, veggies into frittatas, mashed potatoes into waffles, scraps into stock. 

• Send guests home with food in reusable containers (or ask them to bring containers).

• Freeze what you can right away instead of waiting until it’s questionable.

• Compost inedible scraps when possible.

  
  

You’re not just saving food, you’re honoring the resources, farmers and animals that made those meals possible.

4. Rethink Wrapping, Cards & Packaging

You can still have beautiful gifts under the tree without sending mountains of wrap and ribbon to the trash.

Low-waste wrapping ideas:

• Brown paper bags or plain kraft paper decorated with stamps or kids’ art

• Old maps, sheet music, or newspaper comics

• Fabric wraps (old scarves, bandanas, tea towels) furoshiki-style

• Reusable gift bags or baskets

• Tie with twine, yarn, or fabric strips instead of plastic ribbon

For cards:

• Digital holiday cards or e-greetings

• Postcards instead of folded cards (less paper, no envelopes)

• Cards printed on recycled or plantable seed paper

Turn it into a family tradition: put on holiday music, pull out old papers and ribbons, and have a “creative wrapping night” using only what you already have.

5. Decorate with Nature (and What You Already Own)

Instead of buying new plastic décor every year, lean into natural and reusable options.

Ideas:

• Pinecones, branches, leaves, shells, and citrus slices for centerpieces

• Reusable string lights (switch to LEDs to save energy) 

• A box of favorite ornaments you pull out year after year

• DIY garlands made from dried oranges, popcorn, or scrap fabric

If you use a tree:

• A real tree from a local farm, mulched or composted afterward, is often a better choice than a new artificial tree shipped across the world and made of plastic. 

  
  

6. Host Lower Waste Parties & Gatherings

You don’t have to sacrifice fun to cut back on waste.

Try:

• Real plates, glasses and cutlery instead of disposables

• Pitchers of water, juice or tea instead of bottled drinks

• Big bowls of snacks instead of lots of single-serve packets

• Clearly labeled bins for recycling and compost

• A “leftover swap” at the end where everyone takes a little something home

  
  

If you must use disposables, look for uncoated paper or plant-based options that can be composted locally and avoid black plastic and foamed plastics whenever possible.

7. Talk About it as a Family

Kids are incredibly tuned in and love being part of the solution.

You might:

• Share one simple stat: “Did you know we create about 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s? Let’s see how much we can cut from our own bin this year.”

• Let kids pick one tradition to “green up” (wrapping, gifts, décor, or food).

• Make a family challenge: “How many things can we buy secondhand this year?”

• Connect it to the ocean: every piece of plastic and packaging we avoid is one less thing that can blow into a storm drain and wash out to sea.

Small changes in one household can inspire neighbors, schools, and communities — that’s how real change ripples out.

One Season, Big Impact

From the outside, holiday waste can feel overwhelming, 25% more trash, millions of pounds of food, mountains of wrapping paper and packaging.

But inside your home, it comes down to choices: one gift, one meal, one shopping trip at a time.

Here’s a simple starting checklist you could use this year:

✅ Buy at least one gift secondhand or vintage

✅ Give at least one experience instead of “stuff”

✅ Plan your holiday meals so less food goes to waste

✅ Try creative, reusable wrapping instead of shiny gift wrap

✅ Use real dishes for at least one gathering

✅ Start one conversation with family or friends about holiday waste

The Goal Isn’t Perfection, It’s Progress!

When we celebrate with a little more intention, we protect the places we love most, from our local beaches to the open ocean beyond.

And that might be the most generous gift we give all season. 💙

Happy Holidays!

Much love,

Vicki Patterson