Going Green: A wish list for less waste this holiday

As the holidays near, so does that dreaded trash day after Christmas when we try to figure out just how to fit all that garbage into our one or two trash barrels. I thought I would try to help you find ways to cut down on this waste ahead of time.

Here are 10 easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint and the amount of waste you produce during the holiday season — and probably save some money as well:

Look for products with "Made in the USA" on the label when shopping. When you buy products that are made closer to home, less pollution enters the environment from transporting them. These items can be tricky to find, but it is easy to check, since most every product has a label identifying where it was made. Most Crayola products are made in this country — although some are shipped from China, so check the label. I recently discovered a toy line called Green Toys, which are not only made in the U.S., but are manufactured from recycled milk jugs and packaged only in cardboard, which can be recycled. The toys are sold locally at such stores as The Dragon's Nest in Newburyport as well as most Learning Express locations. Its Web site is www.greentoys.com.

Bring your own bags when shopping. You probably have stocked up on reusable tote bags for your groceries. Now use them for other shopping trips as well. You'll cut down on the amount of plastic you are bringing home and adding to the waste stream. Many stores are offering discounts on your check-out total for each of your own bags used or money back in the form of coupons with a store rewards card. Everyone wins.

Pre-cycle. When you buy gifts, look for those with the least amount of packaging. Instead of buying those huge plastic-wrapped gift baskets, which always seem to have more trash than actual "gift," buy (or reuse) your own basket. Fill it with things you know the recipient would like, and then just tie a nice bow on it. There is no need to cover bath products in plastic wrap.

Recycle the packaging you receive. If you receive gifts with a lot of packaging, don't just throw it all out. A lot of cardboard, paper and paperboard can be recycled along with your mixed paper.

Use sustainable packaging. When preparing your gifts for others, use gift bags that you already have and that can, in turn, be reused by the recipient instead of using wrapping paper, which will be thrown away after one use.

Park in the first available spot you find. Don't waste gas and time trying to find a spot just a little bit closer by driving around the mall parking lot for 15 extra minutes. Take the first spot and enjoy the extra walk devoid of the mobs of people that you'll soon be encountering inside the stores.

Use a timer for your Christmas lights. If you string lights outside — which hopefully have energy-efficient LED bulbs — put them on a timer to ensure they are on only when it's dark out and stay on for a set amount of time. This avoids leaving them on all night and wasting huge amounts of electricity.

Buy products with labels written in English only. Products that include two or more languages on the labels and packaging are wasting resources, money and more in their design and manufacturing.

Buy the right amount of food. This is a suggestion that is appropriate any time of the year, but particularly around the holidays when there is an abundance of food, and so much is wasted. For parties, buy enough that you won't run out, but reduce the amount that is perishable so that if you have a lot left over, you can serve it to your family for additional meals. Also, when putting food out for your guests, don't serve it all at once, since you won't be able to save it after it has been sitting out for a couple of hours. Bring out small platters at a time and keep the rest refrigerated until the platter begins running low.

Use non-disposable plates and napkins. It is tempting to buy a lot of paper products so you can avoid doing dishes, but it creates so much waste — and doesn't look as nice either. Use cloth napkins that can easily be washed with your other towels and don't take up very much space, and use wine glasses that can be labeled with small personalized "rings" so people use the same glass throughout the gathering. When you use paper products, people tend to use many more since they tend to put them down, forget which one is theirs and then just get a new one. If you go the non-disposable route, you'll find there won't be as many dishes to wash as you may think.

All in all, just think about where your purchases will end up after the holidays are over. Will they be sitting in a landfill by New Year's Day or will everything that you bought be useful to the recipient or be able to be recycled?

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Bill Goss is the owner of Quality Systems Consulting Group in Amesbury. His Web site is www.merrimackvalleygreen.com. If you have any questions regarding Going Green, send them to merrimackvalleygreen@comcast.net, and he will answer them in upcoming columns.