November 2023. The holidays are just around the corner, and with that come many festive celebrations... and waste. As you plan your holiday events, be mindful of the environment and consider the following tips and recommendations to reduce waste this holiday season.

Décor

Décor can undoubtedly bring the holiday spirit to events, but many decorations are wasteful and end up in the trash. Consider using decorations made of materials that can be recycled or composted, or select decorations that can be reused for future holiday events. For your invitations and event programs, consider going digital. Digital alternatives are an easy way to reduce paper waste and are quicker to send and distribute. Creating your digital invitations and event programs is easier than ever on platforms such as Evite and Canva

Dining

Gathering with family and friends to share a delicious meal during the holidays is a cherished pastime and there are many ways to reduce waste while enjoying meals! Ditch the single-use plastic plates and utensils for reusable cutlery or compostable items. Avoid single-use items and choose dinnerware you can wash and reuse such as cloth napkins, and washable plates and utensils you already have in the kitchen!

With many holiday events and meals, leftover food scraps and waste is inevitable. Manage the waste responsibly by providing your guests with trash, recycling, and organics bins so that they can properly dispose of their waste. With all the food during the holidays, there are plenty of opportunities to compost! Athens Services collects food waste and disposes in a commercial compost facility, turning your holiday food waste into a nutrient-rich natural fertilizer. Or consider composting some of the food waste in your own backyard compost pile. The City offers backyard compost bins to residents at a discount. And please consider donating unopened or uneaten food to a local food bank. A few local foodbanks you could donate to include Manna here in the Conejo Valley, and Food Share Ventura County.

Gift Giving

As you prepare for the holiday season, there are many ways to add an eco-friendly touch to your gift giving! A few green tips to keep in mind include:

• Think green giving - Be kind to the Earth and the people on your holiday list. Consider Eco-friendly gifts like upcycled jewelry, reusable cutlery sets, aesthetic mason jars for storage, or reusable water bottles.
• Get crafty - Bestow presents with a homemade touch. The online tutorials for such ideas are endless- bottle cap art, homemade body scrubs and bath products, baked goods, or even aromatherapy heating pads. Give a homemade gift from the heart this holiday season.
• The gift of experience - Giving an experience can be a great alternative for the holidays. From gifting a spa day, movie tickets, sports activity lessons, theme park tickets, weekend getaways, art classes, or online educational courses, there is an experience to give for all on your gift giving list.
• Give back - A gift idea that will make a lasting difference in our community is a donation to a local charity. Giving money in the name of your gift recipient is a thoughtful way to give gifts this holiday season. For a list of charities throughout the Conejo Valley, click here.
• Wrap it up - Rather than purchasing expensive wrapping paper that is meant to be torn up and disposed of, opt for a more sustainable alternative. Utilize brown paper cut from paper bags to wrap your gifts in, add some twine and you’ve given the gift a sleek and earth-friendly look. Old newspapers and cloth are also eco-friendly alternatives to use instead of wrapping paper.