The Christmas cards we send out are lovely. It’s cool to leaf through those we receive each day during December. I promise I LOVE seeing how much your kids have grown. I do.
When I read, though, that the waste created by our coveted, beautiful Christmas cards could fill a football field ten stories high, I pause and smh.
Just imagine sitting in the TENTH DECK of a FOOTBALL STADIUM!
OMG.
But, wait – this is NOT an attack on the Christmas spirit.
Just like you, I’m addressing my Christmas cards right now. Just like you, my garbage will be heaping full during the next two weeks. But, maybe unlike you, I have just read a Stanford study about the amount of garbage the holidays create and want to share.
Did you know that:
-25% more trash is created between Thanksgiving and Christmas?
-25 million tons of garbage will be added to the landfills in December?
-If the average family wrapped only three gifts, the paper saved could cover 45,000 (yes) football fields?
-If we each sent ONE CARD LESS, 50,000 cubic yards of paper is saved?
THOSE ARE HUGE NUMBERS! As unconscionable as these numbers are, if you’re like me you’ll carry on. After all, the presents, cards, and wrapping paper are already bought this year.
As with most problems, though, awareness is Step #1. I was generally aware of how wasteful our family Christmas’ are. I’m now keenly aware. And, armed with that awareness, I can make some changes – in the short term and during our next holiday season.
Change 1:
I’ll commit to sending five LESS Christmas cards and reaching out (via phone or text) to five friends instead.
Change 2:
I bought my wife three gifts this year which will be wrapped in newspaper – not the pretty, shiny, non-biodegradable stuff. Next year, I’ll convince her to do the same for me.
Change 3:
I will talk to three friends during this holiday season about the volume of waste created, therefore spreading the awareness I’ve gained.
These are not overwhelming actions.
None of them seem overly-intrusive to Christmas traditions.
All of them involved healthy intrapersonal interactions that are the cornerstone of gathering with loved ones during the holidays.
No ba-humbugs. But, alas, none of these can impact the mountain of trash each of us will create this Christmas.
Awareness, though, counts for something. Or, at least that is what I’m telling myself as I address my last fancy Christmas card of 2022.
