The last decade of human existence was the hottest in the last 125,000 years. CO2 levels are the highest they have ever been. We are losing 1.2 trillion tons of ice each year due to global warming.

And it is estimated that 9 million people die every year due to air pollution. These are just a few frightening facts that threaten all human life on a daily basis. Believe it or not, all of these problems are caused by humans.

In a society that currently struggles in peacefully coexisting with our environment, learning to be more sustainable is crucial to human survival. Interestingly enough, an area in which sustainability could be massively improved upon is during the holiday season.

Whether you are celebrating New Years, Ramadan, Holi, Christmas, Hanukkah, Yom Kippur, etc. the holidays can be an exciting, reflective time where we can reconvene with our loved ones. However through all of its wonders that we so cherish, the holiday season can be a goldmine of unsustainable practices. Knowing how to reduce climate waste during the holiday season will not only reduce your negative environmental footprint, but will ensure that future generations can experience the power of the holidays.

In this article we will analyze 6 key components of the holidays (Food, Gift-Wrapping, Lights, Gift-Giving, and Traveling), offering tips on how people can undergo more sustainable practices.

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1. Food for the Holidays

What you choose to eat during the holidays plays a large role in the environment. When preparing your holiday meals try to focus on plant based products. Currently the livestock industry generates nearly 15% of all man made greenhouse gasses and shows no sign of stopping. While in some cases it can be difficult to move away from the meat based meals during the holidays, try making a couple extra dishes this year purely plant based. Not only do you benefit the health of those eating your cooking but also support the plant-based agriculture industry that produces less greenhouse gasses than the livestock industry.

Furthermore, 30% of the food produced in the U.S. is wasted; and during the holiday season, between thanksgiving and new years, household food waste increases more than 25%. This food waste indicates an excess release of greenhouse gasses spent on a product, food, that goes unconsumed; unnecessarily furthering global climate change issues. Additionally, as there remain 47 million food insecure Americans, reducing the amount of food wasted is massively important. To combat this issue try saving and giving uneaten food back to community shelters and local organizations receiving food donations. In doing so the community grows stronger and stomachs grow fuller.

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2. Wrapping Up Those Gifts

During the holidays, what better feeling is there than watching the excitement on someone's face as they tear apart that decorative paper you wrapped so nicely around there gift. Make no mistake, wrapping paper is a majorly unchecked resource that is continuously harming our environment. Roughly 4.6 million lbs of wrapping paper is produced annually and 2.6 million lbs of this ends up in landfills.

This means that over half of the annual wrapping paper production is wasted. While this resource of veiling the gifts we have so carefully chosen for our loved ones is a key part of the holiday experience, we must greatly consider how to turn such a common experience into a more sustainable one.

When purchasing wrapping paper aim for more sustainable brands such as wrappily which produces wrapping paper made of recycled paper and lumber mill sawdust. As a result the wrapping paper they produce are not only made of recycled materials but are recyclable themselves.

Another method for making the practice of using wrapping paper more sustainable is by directly reusing it yourself. Through a DIY project wrapping paper can be used not only in arts and crafts like ornaments and decorations but can also be used as packaging material to keep fragile objects safe.

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3. Lighting Up The Holidays

For various holidays one key component that adds to the excitement and magical nature of the season is the light displays. However these spectacular light expenditures come at a cost beyond that of their price tag.

During December it is estimated that 3.5 billion kWh of electricity power holiday lights across America. That is equivalent to the annual energy usage of 350,000 homes, producing 2 million tons of carbon dioxide into earth's atmosphere.

Lights play a critical role in many holiday seasons and should not be removed from our traditions. That being said they need to be used responsibly. Paying the expense on LED lights can help conserve a massive amount of energy. LED’s use 85% less energy than traditional lights, paying massive dividends not only in electric bill costs but also reducing excess greenhouse gas emissions.

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4. Gift Giving

One of the most popular ways to show your loved ones how much you care for and appreciate them is through the power of gift giving. Taking the time, effort, care, and energy to find a gift for someone that they will enjoy and cherish is one of the best ways to celebrate the holiday season. Being such a critical component of many of our holiday seasons it cannot simply be removed; but it can be done so more responsibly.

Roughly 125,000 tons of plastic packaging and 277,000 miles of wrapping paper are thrown away during the holiday season. This is equivalent to enough material to cover the entire earth 10 times. As such, not taking the process of giving gifts into a sustainable context greatly damages our environmental health. To become more sustainably conscious, while still enjoying the spectacular nature of the holidays, try giving an experience as a gift such as a sports game, a concert ticket, a vacation, a gym membership or even music classes. In doing so you limit the plastics and wrapping paper required in gift giving while providing your loved ones with a thoughtful and enjoyable experience.

Another environmental cost of the gift giving experience is the massive amount of shipping required to get you and your loved ones your gifts. This expends excessive greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere that could be avoided if people took the liberty of shopping more locally. This not only supports local communities but helps reduce extra shipping and packaging. And of course, wherever you go shopping, don't forget those reusable shopping bags.

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5. Traveling

Whether you are going away on vacation or going to see a loved one during the holiday season, traveling plays a role in the health of our environment. When traveling, pay attention to the destination and its ties to sustainable practices. Research your destination and whether or not it has received any recognition on promoting greener and cleaner humanitarian practices.

Additionally, try avoiding the massively popular destinations. This limits over-tourism which can generate lots of trash pollution and release excess greenhouse gasses during travel.

One helpful tool in making your traveling experience more eco-friendly is by utilizing an eco-friendly booking site such as Bookitgreen and Bookdifferent. This can help you find eco-friendly housing, whether it be a hotel or vacation rental, no matter your destination.

The holiday season is a time filled with love, joy, and excitement. We must not lose sight of this as these traditions provide us with experiences that will last generations. However, in a time of great environmental fragility and concern, being more eco-conscious and making our practices more sustainable is vital to ensure future generations can experience these holidays the same as we have.

Many solutions to the environmental problems addressed in this article can seem like a daunting and time consuming expenditure. Bringing sustainability into the holiday season does not require that all of these sustainable actions are met. Work towards a more sustainable future, try each holiday to make your traditions a little greener. Being mindful and eco-conscious will help us all pioneer a brighter future in which humans can more peacefully coexist with the environment.