- On average, recycling 1 ton of recyclable household materials saves enough energy to power 36 homes for one month.
- Purchasing a live Christmas tree is more environmentally friendly than purchasing an artificial one that lasts for 10 years. It is even better if it is sustainably and locally sourced without pesticides and herbicides.
- Americans collectively throw away an extra 1 million tons of garbage WEEKLY between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Go to: https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/eco-friendly-holiday-tips for ways to do your part to reduce your waste during the holiday season.
- Approximately 1.5 billion cards are sent over the holiday season in the U.S., which requires 300,000 new trees to be harvested per year. Consider sending electronic Christmas cards instead.
- The night before Thanksgiving is one of the top 3 nights of the year to order pizza. Pizza boxes are recyclable, but only if they are not contaminated with food or grease. Rip the top of the box off to be recycled and throw bottom away or compost it if that is an option for you.
- Holiday lighting consumes over six TW of energy per year, which is equivalent to the total monthly energy consumption by around 500,000 homes. Be sure to use LED lights to save 90% of the energy over incandescent lights.
- Shopping locally not only helps the local economy, but is often more environmentally friendly if products are locally sourced and since you drive a shorter distance. For further distanced shopping trips, online ordering may be better as long as you don’t choose expedited shipping.
America Recycles week facts
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