Tis the season to create 25 percent more waste than we do during the rest of the year.
As we merrily march through our Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s celebrations, unfortunately, society will add a greater load to our landfills, with much of it coming from the boxes, wrapping paper, single-use decorations, bags, toys and extra packaging materials that accompany our festivities.
At Encina, we are working to build a waste-free future with a sustainable way to create circular chemicals so that the products we use, even around the holidays, can be recycled, reused and remade into new consumer products. Ideally, over and over again.
However, we also know that consumer choices play a big part in how society reduces, reuses, and recycles. In that spirit, we’ve taken a look at some ways we all can be more thoughtful about impacts on the planet this holiday season and how we can work together to create a more circular society.
Wrapping paper
Americans use 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper annually, mostly during the holidays. That requires about 17,000 barrels of oil, creating around 16 million pounds of carbon dioxide. Some gift wraps contain plastic and end up in a landfill each year. Adding a little something extra to your wrapping such as a bow or ribbon? These often end up in landfills as well with low recycling rates.
While our innovative solutions can help to address these waste streams in the future by transforming them into circular chemicals for reuse, it’s still important to consider more sustainable options. Next time you are looking for materials consider recyclable or reusable wrapping paper, decorative craft paper, newspapers, or recycled fabric. For something a little extra, consider natural cotton ribbon or hemp twine.
Greeting cards
According to Hallmark, more than 1.3 billion Christmas cards are sent each year in the United States. Many of them are glossy and covered in glitter – which is really just ready-made microplastic – so they can be hard to recycle. If you send greeting cards, avoid the glitter and gloss and look for those made with recycled paper.
Rethink gifts
Companies that make everyday items from electronics to sporting goods to consumer packaging are among those that can rely on Encina’s technology to move toward a circular economy. Our proprietary advanced recycling technology processes waste streams sustainably by diverting end-of-life plastics from landfills and incinerators and converting them into drop-in quality ISCC+-certified chemical building blocks, which our customers can use to make new products
While we tackle that end of the equation, consumers can help with decarbonization by rethinking the gifts they buy. Instead of disposable plastic stocking stuffers or gifts with large amounts of packaging, perhaps try a homemade option like baked goods or a knitted blanket. Also, a gift of experience – tickets to a concert, play or sporting event– won’t end up in a landfill
Tree choices
The real vs. artificial debate continues to rage. Consider these facts about artificial trees. An artificial tree has three times more impact on climate change and resource depletion than a real one. With a lifespan of six to nine years, the trees are eventually destined for landfills. If you use an artificial tree try to use it for as long as possible.
The wisest choice is a tree that’s real, bought locally and then recycled. Real trees don’t require the intensive carbon emissions that it takes to produce and ship fake ones. For every Christmas tree harvested – about 25 million to 30 million a year – one to three seedlings are planted the next spring. Once the season is over, real trees can be recycled. More than 4,000 local Christmas tree recycling programs nationwide serve the needs of their communities by using trees to make mulch, prevent beach erosion and create fish habitats in lakes.
The shifts toward new and more sustainable packaging, gift-giving and holiday traditions will continue as companies innovate to meet their sustainability goals and consumers become educated on their choices in the marketplace. Encina is excited to be a part of the momentum to decarbonize the global chemicals industry and be the leader at making end-of-life waste streams the start of something new.
We wish you joy in whatever holidays you celebrate and hope that you can celebrate with a bit more circularity in mind each year.