Public Works

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and you’re probably still looking for that perfect gift.  So this year, instead of one more gewgaw or bauble, consider something different.  Show your appreciation to your friends and family and also keep the health of the planet in mind by choosing low waste gifts.
“The holidays are a time when we generate at least 25% more waste then we do the rest of the year,” Madison strategic initiatives coordinator George Dreckmann said.  “But, it is possible to have a low waste holiday season without being a Grinch.”
Instead of giving consumer goods, give the folks on your gift list an “experience,” such as tickets to a blockbuster movie, a thrilling sporting event, or a soul-stirring concert or performance.  Gift certificates for a massage or a meal at a favorite restaurant are also great low waste ideas.  Another valuable alternative is to give the gift of your time and labor.  Consider offering to babysit, doing household chores, helping organize family photos, or offering to drive friends who do not have a car.  Also consider other gifts that will help your friends reduce their waste year-round, such as cloth shopping bags, rechargeable batteries, or compost bins.
 
When it comes to holiday parties, we often plan for “convenience” and that generates considerable waste.  Every year Madison’s refuse jumps over 100 tons after the holidays. 
“Paper plates, plastic cups and cutlery make for tons of extra waste every December,” Dreckmann said.  “Using china and silverware reduces waste and adds sophistication to your holiday entertaining.  And consider all the energy needed for a plastic fork.  Oil must be extracted from the ground, then shipped to a refinery, turned it into plastic, shaped like a fork, trucked it to a store, and then brought home – and that fork will only be used once? Washing your silverware is a much, much greener alternative.”
After the gifts have been given and the meals served, remember to recycle as much as you can.  Cardboard boxes can be recycled in your green cart and so can most wrapping paper.  The City also operates a drop off program for Styrofoam and used cooking oil recycling. 
To assist you in greening your holidays, the Streets Division has a website with many, many suggestions on how you can brighten the holidays while you lighten your waste output.  You will find ideas for low waste gift giving, entertaining, and decorating.  The information can be found at http://www.cityofmadison.com/streets/refuse/holidayWaste.cfm.