Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, another holiday or none at all, the holiday season brings with it an opportunity to shift societal patterns of overconsumption to sustainable giving.  Every year around this time, mass consumption is incentivized more than usual with “holidays” like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  Sales for the holiday season are starting earlier and earlier, and consumers are taking advantage of it.  Corporations, which already have far-reaching impacts on the environment, see a dramatic sales increase during this time - Amazon alone has a 260 percent increase in usage on Black Friday each year, translating into not only more stuff in our landfills, but also more money into big businesses and more pollution with the increase in mass production and transportation.

While U.S. waste statistics are already staggering to begin with, we’re bringing this one back from last year’s holiday blog post as a reminder of just how critical it is to be mindful of waste during the holidays: from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, Americans throw away one million extra tons of trash per week.  If there is anything this year’s U.N. Climate Change Conference taught us, it is that much, much more action is needed - even with COP26 pledges, the world is currently not on track to meet the Paris climate agreement’s goal.  The good news is that each of us always has the ability to make empowering choices, especially around this time.  From shopping local to participating in “Buy Nothing,” we’ve rounded up our recommendations for sustainable holiday celebrations this year, so we can give from a place of protecting future generations and mindfulness.

Food and sustainability this season

The holidays tend to be loaded with meat and if you choose to eat plant-based like many of us, it can be an awkward time.  Family members may judge, let alone simply not understand, and it isn’t fun to be the one going hungry at a gathering.  Cultural foods that are typically made with meat can still be enjoyed, too! Below are some recipes that vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters alike will enjoy, if you have the time and accessibility to create sustainable meals that will satisfy almost everyone at the table:

• Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake from New York Times Cooking - a favorite of Hammond Climate Solutions’ Climate Justice Policy Advisor, Karinna Gonzalez

• Make it low-waste by opting for the coconut oil over canola oil, and reusing the glass jar

• Vegan Pozole from Alexa Soto of Alexa Fuelled Naturally - a vegan food blogger local to San Diego (see her website for more traditional Mexican recipes with a vegan spin)

• Make it low-waste by adapting the recipe to use fresh hominy in bulk

• The Ultimate Vegetable Lentil Loaf from the Simple Veganista and Roasted Carrot and Red Quinoa Salad from Food & Wine - two of my favorite holiday season staples

• Make them low-waste by bringing produce bags to the grocery store and shopping in bulk for quinoa and lentils!

Sustainable gift-giving guide

Selecting gifts is where it gets tough for many, but there are countless ways to reduce your climate and plastic pollution impacts with holiday shopping.  In general, we encourage shopping at local stores owned by folks from communities of concern to reinvest in the communities that are disproportionately experiencing the burden of the climate crisis.  Some of our favorite gift ideas for loved ones include:

• Opting for a no-cost, re-shared gift with the Buy Nothing Project

• Skip the expensive (and frankly wasteful) gift wrap and use grocery bags - reusable or paper, newspaper, reusable food wrap or another idea from Trash is for Tossers’ zero waste gift wrapping guide

• Give the gift of conservation by adopting an animal for a loved one, through World Wildlife Foundation’s Symbolic Species Adoption

• Give tickets for an event or museum, supporting local artists and organizations (and aim to walk, bike or take public transportation when the time comes)

• Take your significant other on a zero-waste picnic at a local park

• Purchase a visitors pass from your local aquarium or animal sanctuary to support conservation efforts close to home

• Give a gift certificate to a local zero waste shop or favorite vegan eatery 

• Our team’s favorite San Diego-based zero waste store is Earthwell Refill (which is Black-owned)

• Donate to a local climate nonprofit organization on behalf of family and friends to support activists holding corporations and Big Oil accountable

• Donate to a nonprofit news publication and earmark funds for environmental reporting

• An example for those local to San Diego like our team, Voice of San Diego is a publication that works hard to highlight local climate issues and the critical movements fighting for climate justice

• Buy zero-waste makeup products from brands like Elate Cosmetics and Antonym Cosmetics  

• Check out more gift ideas, organized by price, category and interest!

Traveling for the holidays?

Unlike last year, some of us may be traveling for the holidays this year.  With that, also comes the likelihood of opting for convenience and sometimes, not being mindful of our impact.  Here are some ways you can minimize your carbon and trash footprint if you’re planning on visiting loved ones this season:

• If traveling to multiple areas, aim for low-carbon transportation when possible

• Eat at sustainability-focused restaurants within reasonable distance - make it more sustainable by opting for local, organic, plant-based food and drinks

• Carry reusable utensils with you - if you don’t have a kit, make your own, and wrap up a fork, knife, spoon, and chopsticks if desired into a reusable napkin!

• Remember to bring a reusable water bottle - many airports have water refill stations alongside drinking fountains

• Educate yourself about the Indigenous land you’re on, wherever you may go

• Check out the Zero Waste Collective’s How-to Guide for Zero Waste Travel