7 Eco-Friendly Holiday Tips

We love the holidays (gathering, eating, appreciating) and Planet Earth (mountains, water, trees, life as we know it...). So this year we're on a mission to make our favorite traditions a little more earth-friendly. Here are our 7 tips to help you have a waste-free holiday season and score some extra points on the Nice List.

Checkbox USE THE LEFTOVERS

Leftovers are the ultimate holiday magic. Make turkey scrap soup, toss the last veggies in a quiche, turn old rolls into croutons... sky's the limit.

Checkbox LESS IS MORE

The less stuff, the more sustainable your holidays. Forget individual presents and organize a White Elephant gift exchange or Secret Santas, or give experiences instead of things.

Checkbox GIFT SUSTAINABLY

If you're gonna gift, make it a sustainable gift. Look for brands that give back (check the 1% for the Planet directory), items that are durable and useful, and things made responsibly (ahem, we happen to do all three).

Checkbox USE YOUR DISHWASHER

Fill it up and run it. Most dishwashers use about 3 gallons of water, while washing the same amount by hand could use 10x that amount. Save water, drink whiskey... We mean, use a dishwasher.

Checkbox DITCH THE WRAPPING PAPER

Sad fact: Wrapping paper isn't recyclable. So do whatever you have to do to avoid it. Here's a nifty guide to Furoshiki, the Japanese art of fabric gift wrapping.

Checkbox RE-GIFT IT

Yeah, we said it. We're totally okay with re-gifting and you should be too. Think of it as a circular holiday economy.

Checkbox SHOP LOCAL

Buying local is a gift to all. It supports the community, cuts back on packaging, and keeps your carbon footprint low. Find a Toad&Co retailer in your neck of the woods and have a happy, environmentally friendly holiday!