How to Have a Sustainable Holiday Season (Zero-Waste Gift Guide)

trovegreenprovisio
Dec 5
3 min read

The holiday season is built on warmth, generosity, and tradition — and, unfortunately, they’re also one of the most wasteful times of year. The good news: small changes (and a few homemade gifts) can make your season merrier for people and planet alike.

Holiday Waste Statistics: Why Sustainable Celebrations Matter

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, U.S. household trash increases by roughly 25% compared with the rest of the year — that’s several million extra tons of waste over the season. Some analyses put the extra holiday waste closer to 5–5.8 million tons, driven by extra packaging, decorations, unwanted gifts, and food thrown away.

Food waste in particular is important to watch: uneaten food and other organics that go to landfills release methane — a potent greenhouse gas — so trimming food waste during holiday meals helps the climate as well as your budget. And of course don't forget to compost. Making sure you have all your supplies ready for the holiday season is a must!

EPA for holiday waste statistics

At Trove we are here to help you celebrate in style but sustainably too - joy is in the giving after all. Here is our guide to green gift giving: gifts that bring joy all year (and leave no footprint)

Practical but Fun Gifts People Use All Year

Useful every day — not single-use or fad items
Durable or consumable — something that’s used up rather than tossed.
Locally made or handmade — supports local economies and cuts shipping/packaging impact.
Packaged for reuse — containers the recipient will keep.

Practical-but-fun gift ideas (good for all ages)

Experience vouchers: local climbing gym passes, museum memberships, or a class (pottery, bread-baking, climbing clinic). No packaging waste; long-lasting value.
High-quality essentials: a wool beanie, stainless-steel travel mug, solid wood cutting board, or durable tote. Choose repairable or guaranteed items.

Seasonal toolkits: home-brew kit, baking starter set, herbal tea sampler in tins, spice kit, or a “cozy night” box with a blanket and a book from a local bookstore.

One of the gifts I am giving this year is built on a gift I got last year - a make your own gin kit. I am planning on making two bottles of gin for my parents who are visiting for the holidays. They can enjoy them while they are here and not have to worry about traveling back with something breakable.

Subscriptions: local CSA share, coffee-roaster subscription, or a seed-of-the-month club — supports local producers and extends joy through the year.

For kids we highly recommend The Toyary - a local toy rental subscription company that has a pick up and drop off spot inside Trove. You can refill your soap and your toybox on the same trip.

Handmade Food Gifts in Reusable Containers
Handmade food gifts are warm, economical, and sustainable — especially when you present them in containers the recipient will reuse. They’re perfect for neighbors, teachers, coworkers, and family.

Why they’re effective
- Edible, so unlikely to be thrown away for being “just stuff.”
- Showcase local ingredients and your time — people value that.
- Put into a reusable container (mason jar, stainless tin, fabric-wrapped box) and you cut single-use packaging waste.

If you are making something make sure to check out National Center for Home Food Preservation for canning guidance

Reusable container ideas

Wide-mouth mason jars (pint or quart): for jams, pickles, cookie mixes, granola.
Glass swing-top bottles: for syrups, infused oils, dressings.
Small stainless tins: for spice blends, tea.
Cloth wraps or drawstring linen bags: great for baked goods and reusable as produce bags.
Ceramic crocks or reusable mason-jar-style containers: lovely keepsakes.

Of course we have all these supplies at Trove and more including bamboo lids for pretty up jars.

How to Package Gifts Sustainably

Skip single-use wrapping: wrap gifts in cloth (furoshiki), reusable holiday bags, or a tea towel that’s part of the present.
Avoid foil/glitter paper: many shiny or glittered wrapping papers aren’t recyclable. Use recycled kraft paper, fabric, or plain brown paper decorated with twine and sprigs. (Sources flag much wrapping paper as nonrecyclable when glitter/foil is present.)
Use compostable tags and labels or reuse old greeting cards as tags.

Reducing holiday waste isn’t about perfection. If Americans cut back even a little — choosing reusable packaging, giving fewer but more meaningful gifts, preserving seasonal food safely, and supporting local makers — we can chip away at the 25% seasonal spike in trash and the millions of tons of extra waste each year.

Happy, sustainable holidays — may your season be full of flavor, local love, and a lot less landfill-bound packaging.