Hosting a Sustainable Holiday Season: Greener Gatherings for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and All Winter Celebrations

The holiday season is filled with gatherings of all kinds — from Thanksgiving feasts, Christmas celebrations, and Hanukkah traditions to Kwanzaa, Yule, Diwali, Winter Solstice gatherings, and other cultural and religious holidays. No matter what you celebrate, this time of year brings warmth, community, and connection.

It can also bring a surprising amount of waste. Disposable tableware, leftover food, gift wrap, plastic packaging, broken decorations — it all adds up.
The good news? With a few thoughtful choices, you can enjoy your traditions and keep your celebrations sustainable.

Below are simple, practical ideas to make your winter holidays — all of them — a little greener this year.

🦃🎄🕎🕯️ 1. Choose Reusable Over Disposable

Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, lighting candles for Hanukkah, enjoying a Christmas party, gathering for Kwanzaa, celebrating Yule or Solstice, or hosting a winter feast of any tradition, reusable items make a huge difference.

Swap out:

  • Paper plates → real dishes

  • Plastic cutlery → metal silverware

  • Single-use cups → glasses

  • Disposable tablecloths → washable cloths

  • Paper napkins → cloth napkins

Hosting a large crowd? Encourage guests to bring their own place setting — a charming, waste-reducing tradition across many cultures.

🍽️💛 2. Reduce Food Waste at Every Celebration

Holiday meals are a universal tradition — and food waste is one of the biggest sustainability challenges.

Tips for any holiday feast:

  • Plan reasonable portions

  • Encourage guests to take leftovers home

  • Freeze extras for future meals

  • Use washable containers when storing food

  • If using ziplock bags, rinse them and place them in the orange Hefty ReNew program bags

Thoughtful food management means less waste and more savings.

🌿🥗 3. Serve Sustainably Across All Traditions

No matter the cuisine or cultural dishes featured at your gathering, you can serve with sustainability in mind:

  • Choose reusable serving dishes

  • Buy local ingredients when possible

  • Choose recyclable packaging

  • Offer filtered water instead of bottled

  • Avoid individually packaged items

Every small choice helps reduce waste.

🎁🕯️🎉 4. Mindful Gift-Giving and Packaging

Gifting is a beautiful tradition across many winter holidays. Keep it meaningful and low-waste by choosing:

  • Experience gifts

  • Homemade items

  • Locally crafted goods

  • Gently used or upcycled treasures

  • Practical, reusable items

  • Donations made in someone’s honor

And remember:

  • Most wrapping paper is recyclable, except foil, glitter, metallic, or plastic-coated paper

  • Reuse bags, ribbons, boxes, and tissue when possible

  • Try kraft paper, fabric wraps, or newspaper for creative, sustainable wrapping

✨🌲🕎🔥 5. Decorate With Reuse and Nature

Each winter holiday comes with its own unique decorations, and all can be done sustainably:

  • Reuse decorations year after year

  • Use natural décor like pinecones, evergreen branches, oranges, spices, or candles

  • Avoid glitter-covered or plastic-heavy décor

  • Use LED lights to reduce energy use

  • Recycle broken string lights in our “Christmas Lights” bin

Even small décor choices can reduce waste and energy.

♻️🔌 6. Recycle Right All Season Long

Holiday recycling often gets confusing, but proper sorting makes a huge difference.

Helpful reminders for ALL winter holidays:

  • Clean paper and cardboard are recyclable

  • Foil or glitter wrapping paper = trash

  • Plastic bags, film, and ziplocks → orange Hefty ReNew bags

  • Upgrade electronics for holiday sales?
    Donate working items and place broken ones in our Electronics Recycling bin
    (TVs, monitors, gaming consoles, printers, fax machines, laptops, computers, vacuums)

Clear, labeled bins at gatherings help guests recycle correctly — no matter the celebration.

💚✨ 7. Share the Purpose With Your Community

Whether your holiday includes lighting candles, exchanging gifts, sharing a meal, or welcoming the new year, talking about sustainability inspires others to make meaningful changes.

Across all cultures and religions, the winter holiday season is a time of reflection, gratitude, and giving — making it the perfect moment to start new earth-friendly traditions.

🌟 Celebrate With Intention, No Matter What You Celebrate

A sustainable holiday season isn’t about doing everything perfectly — it’s about making thoughtful choices that honor both your traditions and the planet.

By choosing reusable items, reducing food waste, recycling properly, decorating intentionally, and gifting mindfully, you create gatherings that are joyful, meaningful, and environmentally responsible.

From Thanksgiving to Christmas, Hanukkah to Kwanzaa, Solstice to Yule, Diwali to New Year’s —
may your celebrations be warm, sustainable, and filled with joy.

Happy Holidays from Western Resources Group! 🎄🕎🦃✨💚♻️

WesternResources Group