A Low-Waste and Last-Minute Christmas

Every year my holiday season seems to go faster. This means each year I end up with at least a few things that I need to do last minute for the holidays. Unfortunately, last-minute and low-waste don’t usually go hand in hand, but if we pause, we can make a few choices that help take off some of our holiday stress without adding to the landfill.

Last minute gifting can be stressful and often means you end up giving something less than perfect that ends up in the giftees garage for years. Choosing the right gift certificate can help prevent this however. Do you know the giftees favorite salon, restaurant, or shop? These can be a fast way to a great, thoughtful gift.

You can also consider gifting experience gifts. Some favorite nearby experience gifts I have given over the years include tickets to local theaters such as the Artistic Civic Theatre and the Dalton Little Theatre, tea experiences at the Tennessee Valley Railroad, and tickets for the Just Jump Trampoline Park. There are so many fun experiences to be had nearby so you can choose one that matches the interests of your gift recipient. These types of gifts are easy to get last minute now as most of them can be purchased online and they also ensure you aren’t accidentally gifting clutter.

If you are trying to decorate last minute, don’t try to fill up the whole house. Pick one or two spots in your home and let them stand out. Try and use what you already own to cut down on waste. You may already have candles that can be lit, holiday mugs that can be used to throw some greenery in, or a Christmas scarf that can be repurposed as a table runner.

With just a few craft supplies of paper and tape you can create paper holiday décor at home in an evening making it a fun holiday activity and giving you some extra decorations without a store run. You can cut and put up paper snowflakes, use a magazine and fold the pages in to create a paper Christmas tree, or string up Christmas cards you’ve received. The best thing about this type of décor, is that you can recycle it after.

To add to the holiday magic last minute, you’ll want to add some activities that warm up your heart and have you feeling the season. Try having a family game night with games you already have. You can light candles, put on some soft holiday music, and have your favorite holiday treat while you play. There’s no need to go buy supplies for a new activity and this can easily be thrown together last minute. You can also stretch your legs and take a walk around a neighborhood to look at Christmas lights, just make sure to dress warm. This won’t cost anything, gets you moving, and can be done at any point in the holiday season.

When you have to throw things together last-minute, cleanup can often be the last thing on your mind, but it is important to not forget or it will just add to the holiday stress. Instead, make sure you have a box set aside for holiday recycling of cardboard and wrapping paper and remember that glittery or metallic wrapping paper will need to go in a trash bag. Live Christmas trees, string lights, electronics, and cardboard will be recyclable at the Bring One for the Chipper event on January 3rd at the Home Depot on Shugart Rd from 9 am to 12 pm so set those aside to drop off all at once.

A last-minute Christmas gives us a chance to have a simplified Christmas and, by making a few smart choices, we can make sure that it stays low-waste too. If you are feeling the holiday stress this year, remember to take a deep breath and remember that Christmas is about our connection not about our consumerism and you still have the power to create a wonderful holiday for yourself and your family.

Amy Hartline is the recycling and education program coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. Have a recycling question? Contact her at (706) 278-5001 or ahartline@dwswa.org.