Celebrate Sustainably: 5 Ideas for an Eco-Friendly Holiday at Home It's the most wonderful time of the year. But for many families with festive plans and hectic schedules, it's also the most wasteful. According to one survey, for example, 60% of respondents admitted to throwing away more than usual during the holiday months as they filled up their trash bins with uneaten food, wrapping paper, gift bags, and commercial packaging. 1 The reality is, Americans routinely toss about 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than at any other time of year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2 In fact, we throw away so much ribbon during the holidays—around 38,000 miles’ worth—that the discarded material could easily run more than one and a half times around the Earth. 3 As our holiday schedules grow busier, many of us also forget to take simple steps at home to shrink our carbon footprints or prepare for a more energy-efficient winter. Luckily, it’s not t...