We’ve all been there: after a holiday, trash bags inevitably line residential driveways on pickup day, filled with wrapping paper, disposable plates and food waste. But with just a little bit of planning, it’s easy to almost completely avoid adding to the local landfill while saving money in the long run.

“With the winter holiday season coming up, we wanted to make sure that people are aware of these opportunities to easily reduce their impact on the environment and still hold memorable celebrations with their loved ones,” said Jill Bartolotta, Ohio Sea Grant Extension educator, who created the tip sheets with Extension educator Beth Bollas.

“Celebrating Sustainably” focuses on easy ways to prevent waste and encourages reusable alternatives to common paper or plastic items. Options range from using emailed instead of mailed paper invitations to making homemade drinks to replace single-serve bottles. Gifts can be wrapped in upcycled newspaper or fabric scarves, and limiting packaging at the point of purchase is always the best option to reduce waste.

Download the “Celebrate Sustainably” tip sheet.

Previous tip sheets also include

• Tackling Trash When Fishing, which focuses on easy ways to prevent accidental littering while out on boats or on the shoreline

• Trash-Free Trails, which points out some ways in which pre-planning your trail menu can help reduce both the weight of your pack and the impact your choices have on the parks you visit.

Additional information on how to reduce plastic pollution that can end up in Ohio waterways and harm the environment is available on Bartolotta’s profile page at ohioseagrant.osu.edu/about/people/jill-bartolotta and at ohioseagrant.osu.edu/products/bytags/marine-debris.