According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans produce more than five million tons of trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. That’s 25 percent more than we generate in a typical five- or six-week period.
To reduce your load, consider shopping online classifieds or thrift stores for “gently used” gifts. Sites like Oodle, Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist offer hundreds of gently used items — without all the new packaging and waste.
When searching for a recycled or gently-used gift, it’s helpful to have a general idea of what you are looking because there are millions of items to search from. Great deals on tickets, ski gear, vintage clothing — even jewelry abound. It’s a bit like shopping a very large virtual garage sale - but then again, browsing is half the fun.