8 Handy Tips For A Sustainable Harlem Holiday

Making a list of how to green your Harlem holidays? Here are some of our favorite tips and events to cure the post-holiday blues.

1. Sending cards?

Try e-cards or look for greetings made with recycled content (the more post-consumer content, the better). Include a note with your cards that they can be donated for reuse by sending to St. Judes Ranch for Children, where they will be repurposed into greetings for 2016. Other types of occasions are needed as well, so save those December birthday cards!

2. Giving gifts?

Show some style when shopping by bringing your own reusable bags. Choose minimally-packaged items made with recycled content and give items that will be treasured, not thrown out before the next holiday season. Consider giving experiences, homemade and vintage gifts. Find new joy in old favorites that are broken or need refreshing with Pop Up Repair. Get hundreds of toy-free gift ideas for a more meaningful holiday here and here. Remember to wrap it recyclable by using old newspaper, paper gift wrap, paper gift bags or reusable bags and containers that keep on giving all year.

3. Preparing a holiday meal?

Look for items in recyclable packaging and buy minimally- or non-packaged fresh produce, like that from Greenmarket. Composting your vegetable trimmings is made easy with collections at select Greenmarkets and other drop-off sites. Prevent waste by making small changes such as using recyclable aluminum foil rather than plastic wrap for food storage. Serve your masterpiece on reusable plates and offer guests reusable flatware, glassware and napkins.

4. Stuck with clean up duties?

Wrapping paper, gift boxes, cardboard and other paper packaging can go out with other paper recycling (remove tape, ribbons and other decorations).  Eggnog cartons, wine bottles, olive containers, cookie tins and hard-to-open rigid plastic packaging are easy to recycle alongside the rest of your metal, glass, plastic and cartons.  If your collection day falls on Christmas and New Year’s Day, here’s when to set out recycling, garbage and organics (if participating).  Block Styrofoam and foam peanut packaging are not recyclable, but alternative paper packaging can be included in your recycling pile.  Styrofoam peanuts can be reused, and cornstarch peanuts can be composted.  For those so inclined, even corks can be recycled—find drop-sites here.

Post-Holiday Recycling Events to Cure the Winter Blues

5. Recycle Your Tree.

If you’re putting up a real tree for the holidays, plan to chip in at MulchFest on January 10 & 11!  Trees (cleaned of stands, lights, tinsel and ornaments) will be collected and recycled into mulch for NYC parks at designated sites from Jan 3-11. Bring your own bag to select sites and take home mulch for your yard, garden or street tree. Find citywide drop-off sites and mulch pick-up locations here. If you miss MulchFest, the city will pick up trees (also stripped of ornaments, etc) curbside from January 4-15, barring any snow disruptions.

6. Recycle Unwanted Electronics.

When upgrading or unloading electronics, the curb is longer a disposal option.  Find recycling resources here and check in with the Lower East Side Ecology Center, which runs the Gowanus E-Waste Warehouse in Brooklyn and hosts “After the Holidays” e-waste collections in all five boroughs.

7. Loosen Your Drawers.

Clear out ill-fitting, outdated and otherwise unwanted clothing and other textiles (even the stuff you spilled cranberry sauce on at the holiday party) and bring them to one of GrowNYC’s weekly collections for reusable and recyclable textiles.

8. Swap Your Stuff.

GrowNYC’s Stop ‘N’ Swap® is the ultimate re-gifting party. Bring reusable items to share (portable items only) or simply bring a tote bag or two to take home things you can put to reuse. Unstuff your home at our swaps of 2015 on December 5 and 12 in Queens, and check back for winter swap dates and locations at GrowNYC.org/swap.