Create Memories Not Waste

The City of Edmonton encourages you to reduce your holiday waste this season. It may be a time of celebration with elaborate meals, gift exchanges and festive decorations But there are still ways you can cut down on holiday waste  and help the City achieve its goal of diverting 90 per cent of residential waste from landfill.

Here are some tips on how to reduce your holiday waste:

• Provide memory-making experiences as gifts, like tickets
  to a concert or sporting event, or a family outing to a City attraction.

• Give gift certificates for your special skills such as haircuts, child minding or household repairs.

• Rethink the way you package your presents: consider using scarves, festive flyers or cookie tins. Reuse wrapping materials and decorations from last season.

• Avoid food waste: plan your food in advance, freeze left-overs and donate unopened treats to the food bank.

• After the holidays make sure you recycle boxes, paper (including all non-foil gift wrap), plastic and glass containers, cans and aluminum trays.

• Keep gift bags, tissues and bows to reuse next year, or donate them the City’s Reuse Centre.

• Make sure to drop off your old electronics at the Eco Station and donate that festive sweater to charity.

Edmonton’s household waste doubles for the two weeks following December 25. Help reduce waste this holiday season by thinking of innovative ideas and sharing them on social media using the hashtag #wastelessholidays.

Visit edmonton.ca/wastelessholidays for more information.