City Of Davis: 10 Ways To Green Your Holidays

Press release from the City Of Davis:

December 02, 2021

Here are a few tips that can help you green your holidays and reduce holiday waste.

1. Green your Tree

There are a lot of factors to consider when looking for the best tree for your Holidays. Aside from what type of tree (Blue spruce or Douglas fir or Noble fir? The choices!), have you ever wondered what would be the best environmental choice? Do you look for a live Christmas tree, a cut tree or an artificial tree? Here's a look at the factors to consider when choosing your tree.

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Whichever tree you choose, keep this in mind:

• You cannot compost a tree that has been flocked. Flocking is a way to make your tree looks like it is dusted with a light power of snow. While it may be lovely, it can also contribute to litter as the flocking falls off during transport or disposal. Cut trees that are flocked with any kind of plastic, foam or paint cannot be composted and are not accepted in yard piles or in organics carts.
• Cut trees (that have not been flocked) can be composted after the holidays. Remove the lights, ornaments, tinsel and tree stand and place the tree in your organics cart (the lid must close). Smaller Christmas trees may be able to be placed in the organics cart as is. Larger trees may need to be cut in half or have the branches trimmed in order to fit into the cart.
• Larger trees can be placed in On-Street Yard Material Piles: Remove the lights, ornaments, tinsel and tree stand. Cut trees over 5 ft. tall in half (trees should not be larger than 5 feet in any direction) and place Christmas trees on the street for collection with other yard materials. Please note that yard material piles (and Christmas trees) may only be placed on the street 7 days before a scheduled pick-up. The Yolo landfill also accepts Christmas trees for free composting from December 26 - January 15.

2. Give the gift of experiences (don’t buy stuff)

If you are looking for gifts for the holidays, instead of buying stuff, give the gift of an experience. Local restaurant gift certificates, County, State or National Park Passes, day trips to a special place, etc. You can also consider giving a subscription to a useful service (CSA “farm box” subscription, audiobook memberships, online magazines or newspapers, etc.).

3. Make your own gifts (use your own stuff)

Show off your talents and give a gift you make yourself, like homemade or decorated soaps, knitted, crocheted or sewn scarves, hats, blankets, etc., hair clip décor, reusable snack bags, custom t-shirts (iron-on decals), and more!

4. Think outside the box. (Don’t wrap stuff)

If you do give physical gifts, instead of traditional wrapping paper, choose reusable ways to conceal gifts, such as reusable gift bags or reusable shopping bags. Baskets and reusable boxes work well too.  You can make your own recycled gift wrap out of newspapers, reused wrapping paper, or single-sided paper (just color or paint on the blank side). Beautiful cloth napkins can be a gift and a gift wrap all in one!

5. Buy local food and save the leftovers

When planning your holiday menu and shopping, choose locally grown food for the freshest fruits and vegetables. Farmers markets and U-Pick farms are great places to find fresh food while supporting local agriculture and businesses. Choosing locally grown food eliminates the negative environmental impacts associated with shipping food long distances.

Got leftovers from your holiday meals? Freeze what you might not use right away. You can also make soup with leftovers. An assortment of meats and vegetables leftover from a holiday meal can be the start of a great soup or stew!

6. Keep fats, oils and grease out of the drain

With all the extra cooking we may be doing, be sure to avoid sewer back-ups by disposing of used cooking oils and fats properly. Although they might seem like liquids when you're done cooking, fats, oils, and grease can solidify when poured down the drain, building up on the walls of sewer pipes and blocking the plumbing, which can lead to sewer backups in homes, onto streets, and into local waterways. Pouring hot water or soap down the drain will not help - it can only break up the grease temporarily.

Got excess of fats, oils and grease after cooking? Soak up small amounts of cool, hardened fats and grease with paper towels and place in the organics bin. While it is not a hazardous waste item, you can recycle liquid oils and grease (that do not harden) for free at the hazardous waste drop-off at the Yolo County Landfill, every Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m. Visit YoloCounty.org for more information.

7. Reuse, recycle, then compost

Try to minimize waste during the holidays by using reusable dishware, recycle waste whenever possible, compost organic waste that’s not recyclable, and label waste bins clearly so there’s no guesswork in what goes where. Remember that paper plates, cups and napkins can all go in the organics cart! 

8. Turn down the heat

Turn the thermostat down a few degrees, and keep curtains open when there is sunlight to naturally warm your home. Cooking yummy holiday food can make a room a little toasty. If it gets too warm, open a few windows and enjoy the fresh air instead of running the air conditioning.

9. Use less toxic items

Try using baking soda, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or castile soap for natural and less toxic cleaning. Choose rechargeable batteries to power up your electronics instead of toxic single-use batteries. Visit OurWaterOurWorld.org to find less toxic and natural ways to manage household and garden pests.

10. Check for pesky (and possibly expensive) leaks

With cooler weather and rain (hopefully!) on the horizon, irrigation systems are typically shut off or dialed back for the winter months. Now is a good time to use the City's online customer water use portal, AquaHawk, to check for potential leaks around the home. If you are not already registered, go to SaveDavisWater.org for registration information.

After registering or logging into AquaHawk, potential leaks can be identified by looking for signs of continuous water use. Single-family residential properties typically will have some hours of zero water usage, especially during the nighttime hours.

If you see continuous water use in AquaHawk, check the appliances and fixtures in and around your home including toilets, pools, spas, and irrigation systems. After making any changes or repairs, check the next day in AquaHawk to see if that continuous nighttime use drops to zero.

The Using AquaHawk to Assist in Finding Leaks PDF available at SaveDavisWater.org has more detailed information on checking common appliances and fixtures for potential issues.

More green holiday tips are available at DavisRecycling.org.

This press release was produced by the City Of Davis. The views expressed here are the author’s own.