“My name is Aimee and I use my social media to help share tips and journeys I'm taking to reduce waste. I decided to live more low waste after traveling most of my 20s. I believe you don't have to give up luxury to be more sustainable. You just make decisions with more consciousness and it lends to a better environment for your health, home, and those around you.
In my spare time, I love to travel, try new restaurants, spend time outdoors, and love visiting the beach. Golden Retrievers are my favorite dog and I love meeting new people no matter where I am! I'm most excited about the spirit of the holiday that comes this time of year. I release a gift guide every year and this year I'm focusing on gifting experiences that I can't wait to share with everyone.”
Aimee's Top 5 Tips for a More Sustainable Holiday Season
Give Experiences Over Things: Instead of physical gifts, consider giving experiences like a cooking class, concert tickets, or a membership. Experiences are memorable, and unique, and reduce waste. I know sometimes it’s hard with kids so maybe focus on taking them to do fun activities where they are making more memories together rather than tons of gifts they might not use.
Shop Locally and Support Small Businesses: Buying from local artisans or small businesses supports the community. Plus, it’s a great way to find unique, thoughtful gifts. You know who is exactly being affected by your dollar and you are uplifting your local businesses.
Choose Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap: Skip the single-use wrapping paper and opt for reusable fabric wraps, recycled paper, or even creative alternatives like scarves or newspapers. They’re stylish, eco-friendly, and can be reused so they add a fun part to your gift.
Plan for leftovers: When it comes to meals encourage your friends and family to bring a reusable container to take home leftovers. Save The Food has a really effective calculator to help you learn how much to cook for the number of people you’re having. It’s called the Guestimator and helps you track how much food you need based on the number of servings.
Properly Dispose of Decor When lighting and decor are no longer being used or work, consider properly recycling it with SWACO’s drop-off center OR if you no longer want it, gift it to a friend or family member to extend the life of it.
These are just a few great ways to be more mindful of your waste this holiday season.