Reduce holiday landfill contributions by donating and reusing items

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The holidays are a time of decorations, giving, and plenty of tasty food, but what can you do to reduce landfill waste from all the trash and leftovers after Santa Claus comes to town?

We have all heard about reduce, reuse, and recycle.

But how can we reduce holiday waste? Donate, get creative, and save decorations for next year’s festivities.

Some ways you can reduce waste are by donating things you have replaced rather than throwing away that old pair of jeans that are a little stretched out.

Reuse those gift bags, bows, and ribbon.

Instead of buying packaged small garbage bags and tossing those grocery bags in the garbage, try reusing grocery bags as garbage bags.

Composting is another great way to reduce landfill waste and helps water retention and plant growth.

Leftover veggies, coffee grounds, and other biodegradable items are great for composting, but avoid meats and too much fruit.

Another way you can reduce waste is simply buying things with less packaging such as fresh vegetables versus canned veggies.

“The less packaging there is to start with, the less there is to get rid of later on,” said Joey Reynolds, agriculture technician for Western Kentucky University.