Category: Reduce Reuse

The holidays bring joy and celebration but once the decorations come down, we are often left with extra materials, leftover holiday food, and items that we are not quite sure what to do with. The good news is that the days after holiday festivities are the perfect time to reset with thoughtful and practical actions that help reduce what ends up in the landfill! By extending the life of what we already have and planning with intention, we can carry the spirit of the season forward!

Here are five simple, post-holiday ideas to help you transition from festive to sustainable.

1. Repurpose holiday cards and gift wrap into craft projects or decor
Many holiday cards and gift wrap are made from paper-based materials that can be reused before putting them in your recycling bin. Cards can be repurposed into bookmarks or artwork, while wrapping paper and tissue can be used for craft projects or homemade decorations. Extending the life of these materials helps reduce demand for new items and minimizes what is ultimately sent to the landfill.

2. Store and organize reusable gift bags, ribbons, and boxes for next year
Reusable gift bags, ribbons, and boxes are intended for multiple uses but are often discarded due to limited storage or organization. Sorting and storing these items together after the holidays make them easier to reuse in the future and reduces the need to purchase new packaging materials.

3. Turn leftover holiday food into creative meals to avoid food waste
Did you know that food waste makes up a significant portion of landfill waste? Leftover ingredients can be incorporated into new meals such as broths, soups or even casseroles. Meal planning and proper food storage is a great way to help make sure that prepared food is consumed rather than discarded.

4. Learn how to compost dried-out wreaths, trees, and natural decor
Natural holiday decor, including real trees, wreaths, and garland can often be composted. Removing materials such as wire or hooks from items like wreaths helps ensure these items can be properly processed and turned into nutrient rich soil!

5. Plan ahead for next year’s holidays with low-waste traditions and gift ideas
Looking at existing habits can help influence more thoughtful decisions in the future. Planning celebrations that prioritize experiences, reusable decor, and thoughtful gifting can significantly reduce holiday waste. Taking time to plan ahead makes it easier to choose sustainable alternatives.

Small and thoughtful actions after the holidays can go a long way in creating low-waste celebrations. Repurposing decorations, saving gift wrap, and turning leftovers into new meals are simple ways to reduce landfill waste. Over time, these habits help make every holiday more sustainable.

Happy holidays and best wishes for the year ahead, from all of us at RethinkWaste!

The holiday season is a time for joy, gathering, and creating memories—but it can also be a time of excess. With a few mindful choices, you can celebrate in style and keep your environmental impact low. Whether you’re planning a festive party, preparing a big holiday meal, dressing for the occasion, or keeping little hands busy, below are simple, fun, and creative ways to make your holidays more sustainable this year.

✨ 1. Host a Low-Waste Holiday Party (Without Sacrificing the Fun)

A sustainable holiday party doesn’t have to feel like a compromise. In fact, it often feels more special because it leans into thoughtful details and intentional choices.

Use Reusables Wherever Possible

Swap single-use plates, cups, napkins, and cutlery for the real deal. If you don’t have enough, borrow from neighbors or rent from a local party-supply company. It instantly cuts your waste in half.

Offer Batch Drinks Instead of Individual Bottles

Serve punch, mulled cider, or a signature holiday cocktail or mocktails in large dispensers to avoid endless cans and bottles. Bonus: it becomes a party centerpiece!

Create a Clearly Marked Waste Station

Set out bins labeled “Recycling,” “Compost,” and “Garbage” so guests know exactly where to put things. It encourages good habits and avoids mystery bags of mixed waste after the party.

🥕 2. Sustainable Holiday Cooking & Zero-Waste Kitchen Tips

Holiday cooking can produce a mountain of packaging and leftovers—but it doesn’t have to.

Plan a Menu Around Seasonal & Local Ingredients

Winter squashes, root veggies, citrus, herbs, and mushrooms make hearty and sustainable dishes. Farmers markets often have the freshest and least-packaged produce.

Cook Plant-Forward When Possible

Even swapping one main or side dish for a plant-based option can reduce your carbon footprint significantly. Think lentil loaf, wild mushroom stuffing, or roasted vegetable tarts.

Use a “Leftovers First” Strategy

Map out how you’ll use leftovers before you even start cooking. Some ideas:

• Turn roasted veggies into a breakfast hash
• Transform turkey or tofurkey into tacos
• Use stale bread for croutons or stuffing muffins

Buy in Bulk for Baking

Flour, sugar, spices, and nuts are often available plastic-free in bulk stores. Bring your own jars or bags to reduce packaging waste.

👗 3. Sustainable Holiday Fashion: Look Amazing, Make Less Waste

Holiday outfits don’t have to be brand new to feel festive and fabulous.

Shop Your Closet First

Chances are, you already own a dress or sweater that can be reimagined with different accessories.

Consider Renting

If you want something special for a party, apps and local boutiques offer rental options that keep clothing in circulation longer.

Thrift or Buy Secondhand

This is the best way to score unique, affordable holiday looks while staying eco-friendly.

Host a Holiday Outfit Swap

Gather friends and family and trade clothes, shoes, or accessories. It’s fun, sustainable, and a great pre-party activity.

🎁 The Takeaway: Sustainable Holidays Are Happier Holidays

Sustainable holidays may sound like a lot of work, but it is worth it to help build creativity, community, and connection. By hosting a thoughtful low-waste party, decorating with nature and recycled goodies, cooking smarter, dressing sustainably, and engaging kids in meaningful activities, your holiday season becomes not only joyful but genuinely impactful for your loved ones and the environment!

As the cost of living rises, inflation increases, and consumerism becomes more rampant, many people are starting to realize that these costs are adding up and their spending habits are not sustainable. Not only that, but people are tired of the clutter it causes in their home, the amount of waste it creates, and the negative environmental impacts. As a result, two anti-consumerism and waste-reducing trends have popped up in 2025 known as “Project Pan” and “No-Buy 2025” this year and it’s still not too late to get “in” on the trend.

What is “Project Pan?”

Project Pan is a challenge created by makeup and beauty enthusiasts to encourage finishing a product to its very last drop/crumb, or in the case for makeup, until you can see the pan the makeup was in, before buying a new product. To avoid waste, this challenge especially includes using products that you didn’t like in alternative and creative ways. For example, using eyeshadow as paint or face wash as body wash.

How to Practice Project Pan:

• Use what you have!
• Avoid buying products just because you see it trending on social media
• Stop buying multiples of makeup, skincare, and other beauty products until you are completely finished with the ones you already have
• Unsubscribe from marketing emails from beauty brands
• Use products you have excess of/are not using in creative ways. Some ideas for inspiration:
  • Shampoo -> Hair brush and makeup brush cleaner
  • Setting Powders -> Dry Shampoo
  • Facial Skincare -> Body Skincare
  • Lipsticks, Eyeshadows, Foundation, etc. -> Paint

Are Beauty Product Containers/Packaging Recyclable?

Some are, but many unfortunately are not. Here is a brief guide on how to dispose of common beauty products:

Recycle empty and dry:

• Hard plastic bottles
• Paperboard boxes

If any of your beauty products still have product in them such as liquids, creams, oils, or balms, empty it out before recycling. If you cannot get the product out, landfill the item.

Landfill

• Squeeze Tubes
  • Ex. Shampoo, facial cleanser, lip gloss
• Glass bottles (This type of glass cannot be recycled)
  • Ex. Foundation, concealer, serums
• Small Plastics (less than 2-inch)
  • Ex. Lip products, concealer, mascara
• Soft Plastics
  • Ex. Face mask packets, sample sachets
• Other Common Items
  • Ex. Face masks, cotton rounds, cotton swabs, tissues, makeup sponges, pimple patches

What is “No-Buy 2025?”

No-buy is exactly what it sounds like: refraining from buying! Similarly to Project Pan, No-Buy aims to combat overconsumption and consumerism, save money, and reduce waste by encouraging people to not buy things they simply do not need. However, this challenge is not exclusive to just makeup and beauty products, it’s for everything! This includes clothing, home décor, accessories, takeout, technology, books, etc., but can exclude essential items like healthcare, groceries, utilities, housing, and transportation.

There are many online influencers who have shared videos on their personal rules for their No-Buy 2025 journey such as:

• No buying of:
  • New clothes or shoes (some even refrain from thrifting!)
  • Perfume
  • Jewelry
  • New technology or devices
  • Takeout (some allow once a month)
  • Books
  • Coffee or tea
  • Manicures or salon visits
  • Mugs or water bottles
• Using only one TV/movie streaming service
• Deleting shopping apps
• Avoiding trips to major shopping chains

All of these items’ costs can add up quickly if purchased often! For some people, cutting these everyday purchases can save thousands of dollars a year. If you’re looking for a challenge, try picking five things you can commit to this year to help save money and reduce waste. You might surprise yourself and end up resisting the purchase of more than five of these items!

While following trends usually contribute to consumerism on social media platforms Project Pan and No-Buy 2025 help promotes the opposite! Try out these cost-saving and waste-reducing trends this year and see how much of an impact it can make on your life and the environment!

With a new year approaching, it’s natural to reflect on how we can improve both ourselves and the environment around us. What better way to start the new year with some practical ways to live a more environmentally conscious and sustainable life? One overall resolution can be to reduce your waste. The opportunity to reduce our waste shows up daily in many different ways! Whether it’s our buying, eating, or everyday habits, here are seven resolutions to adopt in the new year and beyond.

1. Refuse single-use plastic

Say “no thank you” to single-use straws, utensils, cups, and water bottles. Bring your own, and revel in the confidence of having on-hand cutlery that is the safest, most hygienic, and unique option.

2. Make reusables easily accessible

One way to set yourself up for success is to make reusables as easy to grab as possible. Put them in your car, backpack, purse, or other common location so you don’t even have to think about bringing them!

3. Rent

Ever need a sewing machine, toolbox, or seasonal gear like a snowboard or kayak? Consider renting! Libraries and sporting goods stores offer rental of these big-ticket items, so that we can use them only as needed. It’s convenient and there’s no need to figure out storage after use.

4. Refill

Instead of continuously accumulating packaging, try the practice of refilling! Bring your designated container or bag to refill laundry detergent, dish soap, or snacks at stores that offer refill options. Sporting goods stores even offer small refillable propane tanks for your portable cooking needs!

5. Rechargeable batteries

While batteries play a huge part in powering the many electronics that surround us, they also pose as a hazard since they are flammable. Reduce the amount of single-use batteries and opt for rechargeable, so we can all help in reducing the risk of battery fires.

6. Support local businesses, makers, and artists

Shopping at a small business not only boosts the local economy, but also lessens our environmental footprint. Supporting a local business, maker, or artist means a higher chance of buying products that were made or sourced from local materials, which means products didn’t travel hundreds of miles to get there.

7. Reuse what you have

Chances are, we already have everything we need in order to reduce waste. Reusable utensils, a cloth napkin, a reusable water bottle – they don’t have to be the newest or fanciest, the spirit of reuse is using what we already have.

It may seem daunting to reduce the waste we create, but let’s feel inspired by the new year and take action today by choosing resolutions that will contribute to both our society and a better environment. Taking small steps slowly builds the habit so that it eventually comes naturally to say no to unnecessary things in our lives that end up as waste. Start small and try one tip at a time – it takes some trial and error to get to a place where you find what works for you. Before you know it, the year will pass and you can look back and proudly say you didn’t use one single-use water bottle the whole year, or at least lessened the amount, which is great progress!  

Happy holidays and cheers to the new year, from all of us at RethinkWaste!

Every year, billions of pounds of clothes are thrown into landfills to be buried forever. The US EPA reported that 66% of the textiles produced in the U.S. are sent to the landfill, which is equivalent to about 22.6 billion pounds. Of that amount, 18.14 billion pounds consist of clothing and footwear. This not only leads to a waste of resources, but also results in millions of pounds of carbon dioxide and methane being emitted, contributing to atmospheric warming and climate change. 

As consumerism and capitalism continue to drive our fashion choices, this pattern is likely to persist. However, as consumers we have the power to change this and divert our clothing and textile waste away from the landfills. There are many sustainable practices we can adopt instead of throwing away our old clothing, shoes, blankets, etc. 

First let’s go through some ways to reduce the need to get rid of your clothes in the first place. 

1. Avoid purchasing trendy clothes 

Clothing trends have always been around, but with the current fast fashion industry and the help of social media influencers, trends are coming and going more frequently. These are known as microtrends. Some clothing item or shoe will be trendy for 1-3 weeks, people will purchase said item, and in a few weeks when it’s no longer trendy, the item will sit in a closet before it’s thrown away or donated to a thrift store.  

To break this cycle, consider investing in timeless and classic pieces that have neutral colors and patterns; items you can see yourself wearing five or even ten years from now.  

2. Invest in high quality clothes 

Comfortability, thickness, stitching, and fabric blend are all characteristics to look for in a lasting garment.  

• Comfortability — If a garment is itchy or rough, you’ll likely not wear it very much.  
• Thickness — Thin garments will not last as long as thicker ones.  
• Stitching — Well-stitched clothes will pass the tug-test, which is when you tug on stitching and buttons to make sure it won’t fall apart.  
• Fabric Blend — A blend of cotton and polyester allows for the softness and breathability of cotton and the durability and wrinkle resistance of polyester.  

3. Repair clothes 

Have a hole in a pair of jeans, sweater, or t-shirt? Don’t throw them away! Repair them! Take your garments to a repair shop, tailor, or learn how to repair your clothes yourself. We live in a time where we have access to a wide variety of resources to help repair our clothes, from online tutorials to community center classes. Consider even asking friends and family if they know how to sew and if they can help.  

4. Properly take care of clothes 

According to the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), 32% of people always read the care instructions, 42% sometimes read the instructions, and 23% rarely or never read the instructions. If you’ve bought a brand-new garment or pair of shoes, chances are that there is a label with care instructions on it. Following these instructions will ensure the longevity of the clothes you spend money on. Here is a guide from the ACI on how to read the fabric care symbols on the tags of your clothes! 

Now that we’ve gone over how to reduce textile waste and how to make sure clothes last, here are some ways to reuse unwanted textiles/clothing instead of sending them to the landfill.   

1. Upcycle textiles/clothes 

Give your textiles another life by upcycling them into a new garment or textile. A pair of jeans can become a skirt, a t-shirt can become a tote bag, a sweater can become a pillowcase. There are so many creative ways to upcycle what you have. Find ideas online to inspire you; the possibilities are endless.  

2. Donate to a women’s/family/unhoused shelter 

Instead of donating to a thrift store, try donating to a shelter for unhoused individuals. Not everybody has money to buy clothes, so donating clothes to a shelter is a great way to make sure your clothes are going to people who need it.  

3. Donate textiles to an animal shelter 

There may be animal shelters in your area that will accept old towels, blankets, etc. to keep some fur babies warm! Call your local shelter to check their needs. 

4. Host a clothes swap with your friends and/or community 

Swapping clothes is a fun way to not only part with unwanted items, but also receive new-to-you clothes, all while avoiding sending them to the landfill! 

These are some of the many ways we can extend the life of our textiles and prevent them from being buried in the landfill forever. We hope these tips are insightful and helpful in your textile waste reduction journey! Let us know if you use any of these tips! 

A new year naturally allows for us to reflect, reevaluate, and rethink how we can live our lives more aligned with the values we hold. Resolutions usually revolve around what we can add into our life in the new year, whether it’s more exercise, healthy foods, reading, etc. But what if we rethought how we conceive resolutions? Instead of always making goals to add more into our lives, what about creating goals that remove things from our lives, especially ones that aren’t serving us or our planet? In turn, we might even live a life that feels fuller.  

Below are three resolutions that can help you both curb consumption and limit waste as we head into the new year: 

Replace single-use plastic with long-lasting alternatives 

While banning single-use plastic water bottles has been the focus in the waste world for years, there are many household items that can be replaced with non-plastic alternatives. This process, while important, can also be overwhelming; our world still operates with a lot of plastic in it and replacing it can be seen as time-consuming and expensive. It doesn’t have to be though! An accessible way to tackle replacing plastic in your home would be to approach it starting room by room.  

1. Start with a smaller room, like a bathroom, and write down what plastic items you could replace with an alternative material.  

2. Once all the items that can be replaced are recorded, use what you have at home, look for items you can refill, or shop secondhand for long-lasting alternative items that are made of glass or metal. Fun fact: glass and metal can be recycled an infinite number of times!
   
   Tip: A great place to find reusable items are at refill shops or the bulk section of a grocery store to eliminate the plastic packaging. Some local refill stores even deliver reusable household items to your door! 

3. Once finished with one room, move to the next and repeat until all the rooms of your house have been accessed and updated with non-plastic or reusable materials.  

Through this process, you can make your house full of more sustainable options at your own pace.

Swap clothes with friends and family 

While buying secondhand or thrift shopping is a great way to acquire new clothes, unfortunately a lot of clothes that are donated to thrift shops still make their way to the landfill. One way to add new pieces to your wardrobe is to hold clothing swaps with your friends and family. Continuously hold these throughout the year by adding them to birthday parties or get-togethers as a fun activity. It doesn’t require much preparation either! Just a table and a clothing rack if desired.  

1. Encourage everyone to bring 5-10 items 

2. Lay items on a table or hang them on a clothing rack 

3. Have people throughout the party “shop” around and take new-to-them articles of clothing 

4. After the event is over, whatever is still left can be donated to a local thrift store or charity that is accepting donations.  

This practice will lessen the amount of clothes that are donated while also giving the clothes that were swapped a new life with your friends and family! Plus, it’ll be fun to see them rock some of your old wardrobe in a new way! 

Eat vegetarian once a week 

It’s been well-documented that raising animals for human consumption contributes heavily to methane gas being released into the atmosphere, which is raising the average temperature of our planet. While going vegetarian or vegan is not possible or healthy for everyone for numerous reasons, it’s easier and more accessible to commit to not eating meat once a week, rather than cutting meat out completely. This idea was popularized a few years ago in the media, with it being called “Meatless Mondays.” It might be intimidating or confusing at first to start making meals without meat, but it’s possible with small steps! Start by making your favorite meals and substituting meat with meatless options, such as tofu, tempeh, or soy meat; you can also create dishes that focus on highlighting vegetables, grains, and legumes. This article is a great place to start if you are looking to be inspired for vegetarian recipes.  

While these three sustainable new year’s resolutions can help you curb consumption and limit waste, there are so many ways one can be more sustainable in one’s daily life. The world of sustainability can be overwhelming at times, with the pressure to be perfect or to never waste a single item. But the goal of sustainability isn’t to be perfect – it’s about slow, small changes that will be long lasting. For small steps turn into ripples, ripples turn into waves, and waves make big changes!  

Happy New Year from RethinkWaste! 

You may have heard a lot of buzz recently about “Right to Repair” policies in California, and all around the world. Typically, this refers to laws which require manufacturers to provide documentation and resources available to the public that allow for third-party repair of electronics or appliances. Right now, with many complex electronics and appliances, there are two options available to people when it breaks down.  

1. Send your item through the manufacturer’s repair program and wait weeks (sometimes months) for them to fix the item.  

2. The item gets landfilled. When a manufacturer doesn’t have a repair program or repair is too costly and time-consuming, options are limited. 

You may have noticed this in your own life. In many instances, it is more expensive to repair electronics and appliances than it is to toss it into the landfill and purchase a new one! Not only is this option not environmentally friendly, but it is also costly to constantly purchase new items. How does “Right to Repair” aim to solve this? 

Take SB 244 (Eggman), the “Right to Repair Act,” which recently passed the State Legislature in California and awaits the Governor’s signature before October 14, 2023: 

“It is the intent of the Legislature to provide a fair marketplace for the repair of electronic and appliance products and to prohibit intentional barriers and limitations to third-party repair.”  

SB 244 aims to do this by requiring manufacturers to provide documentation, service and repair facilities, and parts available to “third-party repair” shops, like your local mechanic or electronics shop. Right now, manufacturers have a monopoly over parts. For example, even if your favorite local electronics shop had the know-how to repair your children’s toys, they often find it difficult to purchase the parts to do so. The only way to get those parts is to contact the manufacturer, which most likely doesn’t sell those parts. By forcing manufacturers to make those available, we can lower the cost and barriers to repairing our products, and thus keeping them out of the landfill! 

Now, the title of this post is “Why Right to Repair is Crucial to the Circular Economy.” What exactly is circular economy? Here is what the European Union defines circular economy as: 

“A model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.” 

As an organization, RethinkWaste is committed to the ideals of circular economy. We recognize that landfills are not a renewable resource, and we should all be stewards of our environment. Right now, about 54% of our waste is still headed to a landfill, rather than being recycled.  

At RethinkWaste, we fully support a world where all appliances and electronics are repaired, recycled, and repurposed. According to CalRecycle, electronics are becoming increasingly complex and specialized, making it difficult to recycle. As a result, many of these products may not be recyclable and may become improperly disposed of. To stop that from happening, the best method available to us is extending the life of our products, and thus reducing the source of our waste. The “Right to Repair” law is one step in the right direction. Let’s keep moving forward to create a system where low-cost repairs are accessible, equitable, and easy to do!  

Sources: 

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB244

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/economy/20151201STO05603/circular-economy-definition-importance-and-benefits

https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/PublicNotices/Details/2347