10 Ways You Can Make Your Holiday Season More Eco-Friendly

The temptation to use plates and silverware that you don't have to wash after hosting a holiday party is a big one. Instead, commit to using real dishware and utensils. With so many helpful hands around, cleaning up will be a breeze and you'll avoid the giant, unnecessary waste that comes with single-use items.

Plants require little to no gift-wrapping and even do their own little bit to purify the air. Plus, that vibrant greenery in the home is sure to be a welcome presence during the Winter months.

In the same vein as dishware, resist the urge to use paper napkins and instead give your guests a cloth napkin. One easy run through the wash and those napkins are good as new. If you don't own cloth napkins, the holidays are a great time to buy some! Pick up a cute holiday print or grab a solid color for all-year use. You'll be able to use them time and time again instead of filling up a landfill with one-use napkins.

Who doesn't love getting Christmas cards? But instead of sending paper cards that will only be tossed out after the holidays, try using Paperless Post. It's a great way for your friends and family to feel like they're opening a card without the pollution of having it delivered by mail.

If you're looking to add some new ornaments to your Christmas tree, try making them out of salt dough. You can even add essential oils to add a lovely aroma to your home. (Bonus: while you make some for yourself, you can also make some for gifts. Each ornament will come with a story to tell baked right in.)

Whether it's concert tickets, museum tickets, airfare, or some other occasion, tickets can be a great present that fits your loved ones unique interests without requiring shipping or wrapping. Also, a lot of ticketing is done electronically now, which saves even more paper!

Arranging a secondhand-gift exchange is the perfect way to encourage others in your family to become more minimal. Part of the fun of thrift shopping is discovering hidden treasures that may be decades old, and changing it up with secondhand gifts is a fun way to shop that's also good for the environment.