AP file photo

ALPENA — Christmas is a time to spend with family and friends, but it is also a time of consumption and materialism.

Meag Schwartz, founder of Great Lakes Great Responsibility, says that there are alternative ways to celebrate the holidays without contributing to excess amounts of material waste in our environment and effective ways to practice sustainability.

According to Schwartz, community members can reduce the amount of waste that enters our environment this Christmas season by not purchasing “unnecessary gifts” that are shipped from other states or countries, plastic decorations, or excessive amounts of food wrapped in plastic packaging.

“It is the biggest shopping and spending time of the year,” Schwartz said. “Instead of giving an item … purchase experiences.”

Schwartz suggested that community members should try purchasing memberships, classes, or concert tickets for loved ones. She also suggested giving homemade gifts that will be fully consumed.

“Homemade jams, sweet treats, simmer pot ingredients … something that isn’t part of the plastic ecosystem,” she added.

Schwartz said that it has become normal for people to reuse gift bags year-after-year. She suggested using newspaper to wrap gifts and using twine instead of plastic ribbon. She also said it is best to avoid decor and wrapping accessories that contain excessive amounts of glitter.

When decorating, Schwartz said that thrifting is a “great way to acquire new decorations” without buying them every year. She said that thrifting is also a good way to re-gift items.

As a potential gift idea, Schwartz said that giving “togo bags” — which can include a reusable mug or water bottle, metal straws, or reusable cutlery — can be a gift to encourage people to consider sustainable practices without “pushing that on people.”

She suggested including educational materials that teach the importance of sustainability.

For festive get-togethers, Schwartz said to be “mindful of food.”

Schwartz said that “plastic is unavoidable” when it comes to purchasing food items, so she suggested to not “go crazy” and consider how one may avoid purchasing an abundance of food items that are individually wrapped.

She stated that investing in local farmers is a good alternative, as well as potential gifts for friends and family.

“I would love a quarter of a cow as a gift,” Schwartz said.

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.