By Alfred Twu
As winter approaches, a natural question to ask is, "What are more eco-friendly ways to celebrate the holidays?" Of course, the first R of zero waste is Reduce — buying less. However, when buying less isn’t an option and we’re still looking for a physical gift, there are many ways to keep the environment in mind.
The second R of zero waste is Reuse. That’s right — the greenest product is not the organic item made from recycled bottles; it’s the used item that already exists. While online shopping has generated mountains of packaging waste, it has a silver lining: it has made it much easier to buy and sell used products. The energy cost of shipping and packing a product is far smaller than the energy used to make it. Freight transport uses about 10 percent of energy in the US, versus industry, which uses 33 percent, and that’s not even including imports.
Meanwhile, in-person shopping can help us avoid the next major R of the zero-waste holiday season: Returns. Due to the high cost of sorting, checking, and restocking products (some of which might already be discontinued), many retailers have been caught throwing away returns that are in perfectly good shape. By purchasing in person, we can ensure we’re getting the correct items and lower the chance of returns, keeping usable goods out of the trash.
This brings us to our last R for the sustainable holiday: Roads. Research found that over 1/5 of the energy in the product life cycle of clothing is “Consumer Transport” — people driving to the store. Here in the Bay Area, we’re fortunate to have many shopping destinations easy to get to by walking, biking, or riding public transit. This holiday season, consider ditching your car while you do your shopping!
If you’re interested in other ways we can reduce the impact of holiday shopping, get involved with our Zero Waste Committee! Currently, club members are working on reducing the impact of online shopping. In Marin County, Carolyn Lund has drafted a Reusable E-Commerce Packaging Ordinance that is modeled on systems in South Korea and Europe where deliveries are sent in packaging that is later picked up for reuse. To get involved in projects like this, reach out to Alfred Twu at alfredtwu@gmail.com.