Wrap Up the Holidays with Zero Waste!
The holidays are a time for feasting, decorating, and celebrating. But they also bring an abundance of waste. With some mindful planning, you can keep the season festive and Missoula strong. Every effort to reduce, reuse, and recycle will have a huge positive impact on the health and resilience of our community.
Where is Holiday Waste?
In the Kitchen
Those marathon cooking sessions don’t just fill many bellies—they generate veggie peels, fruit scraps, coffee grounds (thank you caffeine), and other nutrient-rich goodies for the soil. You will be surprised how many food scraps go into a bin if you place it in your cooking area so make sure to have one next to you.
When it comes to enjoying the meal, aim to use reusable servingware. If this is not practical for your big gathering, try compostable alternatives. Paper plates and compostable servingware can simplify cleanup while staying eco-friendly and don’t forget that dirty napkins and uneaten food (on your plate) can all be tossed in the compost!
You can purchase compostable serving ware from our shop.
If you feel confident shopping for compostables in the sea of options, please first inform yourself about compostables here.
Then, when the celebration is over, make the most of your leftovers. Those who planned ahead may have less, others may have a full week of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Either way, don’t let the best part of big meals go to waste. See below for some ideas on what to do with all your leftovers and remember, there are lots of steps we can all take to lessen waste in the kitchen, while eating, and after meals.
In the Décor
Seasonal décor sets the mood for the holiday season and creating decorations like jack-o’-lanterns, natural wreaths, and Christmas trees make the season feel special. While there are options for plastic products to celebrate the season, especially here in Montana there is nothing quite like the real thing. It's tradition to carve pumpkins and hunt for the perfect tree because these activities bring us together in ways store-bought items cannot. Spending the day with friends and family, drinking hot cocoa, and trudging through the snow to find the perfect tree is an activity that cannot be forgone.
All these natural decorations that bring joy into our homes can find a second life in the compost bin. Missoula is already off to a great start with Halloween pumpkins! So far this season, Missoulians have composted over 8,000 lbs of pumpkins with Missoula Compost collections and Soil Cycle drop-off events. If we keep this up through the holiday seasons, no matter what you're celebrating, we will have made a huge positive impact on the health and resilience of our community.
In the Yard
The leaves have checked out for the winter season! Falling like confetti, this beautiful debris feeds and protects plants and soil. While too much coverage can cause harmful mold and spores, leaving a small amount as a warm winter coat for your grass might not be the worst idea. The city is coming around to collect excess fallen leaves. However, if you have a few stubborn trees that are holding on to their leaves for dear life, or you missed the clean-up deadline, you still have options! Call us for brown paper lawn bags and on-time collections or drop material off yourself at Garden City Compost.
If you need a one-time pick-up, please use paper lawn bags, BPI-certified compostable lawn bags, or a regular ol’ bucket to contain small debris for easy collection. Request a collection here!
Members can simply put extra material next to their compost bin on their regular pick-up day.
Whatever your plan, please, don’t send yard waste to the landfill. The trees spent all season growing those beautiful leaves, let’s do our part by giving the earth back nutrients so it can continue to bloom.
Zero-Waste Fundamentals
These fundamentals make it easy to remember methods to reduce waste. To achieve a zero-waste holiday, focus on first reducing, then reusing, and finally recycling. This concept maximizes waste prevention in any resource conservation goal.
Reduce Overall Waste
According to the U.S. EPA, household waste increases by 25% each year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s—that’s about 1,000 extra pounds of landfilled resources and avoidable waste per household nationwide! Modern wrapping paper may look fun and festive but it’s really nothing more than a sheet of cheap microplastics on fibers that are too weak to recycle. Plan mindfully with gift wrapping, gift giving, home decor, and food preparation to limit your household waste. Read on to learn tips and tricks for reducing overall waste.
Reuse to Reduce
Wasting resources impacts the environment. When we carelessly throw material out, we are not just wasting the thing itself, we are wasting all the resources that went into it. Every item has environmental and economic costs from manufacturing, preserving, and shipping. Reckless disposal of natural material contributes to 16% of U.S. total methane emissions and costs over $165 billion annually. Focusing on reusing items as long as possible is ideal. Get creative this holiday season, and challenge yourself to reuse as much as possible whether it be reusable gift bags, repurposing jars as glassware, or making a fun craft for yourself and the family with bits and bobs from around the house.
Recycle to Recover
The last step in waste reduction is recycling and the recycling we focus on here at Missoula Compost is, of course, composting; nature's way of recycling! Make sure to keep what cannot be reduced or reused out of the landfill. Any resources that go to the landfill are lost and cannot be recovered. Do good by the earth and send resources back to the soil to build a strong foundation that fosters new growth to fuel our resilient community.
Methods to Reduce Holiday Waste
Highlighted text in this section are links to other sites that contain helpful tips and tricks to make the most of (and the least waste) this holiday season. Make sure to check them out to find the best ways for you to incorporate zero-waste into your holidays!
Reduce Food Waste
Plan Ahead
Use meal planning to avoid over-preparing. For help, check out the Catering Planning Meal Guide to determine portions. (The second page is most helpful)
Use Leftovers Creatively
Cook meals that can be repurposed into new dishes. Share leftovers with guests to lighten your load.
Here are 10 Top Tips to Leftovers.
Compost in the Kitchen
Keep a compost bin close at hand when preparing food and available to guests during dinner. Capture uneaten food at every step to maximize waste reduction.
See the Missoula Compost Guide to learn what can and cannot be composted in Missoula.
Reduce Gift Waste
Buy Thoughtfully:
Purchase holiday cards that are sustainable. We love the kind with seeds embedded in the card
Invest in fewer, higher-quality gifts that are meaningful and long-lasting
Look for environmentally friendly gift wraps or even reusable fabrics. You can also use freely available materials like paper bags or newspapers to wrap gifts. Natural ribbon substitutes like burlap, jute, raffia, and twine are beautiful, can often be reused, and are compostable at the end of their lifespan.
We love using fresh or dried flowers and greenery from Habitat Floral to add a festive pop of color to neutral compostable papers.
Reuse Materials
Sometimes, natural items just don’t cut it for the holiday you're used to. That's okay, focus on reuse. Save gift bags, ribbons, and bows for upcoming celebrations. Also, try to purchase more durable items to ensure usefulness year after year.
Be mindful to cut any material as large as possible for maximum reusability.
Compost Natural Materials:
You planned ahead and wrapped your gifts with natural materials! Your thoughtful gift is opened and cherished. Now it’s time to dispose of the wrapping. Remove any tape or stickers used. Ensure your zero waste efforts are complete by composting material that cannot be reused.
Reduce Décor Waste
Choose Durable Décor:
Opt for items that can be reused for years. Determine durable items by considering material quality, quality of construction, ease of repair, and customer satisfaction with the company. Also remember, just because it is more expensive, does not necessarily mean it's a better product.
Get Creative:
Repurpose existing items or use natural materials like plants from your yard to build natural wreaths, ornaments, and other holiday decorations.
For some inspiration, here are 40 Clever Ways to Reuse/Repurpose Everyday Items.
Compost Seasonal Décor:
You celebrated with natural material! Respect what you harvested by composting. Cut flower arrangments, dried flowers, garlic knots, natural wreaths, Christmas trees, poinsettias, burlap, raffia, jute, and other natural materials are all compostable.
Consider planting a new tree in the Spring to replace the one that got to celebrate the holidays with you.
Continue Learning!
Home Resource - Zero Waste Holiday Lunch & Learn
Wednesday, November 20 from 12-1 pm - Sorry for the late notice!
Home ReSource is hosting a Zero Waste Holiday Lunch & Learn. They will offer tips and tricks to Missoulians about Zero Waste Holiday ideas. Home ReSource will provide free lunch to participants in our Community Room. We will be there to address any composting questions.
Missoula Food Bank
Participate in Can the Cats, November 9-23rd, by donating food or funds.
Learn more about food rescue options and the effects of food insecurity. Businesses like Bernice’s Bakery, The Catalyst Cafe, and UM Corner Store support food recovery. Feed the people, then feed the soil.
Food Waste Prevention Week - April 7-13, 2025
Food Waste Prevention is a national movement dedicated to reducing food waste, supporting a healthier environment, saving families money, and addressing food insecurity in our communities. We are stoked to have them partner with the city of Missoula to help educate our community about food waste causes, effects, and prevention. Learn more about food waste prevention here.
I Value Food - Join the Challenge
I Value Food is a segment of Sustainable America, an environmental non-profit organization. Their mission is to make the nation’s food and fuel systems more efficient and resilient. Through broad public education, they work to reduce oil usage and increase food availability in the United States. Check out their website for a host of tips and tricks to reduce food waste. I Value Food: Too Good To Waste.
Small Steps Toward Big Change
No effort to reduce waste is too small. Plan ahead, get creative, and be mindful of how you dispose of items. If zero waste feels daunting, start with simple steps that work for you. Change happens bit by bit, and your effort can inspire others so we can grow toward positive change, together.
Challenge yourself to try something new this holiday season, and most importantly — have fun while doing it!
Your friends at Missoula Compost
