Huge rise in household waste over holiday period
There are many holidays around the end of the year. These involve parties, family get-togethers, and the giving of gifts. However, celebrations for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the New Year can create a lot of trash. The USA's Environmental Protection Agency estimates that household waste increases by 25 per cent over the holiday period. Miriam Holsinger, co-president of Eureka Recycling, urges us to carefully separate what we throw away. She said: "It really does make a difference if you just take a little extra time to put those boxes and those bottles and cans in the blue bin." Engineering professor Dan Hoornweg said we should avoid producing waste as much as possible in the first place.
Various experts have reported on how best to deal with holiday waste. Professor Hoornweg advised people to be aware of and follow the recycling policies in their town. He said different places have different rules. Ms Holsinger asked people to be careful when they throw away things like electronics, toys, and Christmas lights. Other experts also offered great advice. One said it was good to think ahead to reduce waste. She said one idea was to buy "experiences over stuff". This means buying someone a ticket to see a play or concert, instead of buying a present that comes in lots of packaging and a cardboard box. She also recommended giving people digital cards and gift cards.
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Chat
Talk about these words from the article.
holidays / end of the year / family get-togethers / celebrations / waste / recycling / experts / rules / electronics / toys / advice / experiences / concert / carboard box
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True / False
1) The article says there are a dozen holidays around the end of the year. T / F
2) A US agency says we produce 25% more waste over the holiday period. T / F
3) A recycling expert says we should put cans in the green recycling bin. T / F
4) The article says the USA should be in first place for waste reduction. T / F
5) All towns have the same recycling policies. T / F
6) A professor urged caution when throwing away electronics. T / F
7) An expert said it was better to buy people experiences than stuff. T / F
8) The expert said it was a good idea to buy digital gifts. T / F
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Discussion
What do you think of the end-of-the-year holidays?
What do you do at the end of the year?
How has this year been for you?
How much trash do you produce?
What difference does separating trash make?
What extra waste do you create over the holiday period?
How can we avoid producing waste?
What is your advice regarding recycling?
