Did you know that Americans throw away 25 percent more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period than any other time of year? The extra waste that we accumulate during the holidays amounts to around 25 million tons of garbage or about 1 million extra tons per week! From holiday lights that no longer work to an absurd amount of wrapping paper and cardboard boxes, to the colossal piles of food left on the table after the Thanksgiving meal, the excess waste at the end of the year comes with a serious environmental cost. 

This short article takes an in-depth look at where the excessive amounts of holiday waste come from. We then offer a few succinct strategies for reducing our holiday waste. Finally, we explain why Junk King of Worchester is the best company to help you sustainably get rid of the excessive holiday trash that you accumulate. 

Where Does All Our Holiday Waste Come from? 

Driving through a residential area during a late December day, one might find that most homes have a small mountain of trash waiting to be picked up at the end of their driveways or in front of their garages. Like every worker, however, most municipal trash collection companies give their workers a few days off during the holidays. The result is that many municipal waste collection companies find that they simply don’t have enough trucks to get rid of the enormous amounts of trash that accumulate during the end-of-year holiday. 

Where exactly does all this trash come from? Consider the following statistics: 

• – Each year, Americans discard an estimated 38,000 miles of ribbon, or enough to wrap around the planet. The vast majority of this is consumed during the holidays. 
• – Almost 30 million Christmas trees are also thrown out in late December or early January each year. This bulky source of organic waste presents a serious challenge to trash removal companies, many of whom refuse to pick up Christmas trees after the holiday season has ended. 
• – One recent estimate finds that approximately 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper are produced in the U.S. each year and that about 2.3 million pounds end its life in landfills.
• – Around 2.65 billion Christmas cards are sold and mailed each year in the United States. This amount of cards could fill a football field 10 stories high. By sending just one card less each year, we could save 50,000 cubic yards of paper.
• – Even though Christmas lights are classified as e-waste, around 500 tons of Christmas lights are discarded in the UK each year. That number is probably much higher in the United States where reliable statistics are hard to find. 
• – Around 40 percent of food in the United States is wasted, and $293 million in food waste is generated during Thanksgiving alone.

How to Reduce Holiday Waste? 

So what exactly can we do to reduce our environmental footprint during the holidays? Here are a few simple ideas that will allow you to continue to enjoy the holiday spirit while reducing the amount of trash we generate. 

• – Purchase a live Christmas tree that can be planted after the holiday season ends. Instead of releasing greenhouse gasses by decomposing trees, a live Christmas tree will continue to pull excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it grows. This is also a great way to remember Christmases’ past. 
• – Use old newspaper for wrapping. Opening presents is a special part of the holiday season. Instead of purchasing one-time use wrapping paper, consider saving old newspapers throughout the year. It might not look as nice, but it will cut back on waste. 
• – Invest in high-quality LED holiday lights. Cheaper options for holiday lights almost inevitably break down after one year of use. To reduce waste, consider purchasing a better quality light. LED holiday lights are often more durable and will reduce your electricity bill during the holiday season as well. 
• – Don’t throw away your leftovers. Food waste that is sent to local landfills is a major source of methane emissions. Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gasses driving global change. If you simply can´t eat all the leftovers, consider setting up a composting operation in your backyard. Not only will this cut back on your waste footprint, but you´ll also benefit from rich compost to help fertilize your flower garden next spring! 

The Most Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Way to Get Rid of Your Holiday Waste 

Even if you reduce your holiday shopping sprees, plant your Christmas tree in the backyard, and compost all of the leftovers from holiday meals, it is almost inevitable that you will still end up with an enormous amount of excess trash once the New Year rolls around. The holidays are a time for sharing and coming together, and even for the most environmentally conscious family, a bit of waste is essentially unavoidable. 

So what exactly can you do with those piles of holiday trash, supposing you don’t want to simply send them to our already over-burdened landfills? Enter Junk King of Worcester County. We are the leading junk removal service in the region, offering full junk removal services to residents of the towns of Acton, Agawam, Arlington, Ashburnham, Belmont, Chicopee, Framingham, Grafton, Lancaster, Lexington, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Springfield, Townsend, Waltham, Westborough, and Worcester. They also service areas as far away as Boston and Middlesex. 

We can help residents, homeowners, and business owners in Worcester County get rid of your junk and bulky holiday trash in an environmentally friendly manner. Whether you have a small mountain of opened boxes, bows, and wrapping paper, or have dozens of old holiday decorations that you need to get rid of, we can help you get rid of virtually everything and anything that is not classified as hazardous waste. 

Our professional junk removal technicians will do all the heavy lifting and hauling. In most cases, we can help you get rid of your junk in under an hour so that you can get your home or business cleaned up after the holidays and back to some semblance of normal. 

We are also proud to say that we are one of the only full-service junk removal companies that goes the extra mile to keep your holiday trash out of the area landfills. We have developed an extensive network of relationships with recycling industries, thrift stores, donation centers, and others to ensure that the vast majority of your holiday trash is either recycled, donated, or repurposed. We are proud to say that at least 60 percent of all the junk we pick up stays out of our area landfill. 

To get an estimate, you can call Junk King at 1-888-888-5865 (JUNK). You can also send us a text message with a picture of the holiday trash you need to be removed at 1-737-888-5865. After you receive and accept the free estimate for the junk removal at your home or business, you can pick a 2-hour window for us to come and help you get rid of your junk in an efficient, environmentally friendly, and timely manner!