Sustainability for a Greener Holiday Season
The holidays are here and we wish you a season of joy, restoration and togetherness. We’ve pulled together a resource guide to help you celebrate in a sustainable and eco-friendly way. Be creative this holiday season, join your neighbors for upcoming sustainability events, gain mindful meal planning ideas, and be festive through sustainable gifting inspiration to help you go green — though not quite as green as the Grinch!
Committing to the Five R’s
Reduce your environmental impact by incorporating the Five R’s of Sustainability into your holiday celebrations.
- Refuse: Looking for the perfect holiday present? Mix it up and choose a service based gift over a good (e.g. spa days or foraging tours). Also decline single-use plastics, such as disposable cutlery or plates.
- Reduce: Minimize waste by buying only what you need for holiday meals and choosing gifts that create minimal packaging.
- Reuse: Be artistic by repurposing old or used materials for decorations or gift wrapping.
- Repurpose: Instead of tossing old holiday ornaments, consider saving them to make ornament wreaths or decorative wind chimes.
- Recycle: Properly dispose of recyclable materials and encourage others to do the same.
Mindful Meal Planning
Planning holiday meals in advance can be a pleasant experience to help you prepare for visiting loved ones and is a great opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment. Be sure to plan out with a menu in advance and make a shopping list to avoid buying excess food. Or try using the guest-imator online tool to help you plan portions and guess how much food will be needed for your holiday meal. Visit the City’s Zero Waste Holiday page to learn more and read our tips below.
- Start Early: Begin planning your menu for Thanksgiving or other holiday meals now — don’t wait. This will give you ample time to create an intentional shopping list and stock up only on the ingredients you need. Speaking of stock, save poultry bones to make your own delicious homemade stock this year. Perfect for gravy and glazed shallots, homemade stock not only repurposes the bits, but it also helps reduce packaged good waste.
- Plant-Based Options: Mix up traditional menus to incorporate more plant-based vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Not ready to commit to a whole Tofurky? No worries, check out these vegan inspired Thanksgiving recipes to give your feast a healthy and colorful twist.
- Seasonal Shopping: When grocery shopping focus on local and seasonal produce. Avoid packaged foods and items with high sugar content. Also be sure to visit Downtown Palo Alto’s Saturday farmer’s market to support local businesses, and maybe commute there on bike or foot to reduce your carbon footprint.
- Upcycled Festive Atmosphere: You’ve planned your menu and set your guest list, now it’s time to think about decor. Get creative and upcycle household items to set the perfect table. String together some dried citrus slices and spices for a fragrant garland or even paint old jars to make lanterns for a warm glow.
Sustainable Gifting
Perfect gifts can also be sustainable! Give unbeatable memories by searching for gifts that waste less and are service based like a massage, surf lessons or a local food walk. If you do choose to gift a good, pick presents made from recycled or eco-friendly materials like linen and wool. Don’t forget to shop local and support Palo Alto businesses. When you’ve found the perfect gift, be sure to use a reusable gift bag, fabric bags or recycled paper for wrapping — always avoiding single-use plastics accents like bows and metallic wrapping paper. Instead, think of using leaves, dried flowers or even old jewelry to decorate. Visit the City’s Zero Waste Gift Ideas page to learn more or get inspired with these less wasteful present ideas:
- Yoga class packages or memberships
- Winter ice skating classes
- Cooking or baking classes
- Guided medicinal plant walks
- Be a tourist in your own city with an electric bike tour
- Plant cuttings from your garden
- Preserved fruits and veggies from your latest harvest (e.g. lemons, oranges, limes, persimmons)
- Homemade baked goods like pumpkin pie or holiday cookies
- Tickets to the Nutcracker at the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, more info here
- Give the gift of giving with the City’s Holiday Toy Drive
Local Sustainability Events
Rain Garden Workshop | Saturday, November 9 | 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM | Rinconada Library
Join us at Rinconada Library in for this Rain Garden Workshop on Saturday, November 9 from 12 to 1 p.m. Discover how rain gardens enhance your yard while playing a vital role in urban stream restoration. This hands-on class will teach you how to site, plan and build your own rain garden. You can also learn about available rebates for Palo Alto residents and businesses and enter to win a free rain barrel. Space is limited so sign up today.
Foothills Family Nature Walk | Saturday, November 9 | 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM | Foothills Nature Preserve
Join Environmental Volunteers at Foothills Nature Preserve for a family-friendly nature walk, guided by EV docents. Good for ages 6 and up; all children must be accompanied by an adult. Learn more and register here.
The Enchanted Garden Panel Discussion | Sunday, November 10 | 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM | Palo Alto Art Center
You won’t want to miss this panel discussion on Sunday, November 10 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Palo Alto Art Center about panelists’ research interests and personal ties to plants and designed, racially integrated neighborhoods in Palo Alto and the San Francisco Bay Area. Panelists include Alexis Madrigal, co-host of Forum on KQED, Nanosh Lucas, Ph.D. candidate grassroots, multiracial housing cooperatives and Kija Lucas, visual artist and Lisa Ellsworth, Director of Development and Strategy at Minnesota Street Project Foundation. Register here.
Edible Water Wise Gardening Webinar | Wednesday, November 13 | 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM | Zoom
Want to learn how to reduce water needs for seasonal vegetable gardening? On Wednesday, November 13 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. you can join the Edible Water Wise Gardening Webinar to learn about planting from seeds or starts, compost, cover crops/green manure, watering and organic techniques for maintenance. Register for this webinar here.
Climate Protection Working Group Meeting | Wednesday, November 13 | 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM | Hybrid: Zoom & Palo Alto City Hall
Join us for the next Climate Protection Working Group Meeting of the Climate Protection Ad Hoc Committee to discuss the EV Charger Needs Assessment Study. This will be a hybrid meeting, with an in-person opportunity in the Council Conference Room on the Palo Alto City Hall ground floor (behind the Community Meeting Room) and a Zoom option. Learn more here.
Plant Design Workshop with Kija Lucas and Amanda Luu of Studio Mondine | Sunday, December 8 | 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM | Palo Alto Art Center
Looking for ways to spruce up your holiday table with sustainable décor? Then this plant design workshop on Sunday, December 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Palo Alto Art Center is for you. Join Kija Lucas, visual artist, for a walkthrough of her artwork on view as part of the GROW! exhibition. Then, learn how Lucas and floral designer Amanda Luu, of Studio Mondine, each approach composition, scale and color in their work. In this workshop you’ll also learn basic “flower mechanics” before transforming plants and other materials into your own tabletop design. RSVP for the event here.
King Tides Walk | Saturday, December 14 | 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM | EcoCenter
Join Environmental Volunteers in a fun, interactive learning experience which will teach you about what King Tides are and why they are exciting! The event will include a brief hands-on science talk about the tides, and then a gentle walk through the Baylands. Highest of the high tides is at 10:30 a.m. Walks go on rain or shine. Be prepared for some wet trails and maybe some puddle-jumping. Learn more and register here.
Household Hazardous Waste Station | Various Days | Various Times | 2501 Embarcadero Way
Need to clean up your cabinets or garage before that holiday party rolls around? The Household Hazardous Waste station is open on various days throughout the holiday season to help you get rid of expired medication, paints, solvents, cleaners, pesticides and more. Be sure to check for holiday closures and times. Learn more here.
More Online Resources
City of Palo Alto Sustainability
Sign up for the Sustainability Newsletter
More details on the City’s Zero Waste Reduction
