During the holidays, families share meals around the table, exchange gifts around the tree, and travel around the world to visit loved ones.  However, they may not consider the unapparent yet drastic increase in greenhouse gas emissions and unsustainable waste that often pairs with the holiday season.  Each year, during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year, household waste increases by over 25 percent, which contributes to an extra one million tons of landfill waste, according to abcnews.go.  This increase is mainly from wrapping paper, shopping bags, and food waste, which decay and produce greenhouse gases in landfills, according to newschannel5.com.  Car, airplane, and cruise travel to deliver gifts or visit family also contribute to more pollution during the festive season, according to gdrc.org.  I spoke with Ms. Alyson Tockstein, Upper School Science Teacher, and Isabella (Izzy) Nedder ’27 to explore the environmental repercussions of the “most wonderful time of the year” and how people can celebrate sustainably.

Featured Image by Caroline Gammon ’26

Music used with permission for educational purposes: “Feeling of Holiday Cheer (instrumental)” by Emma Wallace