Let's Rethink Waste
Community Ideas Hub
This Ideas Hub features tips, resources and other suggestions shared by community members as part of the Rethink Waste Think Tank to help all of us reduce household waste.
Changing our habits to think differently about purchases, avoid unnecessary waste and find ways to reuse and recycle products contributes directly to positive outcomes like reducing reliance on raw materials. Ultimately, it's about shifting to a circular economy, where the materials we use stay in circulation to be used, reused or repaired, and recycled multiple times into new products.
Check out these great ideas from our community.
 Ideas to reduce single-use items |
 Ideas to Repair Household Items |
 Ideas to sell, trade, donate and share |
 Ideas to Reduce Food Waste |
 Ideas to rethink and repurpose items |
 IDEAS TO REDUCE HOLIDAY WASTE |
Ideas to Reduce Holiday Waste
Gathering
- Host virtual parties to save on gas and materials.
- Carpool or take public transportation to holiday events.
- Make your dinner party a container party, ask guests to bring reusable containers to take home leftovers so nothing goes to waste.
- Volunteer your time together.
Gifting
- Donate to a person’s favourite charities as a gift.
- Learn a new skill or share your talents and give a lesson as a gift.
- Reduce wrapping by giving gifts like subscriptions, memberships, online gifts and gift cards.
- Suggest a ‘no gift’ Christmas and choose experiences to do together as families and friends.
- Try ‘White Elephant’ or ‘Santa Sack’ this Christmas, to give a single gift rather than multiple gifts.
- Thrift your gift or Shop thrift stores, online marketplaces and sites like “Buy Nothing” to give second hand items as gifts.
- Shop local and support local artisans.
- Bring your own cloth bag when shopping for food or presents.
- Gift or re-gift your possessions that you feel someone else may enjoy, find useful or meaningful.
- Give ingredients for soup, cookies or potpourri as gifts.
- Turn wrapping paper and gift scraps into unique Christmas cards.
Decorating
- Use paper scraps and fabric to make to make homemade ornaments.
- Decorate a potted plant as your Christmas tree.
- Switch to LED lights to use less energy.
- Bring your old lights or electronics to the Richmond Recycling Depot.
- Borrow or swap holiday decorations with neighbours and friends.
- Knit or sew your own decorations.
Wrapping
- Use an item like clothing or a dishtowel as wrapping – it’s two gifts in one.
- Save and reuse wrapping supplies from birthdays and other holidays.
- Use cloth bags and save them for future years.
- Use old bedsheets, scarves or shirts with funky patterns to wrap gifts.
- Give a gift in a plastic or glass container, add a note for the person to reuse the container when the product is finished.
- Repurpose and decorate a box to wrap gifts in, no wrapping paper necessary.
- Use clippings of old Christmas cards or scraps of wrapping paper to make gift tags.
Eating
- Create a holiday meal plan to help buy less food and reduce food waste.
- Freeze leftovers, label properly and use for future meals.
- Avoid single-use items like plastic cutlery, straws, plates and cups.
- Choose food items with less packaging or avoid pre-packaged food.
- Share extra food with friends and family.
- Give food, desserts and homemade canned items as gifts.
- Compost holiday food scraps and use them in your spring garden.