FESTIVAL PACKAGING A DELIGHT OR DANGER
The joy of giving and receiving during the holidays is often tainted by a frightening evil. Amidst the twinkling lights and robust laughs, there lurks a silent (and growing) monster: festive packaging. Those shiny ribbons, colorful wrapping paper, and elaborate boxes might add to the visual appeal, but their environmental impact can cast a long shadow.
Millions of tons of festive wrapping paper and plastic containers end up in landfills each year.
Most festive wraps have glitter, metallic finishes, or laminations, making them unrecyclable in most curbside programs.
The excessive nature of this packaging style, predominantly used for aesthetic appeal, makes it not only wasteful but also expensive. The packaging drives up the price of gifts and is also thrown away almost immediately.
Additionally, the emphasis on extravagant packaging perpetuates a culture of consumerism and materialism, where the value of a gift is often equated with its presentation rather than its sentiment or meaning. This mindset reinforces socioeconomic disparities by perpetuating unrealistic standards of gift-giving that may be out of reach for many individuals and families.
Recently, waste management firm Waste Managed claimed research showed UK consumers splurged a £415m on Easter eggs in 2023, with an estimated 3,000 tonnes of Easter egg chocolate wasted each year in the UK, with packaging alone accounting for over 8,000 tonnes of waste annually.
A study by WRAP revealed that the equivalent of 3.3 million plastic water bottles worth of plastic is used to package Easter eggs in the UK, much of which ends up in landfills.
In the Indian context, Avesh Palod, director, solid waste department of the NMC, the average waste generation in the city increased from 730 tonnes per day before Diwali to 839 tonnes per day in seven days from November 6, 2023 during the Diwali festival.1
From its environmental consequences to its social implications, excessive packaging perpetuates a cycle of waste and exploitation that undermines the true spirit of the holidays. By embracing sustainable alternatives and reimagining the way we celebrate, we can unwrap a future that is both festive and eco-friendly for generations to come.
