Whether it’s a hideous sweater, a book you’ve already read, or an odd little knickknack, you’ve probably received at least one holiday gift that you just didn’t want. You might try to regift or donate these items, but chances are you’ll end up throwing them away.
Americans spent around $15.2 billion on unwanted holiday gifts in 2019, and 4% of them ended up in the trash, according to a survey by finder.com and Pureprofile. This year, even more presents might end up in a landfill this year, as the National Retail Federation predicts a record-breaking holiday shopping season: Sales could jump 8.5 to 10% higher than last year and potentially rake in $859 billion. Not only is this trend bad for our bank accounts, but the environment is also worse off.
“We definitely see an influx of waste throughout the holidays,” says Jeremy Walters, community relations manager for recycling and waste disposal company Republic Services. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, household waste usually increases by about 25% and equates to about 1,000 extra pounds of trash, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It’s safe to assume a significant chunk of that rubbish is gift waste.
