SCRANTON, Pa. -- With the season for gift giving also comes the time of year when we generate a lot of extra waste.
"This season, from Thanksgiving forward, we create 25 percent more waste in general than the rest of the year, so we're talking millions of extra tons of waste," Lackawanna County recycling coordinator Barbara Giovagnoli said.
The key to curbing the uptick in waste is to think about sustainability.
There are a lot of ways to stay sustainable this holiday season, from what you're buying in the stores to what you're putting those gifts in.
"Think about something that is durable, something that is reusable, not something that will be immediately used and disposed of," Giovagnoli said. "Most people are very used to gift bags now and you can get them all over the place. They are used and used and used, rather than buying wrapping paper, get a gift bag."
You can skip waste of any kind by using creative wrapping.
"Another thing folks might want to consider is wrapping a gift with a gift such as a hand towel being used instead of wrapping paper."
Giving something like a family photo is likely to be hung up for years and for the kids on your holiday shopping list.
"Key on my list, also, especially with all the toys and gizmos that will be coming, are rechargeable batteries and rechargers," Giovagnoli said.
Those are just a few things to get you going. For more sustainable ideas, check out Lackawanna County's recycling site.