With only 34 days between Thanksgiving and New Year's, everyone is scrambling to purchase and wrap gifts, write out holiday cards, bake up a holiday cookie storm and ring in the New Year.

But even with a shorter holiday season, Americans will still manage to throw away 25 percent more trash than any other time of year.

So how do you combat that statistic? There are several opportunities for you to do your part.

• One way is to simply remember to recycle. The holidays are a busy, hectic time, but keep up with daily recycling of cans, newspapers, bottles and cardboard. Find out what can go into your recycle bin, both in the office and at home. Encourage everyone in your family and at work to recycle!
• Much of our additional holiday waste comes from food. Big family meals, numerous parties and dinners out are a typical way of life for many Americans during the holiday season. To do your part, and limit what goes into the landfill, consider forming a Food Waste Collection program at home or at the office. Meat scraps and bones, fruit peels and food-contaminated items like napkins, paper plates and pizza boxes can be put into a composter.
• The holidays are a big time for people to upgrade their electronics. And since certain electronics like televisions, laptops, cellphones and other computer accessories are all banned from landfill disposal, it's a great time to take your old and unwanted gear to an electronics recycling drop-off center. Many communities host them regularly, or you can bring out-dated or unused electronics to a designated electronics recycling drop-off centers. This will ensure your device is properly recycled.

With just a few extra steps, you can have a happy and responsible holiday. And because you are doing your part to keep the Earth healthier, there are sure to be many happy New Years to come!

For more information on recycling or to purchase recycling receptacles, contact Fibrex Group. Work. Play. Recycle.

greenbaypressgazette.com

The Royal Netherlands Embassy and Yksi Design will host a pop-up exhibition showcasing more than 50 examples of sustainable and social Dutch Design. The Netherlands Embassy and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines invite the public to a pop-up exhibition at the embassy on December 14 that showcases sustainable Dutch Design.

Whether it’s a groundbreaking approach to protect the land from flooding or developing innovative products for the future, the Netherlands is known for its pragmatic yet innovative approach to design. The pop-up exhibition “ReUse, ReTouch, ReDutch” will feature more than 50 examples of sustainable and social Dutch Design that can be seen in everyday life.

The exhibition includes the work of globally known Dutch designers who turn discarded old materials into something completely new. Come take a look at Piet Hein Eek’s famous scrapwood designs or the chairs made from old rags designed by Tejo Remy and René Veenhuizen. The exhibition also features hats made out of human hair, baskets out of used flip-flops, and 3D-printed chairs from used refrigerators.

Sustainable Dutch design is also about finding new ways to tackle some of today’s most salient ecological challenges. The alarm clock Marieke Stap designed uses the power in our soil to function. Dopper is an alternative to plastic bottles, helping to put a stop to plastic waste threatening the world’s ecosystem. In a time of increasingly extreme weather, the Senz umbrella is designed in such a way that it can withstand 100 km/h winds.

Each of these designs are examples of how the innovative spirit in the Netherlands can improve the lives of people around the world by incorporating sustainability in the products they use daily. The pop-up exhibition is designed by Yksi Design, one of the founding organizations behind the Dutch Design Week.

This event is free and open to the public, and will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Netherlands Embassy, 4200 Linnean Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20008. Check out the event on Facebook, and invite your friends.

Purchasing gifts?

Show some style when shopping by bringing your own reusable bags. Choose minimally-packaged items made with recycled content and give items that will be treasured, not thrown out before the next holiday season. Consider giving experiences, homemade and vintage gifts. Remember to wrap it recyclable by using old newspaper, paper gift wrap or a nice paper gift bag. A reusable bag or container is the gift wrap that keeps on giving. Check out these creative gift wrap reuse ideas.

Preparing a holiday meal?

Look for items in recyclable packaging and buy minimally- or non-packaged fresh produce, like that from local farmers markets. It’s always preferable to buy local! Compost your vegetable trimmings on your own.  Prevent waste by making small changes such as using recyclable aluminum foil rather than plastic wrap for food storage. Serve your masterpiece on reusable plates and offer guests reusable flatware, glassware and napkins.

Sending cards?

Try e-cards or look for greetings made with recycled content (the more post-consumer content, the better). Include a note with your cards that they can be donated for reuse by sending to St. Judes Ranch for Children, where they will be repurposed into greetings for 2015. Other types of occasions are needed as well, so save those December birthday cards!

Recycle Unwanted Electronics.

If you're upgrading or unloading electronics, don't send them to the landfill! Look up recycling resources in your community or see if you might qualify for an e-waste collection after the holidays.

Loosen Your Drawers.

Clear out ill-fitting, outdated and otherwise unwanted clothing and other textiles (even the stuff you spilled cranberry sauce on at the holiday party) and bring them to a thrift store or donate them to a local church.

Having a holiday party?

Order some special  event recycling bins from the Fibrex Group to collect all of those aluminum cans and glass bottles that you might otherwise discard. If your waste hauler accepts them at the curb, you’re set. If not, take them to a local recycling center and trade them in for some much needed cash after the holidays.

Rejoice. Celebrate. Recycle.