There are many holidays at the end of the year. People have parties and family get-togethers, and give gifts. However, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the New Year can create a lot of trash. A USA environmental agency said that household waste goes up by 25 per cent over the holiday period. The company Eureka Recycling said we needed to carefully separate what we throw away. It said: "It really does make a difference if you…put those boxes and those bottles and cans in the blue bin." A professor said we should avoid producing waste as much as possible.

Many experts have reported on how to deal with waste. They advised people to be aware of the recycling rules in their town. Different places have different rules. One expert said we should be careful when we throw away electronics and Christmas lights. Another expert said it was good to think ahead to reduce waste. She said people could buy "experiences over stuff". This means buying someone a concert ticket instead of buying a present that comes in lots of packaging. She also recommended giving people digital cards and gift cards.