Andy Williams might say, It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” but it’s also the most wasteful time of the year.
People in South Carolina, alone, generate 960,000 tons of garbage between November and January, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. Nationwide, according to a report from Stanford University, Americans throw away on average 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year s Day, and that extra waste amounts to 25 million tons.
Ultimately, recycling and reducing waste helps the environment in a number of ways, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency and other experts.
DHEC suggests one simple way to contribute around the holidays use old newspapers, maps and blueprints for wrapping presents.