Just about everyone loves free swag. However, that excitement can fade quickly. One Reddit user expressed frustration with corporate waste after needing to discard Christmas items.
What's happening?
A Redditor posted a photo of a box filled with Christmas decorations and Claire's accessories wrapped in a whole lot of plastic.
The user didn't provide details about whether the items were giveaways at a large corporate event or unsold inventory from a Claire's store. However, the post sparked a discussion about unnecessary waste in r/Anticonsumption.
"In my job I have to give out swag and it kills me," one person shared. "It is pointless and people get excited about free stuff for about 10 seconds and then trash it when they get home."
"I'm that person who refuses the swag at conferences," someone responded. "Fortunately there's a big push for the organization I attend conferences through to stop with swag, and the last conference we only got offered a branded but recyclable notebook."
Why is this important?
Realizing the volume of waste generated during the celebratory season can kill anyone's holiday buzz. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, Americans produce around 25 million extra tons of garbage, according to Washington University in St. Louis.
At the end of the season, ornaments, ribbon, and decorations end up in landfills. Major retailers with overproduced holiday items also discard massive quantities of goods. This is a huge waste of money and poses a threat to environmental and public health.
Many items are made from plastic, and every part of plastic's lifecycle is polluting. Plastics don't readily break down in nature, either. One study even found nanoplastics in the cells of farm animals, demonstrating just how pervasive the problem has become.
Is Claire's doing anything about plastic waste?
Accessory retailer Claire's, known for its reliance on plastic products, provides limited information about its sustainability practices. Because of its lack of transparency, Good on You rates Claire's as a "We Avoid." That translates to a 1 out of 5 for the company's planet and people practices.
How can I limit holiday waste more broadly?
One Reddit user wraps presents in outdated calendars to save money on wrapping paper. An Instagram user's hack for storing Christmas lights can also make holiday decorating much easier and less wasteful.
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You can also avoid single-use plastic products and support brands with plastic-free packaging. All of these practices can minimize the amount of new plastic waste slated for landfills at the end of the holiday season.
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