The holidays mean many things to many people, but whether your family celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or another year-end occasion, one thing is certain: There's going to be a lot of packaging involved. From the gifts we give to those we get, the holiday season often seems to make as much waste as it does merry. As our gift to you, here are some ways to say "bah humbug" to all that waste with some tips decking the halls with fewer overstuffed trash bags:

AT THE STORE:

• Choose gifts that come with little or no packaging or are packaged in easily recyclable materials or plastic types like #1 (PETE), #2 (HDPE), and #4 (LDPE).
• If you have to purchase a wastefully packaged product, open it in the store and leave its packaging with the cashier. (This won't cut down on waste, but it will cast a vote for greener packaging next holiday season!) Keep a small pair of scissors handy to cut through annoying blister packs.
• BYOB - Bring your own bags to carry your purchases home sustainably.

IN THE BOX:

• If gifts come wrapped in foam peanuts, bubble wrap, air-pouches, and other packing materials, reuse them for the gifts you will give.
• For a biodegradable packing alternative, pop an oil-free batch of unprocessed popping corn in a hot air popper!
• Tear recyclable corrugated cardboard boxes into strips. Roll each tightly and place them under and around items to be shipped. Let them unroll slightly after placement to cushion your goodies.
• Create gift wrap from outdated maps, comic pages, newspapers, wallpaper scraps, shopping bags, or any other oversized papers you have on hand. If that paper is blank, you can decorate it with your own holiday motifs.
• Wrap gifts in other gifts like towels, bandanas, baskets, or tote bags. Or make your own reusable bags out of fabric.
• Avoid foil gift wraps, which can be almost impossible for your recipients to recycle.
• Skip the ribbons and bows, and trim your gifts with natural accents like evergreen tips, or holly sprigs, pine cones, raffia, ornamental grasses, and other biodegradable objets d'art.

DURING & AFTER THE CELEBRATION:

• Unwrap gifts gently and set aside their wrapping paper for reuse. Bigger pieces can be used to wrap smaller items without creases. Put wrapping paper not worth saving in with your recycling.
• Save the holiday greeting cards you receive and cut their covers into gift tags for use next year.
• Save the gift boxes, tissue paper, bows, or ribbons you get, and you'll likely never need to buy these items again!
• Still drowning in foam peanuts and other packing materials? First, check your peanuts. Many today are made from natural cornstarch and will dissolve harmlessly in water. Test one in your sink. If it melts, you can compost the lot. If you're stuck with Styrofoam® peanuts, bubble wrap, or other packaging, see if local shippers, museums, movers, or stores want it. Most UPS Stores, for example, will gladly accept clean packing materials for reuse (remember to call first!). The Plastic Loose Fill Council can direct you to additional local foam peanut recycling options.
• If you find yourself with larger pieces of custom-molded foam packaging like those used to cushion electronics and other fragile items in their cartons, consult the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers for recycling resources.

These tricks of the holiday packaging trade will help make sure your celebrations stay ever-green, and that's a glad tiding worth sharing every season! And please share your tips with us.

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photo: slideshow bob