Waste Wise Lane County—a part of the Lane County Waste Management Division—is back with its third “Simplify the Holidays” campaign.

The campaign, which started in 2022, is produced by the Center for Biological Diversity and has again been adopted by the County. “Simply the Holidays” encourages residents and businesses to reimagine how they view and participate in the holiday season to inspire joy while curbing waste. 

The campaign runs from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day and includes earth-friendly gift ideas and a holiday leftovers recipe contest. 

“The leftover recipe contest was a fun addition to the campaign last year,” said Lane County Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator Daniel Hiestand. “We had many great entries, and I’m excited to see what culinary creativity our residents submit this year.”

Recipes can be submitted on the County’s new website at wastewiselane.org/holiday, where they will also be published. Those who share recipes will be automatically entered into a prize drawing, with contest winners announced on January 9.

Prizes include Lion & Owl and BRING gift certificates, free enrollment in Oregon State University Extension Master Food Preserver workshops, and a collection of sustainable products from Main Street Market.

Follow the campaign on Waste Wise Lane County’s social media pages @WasteWiseLaneCounty on Facebook and Instagram. 

Food Waste Facts

• Last year, ReFED estimated that Americans would waste 312 million pounds of food during Thanksgiving. This figure would have produced an amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to driving a car 73,109 times around the Earth’s equator. 
• Per ReFED, $2.08 worth of food was wasted per person during the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday, which was more than $20 per 10-person dinner.
• Residents in Eugene, Veneta, and Springfield can place food waste in their curbside yard waste bins. 

About Waste Wise Lane County

Waste Wise Lane County— a part of the Lane County Waste Management Division—empowers residents, schools, and businesses with education, tools, and resources that can be used to reduce waste, conserve resources, and live more sustainably. For more information, visit lanecountyor.gov/wastewise.

About Simplify the Holidays

Simplify the Holidays is an award-winning program of the Center for Biological Diversity. Simplify the Holidays seeks to empower individuals and families to be more conscious of the impacts of holiday traditions and, in doing so, reconnect with meaningful and lasting celebrations. Learn more at simplifytheholidays.org.

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