EL CAJON, Calif. — The holiday season is a time for celebrations and gatherings, but it can also lead to more pollution adding up across San Diego.
"Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, we see a 25% increase in household waste across the county," said Edith Santana, a Watershed Technician with the City of San Marcos and Representative for Project Clean Water. "So, we just wanted to get ahead of that as the holidays begin and talk about the '12 Days of Stormwater Pollution Prevention,'"
Project Clean Water is an organization dedicated to protecting water quality in San Diego County. They promote countywide initiatives for good watershed health by collaborating with the County, the Port of San Diego, San Diego International Airport, and the 18 incorporated cities within the county.
The holiday campaign is designed to encourage San Diegans to save energy, reduce the amount of waste ending up in our landfills and reduce pollutants from contaminating our waterways.
First, let's start with the basics. Many of you probably know the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. But did you know there is now a fourth one?
"The fourth R is refuse," Santana said. "Just getting at the core that if you don't buy it, you don't have the increase in demand for it, so the supply won't be there."
This means refusing to buy single-use plastic items. By switching to reusable alternatives, you enhance the other Rs by reducing your consumption, reusing items before throwing them out and recycling items once they are spent.
"Well, sometimes we go a little crazy and overconsume and some of those gifts end up in the trash, unfortunately," Santana said. "So going into that just being mindful of what we are purchasing and where that is ultimately going to end up making sure it's not in our oceans."
Let's get to the list, and you can check it twice, on ways to celebrate while protecting our county with these 12 sustainable practices:
Action one - "Sleigh" the plastic bags. Utilize reusable bags when shopping for gifts and holiday supplies.
Action two - Wrap sustainable by using biodegradable, reusable or repurposed wrapping paper rather than traditional ones that might be slicked in plastic. Gift bags are also suggested. You can also wrap up those holiday leftovers sustainably.
"Clear glass container, so when folks come over, you have those leftovers, you can have them take leftovers home with them without having to use single-use plastic," Santana said.
Santana suggests using glass containers and repurposed jars to store your foods.
"Just, you know, giving that a good rinse, a good wash and reusing it for dried goods that nobody is going to see in the pantry."
Action three - Deck the halls with natural decor or reuse ones from past Christmases.
Action four - Recycle holiday cheer by turning old cards into gift tags or ornaments reduces the risk of paper clogging our storm drains.
Action five - Give the gift of donations by donating gently used and worn clothes and items.
Action six - This is the season to give back together by joining a local cleanup.
Action seven - Hydrate sustainably by using a reusable water bottle while holiday shopping.
Action eight - Reuse holiday containers like turning old mugs into planters. In some cases, you don't have to wait for Christmas to repurpose.
"Going into Thanksgiving, coming out of Halloween, we've taken this little pumpkin and added some native succulents in here," Santana said.
Action nine - Shine with energy efficiency by using LED lights for Christmas to reduce energy consumption and save money on your electric bill.
Action 10 - Go digital this holiday by sending out electronic cards and invitations.
Action 11 - Winterize your stormwater friendly yard. Pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides and unbagged pet waste can escape into our storm drains due to rain and from watering your lawn. If you have the space, Santana says a bioswale might be right for you.
"Basically, water will flow through it and the vegetation and rocks will filter out the flow, slow it down as it reaches drains, curb cores and flow back into our local creeks and rivers and ultimately our ocean," Santana explained.
Action 12 - To wrap up the list, give your tree a second life by recycling it or using a fake tree for years to come.
If you need more inspiration for the holidays and year round, the Water Conservation Garden has you covered with six acres and more than 50 exhibits to explore.
"From our native plants, to our butterfly pavilion to our tortoise exhibit to our Mediterranean, to our beautifully enhanced formal garden, that just shows so many drought-tolerant plants that will really educate you on what you want to do to be sustainable in our own home," said Lauren Magnuson, Director of Garden Operations at the Water Conservation Garden.
If you are looking for sustainable gifts, a teapot can be repurposed as a vase for a succulent. There's also a creative take on a birdcage with thread spools and foraged wood found at the garden. These items were made by garden volunteers, and you can find them at their gift shop.
"One of the reasons (the Garden is) so amazing is because it really is owned by the community," Magnuson said.
The Garden has a partnership with Cuyamaca College and the Grossmont–Cuyamaca Community College District, but it is operated by the Helix Water District, the Otay Water District, Sweetwater Authority, the City of San Diego and the San Diego County Water Authority.
"The rate payers are the ones that own this garden because they're the ones that put into, their bills, their water, they pay these water districts and in turn, they've created this beautiful space that's been here for 25 years," Magnuson explained.
The Water Conservation Garden also offers workshops to help you grow your green thumb, and admission is free the second Friday of every month.