Picture this: it’s 3:00 AM and you’re lying in bed, doomscrolling through TikTok. Suddenly, your mindless trance is interrupted by a white woman “packing her Stanley” for her ten minute walk, complete with $15 hand sanitizer and a mini deodorant. You are finally motivated to go to bed but, alas, it’s too late. Now, you’re forced to stare at your ceiling and try to forget the fact that someone actually invented a backpack for a water bottle (not even, it literally leaks) and even worse, people are actually buying it.

Humans have always been massive consumers, and the technology we have today has only amplified this this dangerous practice. Material consumption peaks every year from late November to early January. America’s holiday consumption has increased annually for over a decade, and it is predicted that holiday retail sales could reach up to $989 billion in 2024. While Americans’ driving need for material goods is concerning enough on its own, holiday consumption has an enormous negative impact on our planet, further expediting the climate crisis we are in. Online shopping, travel, and mass production of goods have huge CO2 emissions that heavily contribute to global warming.

However, today’s gift-giving culture is far from the worst part. With the holidays come parties, and with the parties come useless inflatable decorations on people’s lawns and plastic silverware at Christmas parties. These and many more single-use products cause the 30% increase we see in household waste during the holiday season. Nevertheless, it is difficult to combat these problems when much of what is trending encourages wasteful shopping habits; for example the “burr baskets” that went viral last winter seemed sweet but largely consisted of cheap plastic items that will be forgotten within the week.

None of this is to discourage gift-giving or celebrating the holidays, but rather to urge you to be more mindful when doing so. This year, focus on buying second hand gifts, giving experiences instead of material goods, and reusing decorations and party supplies from last year.