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EUGENE, Ore. — As the holiday season approaches, Waste Wise Lane County, a division of the Lane County Waste Management Department, is relaunching its highly successful “Simplify the Holidays” campaign for the third consecutive year. This innovative initiative, which debuted in 2022, is produced in collaboration with the Center for Biological Diversity and aims to empower residents and businesses to reimagine their approach to the holiday season, focusing on sustainability and reducing waste while promoting joy and community spirit.
The campaign, which runs from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, offers a wide range of earth-friendly gift ideas, practical tips, and engaging activities, including a highly anticipated holiday leftovers recipe contest. This contest, which was a resounding success last year, encourages participants to get creative with their leftover food and share their unique recipes with the community.
According to Lane County Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator Daniel Hiestand, “The leftover recipe contest was a fantastic addition to the campaign last year, and we received many outstanding entries. I’m excited to see the culinary creativity that our residents will showcase this year, and I’m confident that we’ll discover some truly inspiring recipes.”
To participate in the recipe contest, residents can submit their favorite leftover recipes on the County’s newly revamped website at wastewiselane.org/holiday, where they will also be published for the community to enjoy. By sharing their recipes, participants will be automatically entered into a prize drawing, with the contest winners announced on January 9.
The prizes for the contest are generously provided by local businesses and include gift certificates from Lion & Owl and BRING, free enrollment in Oregon State University Extension Master Food Preserver workshops, and a collection of sustainable products from Main Street Market. These prizes not only recognize the creativity and efforts of the contest winners but also promote local businesses and sustainable practices.
To stay up-to-date on the latest campaign news, tips, and activities, follow Waste Wise Lane County’s social media pages @WasteWiseLaneCounty on Facebook and Instagram.
Food Waste Facts
- Last year, ReFED estimated that a staggering 312 million pounds of food would be wasted during Thanksgiving, resulting in a carbon dioxide equivalent to driving a car 73,109 times around the Earth’s equator. This alarming statistic highlights the urgent need for sustainable food practices during the holiday season.
- According to ReFED, the average person wasted $2.08 worth of food during the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday, which translates to over $20 per 10-person dinner. This staggering amount of food waste not only harms the environment but also has significant economic implications.
- Fortunately, residents in Eugene, Veneta, and Springfield can take advantage of curbside yard waste bins to dispose of their food waste responsibly. By composting food waste, residents can reduce their environmental footprint and create nutrient-rich soil for their gardens.
