Does your calendar until the end of the year look like this?

Even if your time is not as tangled as the lights in this photo, our lives during the holidays can be complicated with an influx of stuff. Don’t worry. We have some tips on how to handle this.

If you have a Christmas tree or other greenery decorating your home, you’ll eventually need to get it out of your home. Here you can find King County resources for tree disposal. Even better, consider a living tree this year!

Whether your holiday lights are burned out or you’re replacing the old set with LED lights, there are many places in the Puget Sound area that accept holiday lights for recycling. They repurpose the internal copper wire.

If you need to clear energy in your home by clearing out some stuff, look up the Goodwill location near you. Their donation process is fast and simple. Plus, this nonprofit organization supports job training programs.

Finally, consider giving experiences rather than stuff this year. The stuff in our lives takes energy to create and uses energy when it’s landfilled or recycled. Experiences build relationships and memories, usually without leaving much waste behind. Research shows that experiences bring us more happiness than possessions do because of the anticipation and planning and the memories they create.

Who knew that reducing waste could bring holiday joy?
Best wishes to you this season and in the New Year!