The holiday season is known as a time for giving, but this is somewhat of a misnomer. Because as much as we give and gift, we also take from the resources around us. A few years back, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency even calculated a 25-percent increase in household waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day—from four million tons to five million tons.

The upside is that there are ways to minimize our environmental footprints during the holidays, a gift that will keep on giving. “It might seem like the holidays can be a hard time to think about sustainable consumption—there is so much pressure to buy and give and eat, and so little time,” says Sandra Goldmark, associate dean for interdisciplinary engagement at the Columbia Climate School and professor of professional practice at Barnard College. “But sustainable holidays and gifts can actually be easier, in many ways.”

Read on for some practical ways you can keep the environment in mind during the coming days.

Adopt Smart Travel Methods

By “smart,” we’re referring to the intersection between the Internet of Things and the decisions you make. Online planning has everything to do with holiday travel, and with a little foresight, there are a handful of ways digital resources can help you minimize your footprint.

1. Buy direct flights:Airplanes are significant contributors to pollution. There’s no way around that. But there are a few things you can do to lessen the carbon emissions load. Start by booking travel on direct flights (avoiding layovers) because takeoffs and landings consume more fuel per minute than cruising does. If possible, look for direct flights on newer planes, which tend to be more fuel-efficient. And if you’re feeling extra environmentally conscious, travel with a lighter luggage load, since weight contributes to fuel consumption.

In 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that 3.5 percent of human-driven climate change comes from airplanes. That may not seem like much to you, but individual acts toward dividing and conquering our excesses add up in positive ways.

2. Consider train travel:This one is a mixed bag, which we’ll explain in a moment. But let’sstart byquoting the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy: “Rail is a cleaner transportation alternative to flights and has the lowest emissions per passenger mile ratio than any other means of transport, especially on short routes like those covered by the northeast regional.” The “short route” part is key, especially in light of accounts that have questioned long-haul train travel’s cost and emissions.

These limitations will hopefully wane over time as more American trains rely on electricity and renewable energy rather than fossil fuels—an ongoing imperative in Europe that’s making a tangible change in emissions on that continent.

3. Carpool to destinations: This one is a no-brainer. If you must travel by car, either gas or electric (the latter preferred), carpooling with friends going in the same direction significantly decreases your impact on the environment. By ride-sharing, you’re helping reduce emissions and traffic—plus splitting the cost of gas is an enticing incentive. Besides, having company in the car keeps you alert if your drive is hours long, and in some places, you may even speed up your destination’s arrival time by accessing the high-occupancy vehicle lane.

Buy Local, Eat Local

For many, the holidays are about celebrating, entertaining and eating in groups. A sustainable move any host can make is to shop at a market offering locally grown food. You’re an even bigger ally to the environment if you minimize your food waste, and compost what you don’t consume—because food waste ultimately creates landfill gas, which emits methane.

State of the Planet previously reported on the reasons why farmer’s markets and other local food sources are better for the environment, beyond the standard argument that it is less transportation-intensive. First, local farms, in contrast to commercial agriculture companies, don’t deplete their soil, which also means they avoid pesticides (bad for you and the ground). Their produce will likewise taste better because it’s not genetically modified. Finally, shopping at a farmer’s market reduces plastic waste, due to the minimal packaging.

Buy Something Old, Nothing New

Shopping for someone can be challenging, especially if you’re looking for a unique, yet budget-friendly, present. The silver lining here is a sustainable one: consignment shops andsecondhand-goods websites, which offer bounties of fresh ideas. And if you think this brand of regifting is out of fashion, think again—it’s growing in popularity.

“Sustainable gifts—or giving experiences or acts of service—reduce unnecessary spending and waste, and, frankly, can ease the pressure on your budget and reduce clutter for your gift recipients,” Goldmark says. “While the pressure to buy, buy, buy can be especially intense during the holidays, most people appreciate something thoughtful and high-quality. And most adults don’t need or want a lot of stuff at all.”

By purchasing secondhand, you’re lowering the carbon emissions required to create the item and distribute it. (Your footprint is minimized even further if you purchase from a brick-and-mortar, eliminating the eco-burden of delivery.) Meanwhile, you’re also preventing more discarded goods from hitting landfills.

Get Creative With the Gift Wrap

Gift wrap, bows, cards—may feel necessary, if wasteful. The solution to this paradox is to get creative. Aside from re-using old wrapping paper or buying recycled wrapping paper, enveloping the gift in a paper bag and topping it off with a bow of discarded fabric will make your gift appear that much more special.

Martha Stewart (a.k.a. the gospel for domestic aesthetics) suggests another use for the latter, “Japanese furoshiki, which are sheets of fabric in varying sizes, colors, and patterns…can be used to create simple—or detailed—wraps.” If you don’t have fabric at home, buy an article of clothing or scarf from a thrift store, and artfully tie that around your gift.

Do Overthink Your Holiday Tree

If you celebrate Christmas or just enjoy having a festive holiday tree, finding a sustainable solution can be a conundrum. Because most artificial trees are shipped from China and made from plastic, they create sizeable carbon emissions and will sit in landfills once discarded. In contrast, a real tree will biodegrade or can be turned into garden-friendly mulch. If purchased from a small and local farm, the real tree will likely play a role in sustainable forest management, which includes pruning forests and planting new seedlings.

But the most sustainable solution here? Rent an artificial tree (yup, that’s possible), or buy a potted one that you can either reuse year after year, or plant in your yard. For decorations, think about going au naturel and transforming outdoor objects such as twigs, leaves and pinecones into decorations, and perhaps mixing them with thrifted ornaments. Then illuminate the whole display with solar lights, which save both energy and money. When all’s said and done, Goldmark reminds us not to lose the plot of why we’re doing all this. “The holidays are a time to get together, and sustainable giving can get people talking about what they really do actually want,” she says, “which is usually time with loved ones.”