The Piedmont Youth Chorus Care-Ols Its Way to a More Wasteless Holiday Season

Did you know?

- In the U.S., an additional 5 million tons of waste is generated over the holiday “season,” four million of which is wrapping paper and shopping bags (source here)

- If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon and bows, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet. (source here)

- If every American family left three presents unwrapped, it would save enough paper to cover 45.000 football fields. (source here)

- If all of this seems super wasteful, that’s because it is.

This holiday season, North Carolina creative agency The Variable is encouraging people to give the best gift of all –a better future for the next generation. The agency enlisted the Piedmont Youth Chorus as its “care-o-lers” singing and sharing reimagined holiday classics including Jingle Bells, Away in a Manger and Winter Wonderland, to spread the message of reducing gift wrap to help move toward a less wasteful holiday season. Through its “Sing More. Waste Less” website, which will be promoted across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, The Variable is asking people to spread the word and share the initiative by tagging 3 people on social media who they will commit to sending unwrapped gifts to this year in the spirit of wasteless giving. And for those who aren’t ready to completely abandon the element of surprise, the site provides some helpful tips on how to wrap presents without causing extra waste. For example, trying an old (clean) sock, or a pillowcase.

"When we came across stats on how much waste was created during the holiday season we were floored, so we came up with the idea to create The Care-o-lers (a group of singers who care about the environment), and re-wrote popular holiday songs. So if you're lucky enough to receive a naked present this year, you know you have the elves to thank," said Lauren Supron and Gary Botswick, associate creative directors at The Variable.