by David Andrews

Deep into the grind of finals week, students made time to get into the sustainable  holiday spirit. At a table outside at the Holiday Market last week and the Adele H. Stamp Student Union in November, students took turns picking a pine cone and decorating it with green, blue and red glitter. 

The “glitter” was actually a biodegradable alternative, made from Epsom salt and food coloring. The fallen pine cones were collected across campus, the holly sprigs were provided from an organizer’s backyard and the string to display each creation was leftover from campus mail services.

The Green Terp program, part of the Office of Sustainability, partnered with the Sustainable Ocean Alliance to give students a chance to create their own sustainable holiday decorations during a season that generates exceptional amounts of waste.  

Though the Elmer’s glue binding the glitter alternative to the pine cone wasn’t biodegradable, the event was aimed at encouraging awareness and action towards sustainability.

“Glitter actually consists of microplastics that pollute our environment,” Tanvi Gadhia, the sustainability outreach coordinator for the Office of Sustainability at the University of Maryland, wrote in an email. “We are encouraging individuals to decorate for the holidays using natural, low-cost materials rather than consuming more resources by purchasing plastic or artificial decor.”

A fact sheet on the group’s table listed facts about waste during the holiday season. 

“Americans throw away 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period than any other time of the year,” one sign read.

“We will generate an additional 7 million pounds of waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day,” another read.

Taylor Brinks, a sustainability outreach associate who was overseeing the table on Nov. 29, said she saw the Sustainable Ocean Alliance do Halloween crafts with biodegradable glitter during midterms and thought the crafts were a good idea that both helped to limit stress and get into the holiday spirit.

“Alternative gift wrapping is also really big,” Brinks said. “Brown paper bags that you have from the store, or gift bags. Really anything that you already have is great.”

Featured image: Students create sustainable holiday decorations outside Stamp on Nov. 29. The event was held by the Green Terp program, part of the Office of Sustainability and the Sustainable Ocean Alliance. Photo by David Andrews.