TORONTO -- While many Canadians are dreaming of a white Christmas, Calvin Lakhan is hoping for a “green” one.

The York University recycling expert and co-investigator of the Waste Wiki project says that while this is possibly the happiest time of year for a lot of people, it’s also the time of year where Canadians generate a tremendous amount of packaging waste.

“In the Christmas period, we generate 4 times more packaging waste than any other time of year,” Lakhan told CTV News Toronto. “So the strain this places on our waste management system is enormous, and the types of packaging we’re using for Christmas tend not to be very sustainable.”

He added that it’s often the things that make the holidays sparkle and shine that are the biggest offenders.

“Our tinsel, our ribbon, our wrapping paper—they all look very beautiful but unfortunately can’t be recycled,” says Lakhan. “[Tinsel] can’t be recycled because it’s made up of composite or multiple materials. Wrapping paper, unfortunately, there’s a wax liner or a plastic liner, which makes it physically impossible to pull out of a re-processor. So if you put that in your blue bin, it actually gets screened and goes to a landfill.”

It’s not just the gifts wrapped under the Christmas tree that are the problem, either. Giving gifts of food often come with excessive packaging, too.

“Holidays are tricky, and add always to what we have in our environment,” said Michelle Genttner of Unboxed Market, a store in Toronto that is working toward zero waste. “There’s not necessarily a reason to bring in pre-packaged goods that come in all their little individual containers.”

So, what can we do?

Here are five easy ways to give gifts in a green, guilt-free way in 2019:

1) Use recyclable wrapping paper. Lahkan says Kraft paper (brown paper often used to wrap up meat) is a good option and so is newspaper. “There are numerous organizations that actually create recyclable wrapping paper, you just have to look for the symbol,” he said, adding that string is also a good replacement for ribbon.

2) Re-use gift bags. Not everything has to be “wrapped” for Christmas. Lakhan says a gift bag is something that can be used again and again, which is more sustainable for the environment. “We’re looking for opportunities to re-use,” he said.

3) Get creative! “Re-use a great Christmas card as a label by cutting it out and putting a hole in it,” suggested Lakhan. “There’s also places for Christmas cards, for every Christmas card you buy, they’ll plant a tree. Make your own ornament for somebody. Think outside of the box, so you don’t put it in the blue box.”

4) Forego the food packaging. Genttner said we should think about how we attend holiday events and what we’re bringing edible items in. “If you have to bring goodies, consider going to your local bakery and getting things in your own container, instead of getting things that are pre-packaged.”

5) Don’t buy too much food. Christmas dinner is wonderful, but Stratton said this is a contributor to the waste-factor over the holidays. “Not overindulging, buying or cooking too much for your family,” he said.. Instead, consider sharing food. “It’s a great opportunity to help others that don’t have everything that you do.”

Lakhan said that any of these options will help make Christmas more Green.

“What we want to do is start thinking about what happens to our packaging end of life,” he says. “So even if this Christmas you don’t find sustainable options, just start thinking about it. Because ultimately, we want to start changing behaviours over time.”