The holidays are the most wasteful time of the year. The amount of waste produced increases by more than 25% from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Waste from shopping bags alone amounts to four million tons in the U. S. and 28 billion pounds of food is wasted annually. That’s about 100 pounds per person. Now for the good news. You can simplify the holidays, do something about the amount of waste. Most issues surrounding food safety and food waste involve leftovers (剩饭). Plan ahead for the number of people you will be feeding, including a day or two of leftovers, but don’t try to keep food too long. Preparing the right amount of food will keep everyone feeling well and eliminate the need to throw away extra food this time of year. 　　Plan thoughtfully when giving gifts. Waste-free gifts of time and talent are appreciated. Tickets to concerts, the zoo, movies or sporting events make fun gifts and don’t come with any waste. 　　Wrapping paper can be recycled as long as it isn’t the metal variety. Better yet, reduce waste by wrapping gifts in shopping bags or other reusable items, to save the wrapping part of the package.