How Holiday Overconsumption Threatens the World’s Forests — and How Companies Can Change the Story

The holidays are meant to be a season of joy, connection, and generosity. But in an era of overconsumption, they’ve also become one of the most material-intensive times of the year, with packaging at the centre of the story.

From Black Friday to Boxing Day, boxes, bags, mailers, tissue, and tags move at record speed through global supply chains. Much of that packaging is used once, for a matter of days or weeks, then discarded. In markets like the U.S. and U.K., household waste can spike by as much as 25–30% during the holiday season — and a large share of that surge is paper-based packaging.

Behind those numbers lies a critical but often overlooked cost:

A significant portion of today’s packaging is still made from virgin forest fibre. Without strong safeguards, that demand can reach deep into Ancient and Endangered Forests — landscapes that store vast amounts of carbon, safeguard biodiversity, and help stabilize our climate and water systems.

In other words: some of the world’s most important forests are still being logged for packaging that is in circulation for a short time but leaves a long-term legacy.

The good news? This is a challenge we know how to solve — and companies are already showing what leadership looks like.

Pack4Good: Turning Seasonal Pressure into Year-Round Progress

At Canopy, we work with over 450 brand, retail, and packaging leaders through our Pack4Good initiative to eliminate the use of forest fibre from high-carbon, high-biodiversity landscapes. Together, we’re shifting the market toward Forest-Friendly, low-carbon alternatives at the speed and scale this decade demands.

Through Pack4Good, companies are:

• Adopting robust sourcing policies that keep Ancient and Endangered Forests out of packaging supply chains
• Prioritizing recycled content and championing Next Gen solutions such as packaging made from agricultural residues and recycled textiles — materials that don’t come at the expense of vital ecosystems
• Redesigning packaging to use less material overall, optimize formats, and reduce waste and emissions across the value chain

These shifts don’t just protect forests. They also help companies meet climate and nature commitments, respond to evolving regulations, and align with growing customer and investor expectations for credible environmental action.

A Different Kind of Holiday Impact

The world doesn’t have to choose between strong holiday seasons and standing forests. Thoughtful packaging decisions can make peak season a catalyst for better practices all year long.

By working collaboratively across brands, suppliers, and innovators, companies can:

• Reduce pressure on climate-critical forests
• Cut emissions and material costs by optimizing packaging design and formats
• Accelerate the scale-up of Next Gen packaging solutions that keep carbon in forests and out of the atmosphere
• Build more resilient, future-fit supply chains

This is the kind of impact that lasts well beyond the festive season.

Join the Pack4Good Movement

For nearly 25 years, Canopy has worked side-by-side with companies to transform unsustainable supply chains and catalyze innovative solutions that keep forests standing. Pack4Good builds on that experience to support businesses in mapping risk, setting strong policies, testing Next Gen materials, and scaling what works.

If your company is ready to turn holiday packaging from a liability into a lever for climate and biodiversity solutions, we’re ready to collaborate.

Join Canopy’s Pack4Good initiative and help ensure that the world’s forests thrive long after the decorations come down.