Whether you’re into saving more money or helping to save the planet, King County’s Waste Free Holiday program is the perfect choice this holiday season.

Now in its 13th year, Waste Free Holidays encourages giving an “experience” gift, such as theater or concert tickets, gift certificates to a restaurant or even dance lessons. All of the participating Waste Free Holiday partners offer their items with discounts ranging from 15 to 50 percent.

Giving experience gifts that don’t come with all of the wrapping paper, packing material and other trash that clogs the solid waste handling system is also good for the environment by reducing the need for those materials and by keeping room in the landfill for garbage that really needs to be there.

Waste Free Holiday partners offer a tremendous variety of experience gifts – from nearly two dozen restaurants and one dozen museums, to numerous dance, music and concert activities, recreational activities such as the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, acupuncturists and more.

Purchases at the discounted price can be made through Dec. 31 by contacting the partners directly. Details and the participating partners are available online at www.wastefreeholidays.com.

For more information, visit www.wastefreeholidays.com, or contact project manager Tom Watson at 206-296-4481 or tom.watson@kingcounty.gov.