Tips for a "Green" Christmas
With the Holidays upon us, I'm sure many of you are wondering how you can make this Christmas more eco-friendly. Have no fear, your friendly neighborhood Planeteers have some "green" holiday advice for your and yours.
* More household waste is produced during the holidays than any other time of year. Sanitation departments estimate that between Thanksgiving and New Year's alone, about six million tons of extra waste is generated nationwide. The 2.6 billion holiday cards sold each year in the United States could fill a football field 10 stories high.
* If you can find one, look for pesticide-free trees. Some tree farmers use as many as 40 different pesticides. Bad for the environment, bad for you.
* Recycle your Christmas tree or use it in a creative way after all the decorations are gone. Chop it up and use it for mulch, make homemade paper out or it, or if you leave near the woods, slather it with birdseed and peanut butter and give the birds a nice big treat/shelter for the winter.
* Minimize the amount of waste you are creating when giving gifts. Look for gifts that has minimal packaging, or buy gifts like movie tickets, or giftcards that will let them have an enjoyable experience rather than sticking them with another sweater or doo-dad they didn't really want to begin with.
* Think about your wrapping paper options. Buy bags or boxes made of recycled paper and put a bow on them, eliminating the wrapping paper. If you are careful with them they can be reused many times. Look around the house for things you can use to wrap gifts, tissue paper from shopping trips, packing paper, old newspapers, etc.
* Give gifts that get people thinking and help them become more earth friendly. Rechargeble batteries are great for people with kids!
* Save tissue paper from gifts, packaging materials from shipped items and shopping bags to wrap up your ornaments and decorations in after the holidays.
* Plan your shopping trips so you save gas by making less trips.
* Donate any unwanted gifts or items you no longer need because you now have a shiny new one. Schools, churches and other organizations often take donations of electronics like cameras, computers, printers, etc.
* If you have kids or know someone who does, give them your old holiday cards. Kids love to cut em up and make a collage or some other crafty thing out of them.
* Try to make food items from scratch, pre-packed foods create more waste.
* Support farmers by buying local and organic foods for your holiday meals. Talk to your guests about the food and why you think its important.
* Stuff stockings with organic chocolate bars, fair trade coffee and tea.
* Buy LED christmas lights to save money on your power bill and energy.
Learn more by checking out www.sierraclub.org/holidays or www.organicconsumers.org
