Having an Environmentally Friendly Holiday Season

The holiday season is a special time for all of us, whether we are celebrating the birth of Christ, the first fruits of Africa, the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem, or just enjoying time with our family. My family celebrates Christmas, so these tips are provided from that perspective. However, having an eco-friendly holiday season is something we can all take part in. Below are some tips that can keep you environmentally friendly over the holidays:

Robert Lilienfeld, co-author of the book Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are, says that one holiday season’s worth of un-recycled ribbon could literally tie a bow around the earth. And that’s just the ribbon – imagine how much waste is produced by wrapping paper, packaging, cards, and other holiday disposables! Here are a few tips to reduce gift waste: 

- Recycle the ribbon. Don’t tie knots in it. Gently untie the bow and tuck it away until next year. 

- Wrap presents with creatively decorated recycled paper bags from the grocery store. Not only does this supply you with a fun canvas and family bonding time with the kids (imagine how much they will enjoy coloring the gift they give to mommy or daddy) but you have the writing space for To: and From: so you no longer need labels.

- Save Styrofoam and boxes for moving and storage. 

- Don’t use Styrofoam or disposable cups, plates and silverware. It may take you an extra hour or so to clean up, but that is a small price to pay for a healthy, beautiful planet. Besides that, imagine how welcome it will make family and friends feel when they are served on “real” dishes! 

- If all else fails – Recycle. So you might not be moving any time soon and already have a basement full of boxes. Your relatives aren’t as planet-friendly as you are, and there is ripped up wrapping paper. You didn’t have enough dishes and had to resort to paper cups. Whatever the reason, recycling is the answer.
One of my most cherished memories as a child was driving around with my mother to look at Christmas lights. In fact, I still enjoy this activity today. However, every time I imagine how much electricity is being used by these lights all over America (and many other countries) during the holiday season it makes me cringe. I was looking for a way to minimize the impact of Christmas lights on the environment when I came across Solar Powered Christmas Lights.

Shipping gifts to loved ones is time consuming and expensive. But it is often a part of life that we must deal with when we have family and friends in other cities and around the globe. One way to reduce your impact on the environment is to “Go Zero”. Many green retailers offer this option. The idea is that you erase the environmental impact of shipping your gift by adding a Go Zero contribution of $2 to the order. This enables The Conservation Fund to plant a tree that, over its lifetime, will absorb more than one ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere - enough to offset the emissions resulting from shipping a 200-pound package from Los Angles to New York.

Responsible shopping (conscious consumerism) is one of the most effective ways to have a green Christmas. Shop for organic cotton clothing, fair trade goods, and locally made items. Not only are they better for the environment, but they are unique and make the recipient feel special. Why buy the same old junk at Walmart when you could give something truly extraordinary from local artisans, websites like Gaiam.com or something you make with your own two hands?

I wish you a wonderful holiday season, and may you have a Merry Green Christmas!

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com