How To Have A Green Christmas
Posted by Laird on Dec 8, 2008
Working towards a green Christmas is not difficult, but it requires some thinking. With careful planning and some common sense, you can celebrate a green Christmas this year too.
Try to avoid sending paper greeting cards. Send e-cards or direct people to your blog. Compile family photos of previous Christmas in a video, add some Christmas tunes and you have a fun way of sending your best wishes. It is also a way to remind old friends and families of how much fun you had last Christmas.
When shopping, bring your own tote bag and refuse paper or plastic bags from your store. Make sure you listed down everything you need, such as gifts, groceries and so forth, so as to avoid making returns to the store and wasting both time and gas. You can opt for online shopping too. This way, you can avoid driving and getting caught in traffic.
When giving gifts, consider gifts that do not turn into waste, such as concert or theater tickets. Suggest family and friends create wish lists to exchange, so no gifts given are wasted or left to sit on a shelf collecting dust (or worse, in a landfill).
Consider making gifts, many handmade and homemade gifts are easy to make. This also makes your gifts extra special as they are one of a kind and made with love. Give homemade gifts such as cookies in glass jars that your mother or aunt can easily reuse in her kitchen. For co-workers or teacher’s gifts, consider biodegradable candles made of natural ingredients like beeswax.
Use recycled wrapping paper or reusable materials such as scarves or bandanas. Use fabric ribbons instead of synthetics. Practical items such as seasonal cookie cutters or handmade ornaments can be used to accentuate your gifts.
As for decorations, use strings of LED lights. They are energy-efficient, helping you save on electricity bills. Consider putting the lights on a timer so there’s no chance you’ll forget to turn them off, wasting energy.
For Christmas tree, try to get a real tree, if possible. Live trees with the root bulb intact are best, as they can be planted after the holidays, but a real tree from a christmas tree farm is also a good alternative. Be sure to send it to be processed after Christmas for mulch. Make your own Christmas ornaments or pick pine cones and berries as pretty ornaments.
If throwing a party, keep the portions just enough for everyone. Keep leftovers such as turkey, chicken or even salads in the fridge for next day’s meals. After a big feast, compose food wastes in your backyard for earth-friendly, natural fertilizer.
If you are traveling this Christmas, consider going paperless. Use e-tickets whenever possible. Walk whenever you can, if the weather permits. If you are driving, check the condition of your car and make sure everything is working fine. This will also improve mileage, thus saving you money on gas. If you are going out of town and need to rent a car, ask for a hybrid.
Having a green Christmas can be achieved with these simple steps. Remember that every little things you do will affect the environment, whether you realize it or not. Always choose natural, environmentally friendly alternatives.
