Simple Ways to Green Your Holidays
The holidays can be a magical time of year for many reasons, but the reality is that the environment suffers, what with overproduction and excessive purchasing of consumer goods, pounds of discarded gift wrap, product packaging, and food waste, thousands of Christmas trees cut down for less than one month of use, and gallons of fuel used for the transport of goods and holiday travel. TOTALLY BUMMER, I know!
The good news is, there are lots of small things we can all do to help reduce the holiday toll on the environment. Here are some of my favorite ways to green the holiday season:
1. Group gift exchange
For large office or family gatherings, instead of buying an individual gift for each person, adopt a Yankee Swap or Secret Santa (or cultural equivalent) gift exchange tradition.
2. Get creative with gift wrap
Wrap presents in colorful magazine pages, leftover wallpaper, or reusable gift bags and boxes. For large items, how about using a reusable fabric bag? Paper grocery bags also offer another great gift wrapping canvas, and you can charge your kids with the task of decorating the paper!
3. Put your lights on a timer
Set a timer on your indoor and outdoor lights to prevent wasting electricity during the late-night hours when no one's looking anyhow.
4. Go digital with your greetings
If all of your family and friends are on e-mail, save time, paper, and postage by emailing out a family newsletter or digital card.
5. Make wishes known
Avoid giving and getting unwanted gifts by asking loved ones for wish lists and sharing your and your kids' wish lists.
6. Make gifts
Reduce use of packaging, fuel, and more by making your own gifts. And it doesn't need to be a huge time sink! Check out these 10 easy DIY food gift ideas. Have friends or family with a new baby? Best gift ever = a homemade entrée.
7. Give the gift of time
Instead of material items, give your time by volunteering for organizations in need (here are some great ideas for engaging kids in volunteerism). The gift of time with family or friends is also huge too; instead of swapping gifts, meet up for coffee or breakfast, or spend time with a niece or nephew.
8. Be mindful of the trees
By early January each year, thousands of trees are discarded curbside waiting to be brought to landfills. Consider instead decorating a live, potted tree that can be replanted, purchasing an artificial tree to use repeatedly, or repurposing your tree for firewood.
9. Have a leftovers party
Avoid food waste by hosting a potluck-style, post-holiday gathering to eat up every morsel of those delicious holiday leftovers.
10. Donate the excess
The reality is, you'll probably receive some duplicate or unnecessary items for the holidays. Instead of wasting fuel (both person and car-wise!), donate everything to families in need.
11. Repurpose paper holiday cards
When it’s time to take down holiday cards that have been sent to you, cut them up to repurpose patterned sections into gift cards for next year!
Simple ways to green your holidays