Have a Green Christmas with These Simple Tips

This season of celebration, consider showing some extra care for our environment. Christmas doesn’t have to be a burden on the environment, with just a little effort and imagination we can reduce the environmental impact of the holiday season.

Below are some helpful ideas to celebrate the holidays while still being thoughtful about our earth.

Buy Less

Some holiday gifts fill a practical need and need to be bought new. But many gifts are really gestures of thoughtfulness, you can give more while spending less. Remember, not all gifts have to be store-bought. You can give more while spending less by giving gifts that are personal and unique. While young children may favor the bright, shiny store-bought item, most adults appreciate anything that shows thoughtfulness.

Buy Smart & Think Green

Many gifts in today’s marketplace come from halfway around the world, and the impact of transportation contributes significantly to greenhouse emissions and global warming. Local craft fairs and artisan shops are a good source for gifts that come without the added costs of transportation. And gifts made locally often have a story which goes with the gift, since the artisan and the origin of the gift are known. If you really want to get into the spirit of ‘Green’ choose gifts made from recycled sources. Many individuals and small businesses have developed great products using recycled materials. Supporting these businesses helps reduce the waste stream while promoting the concept of making best use of available materials.

Connect with Nature

Christmas is a time for giving, and a time for family. What a great opportunity to start a family tradition of giving back to the earth and instilling the values of sustainable living to your children, friends and community. Start an annual, earth-friendly Christmas family tradition! It will also get you outdoors for a few hours to build an appetite for the big dinner.

Consider an activity like decorating a tree for the birds in your yard! Place seed bells, suet, pine cones with peanut butter and seed trays on any tree in your yard, preferably a tree in the open where cats can be seen easily by the birds. To attract a wide variety of birds, use varied seed types such as black oil sunflower seed, wild bird mixed seed and nyger seed bells. This is a great activity for kids, and offers an important food source for birds during the winter.

Lower the impact of holiday lighting

In the past, the house with the most decorative holiday lights used to be considered the ‘best’. Well, times have changed, the cost of electricity goes way beyond the utility bill. Electricity drains natural resources. A smaller presentation of lights can still be attractive, and more appropriate in the ‘season of giving’. Saving electricity is also a way of giving, since conserving resources benefits everyone. Use LED lights for house and Christmas tree lighting. Remember to turn off your tree lights and outdoor house decorative lighting at bedtime. It’s simply a waste of energy to leave the holiday lights on at night after everyone’s gone to sleep.

After the holidays are over, take a look at the items in your home. Consider, what can be donated, what can be reused and recycled, and what needs to be thrown away. For all of your waste needs, call us at Waste Solutions 123!