Our environment doesn’t take time off for the holidays, and neither should we!
Being “green” is a 365 day a year responsibility. There are many ways you can continue your environmentally friendly trends during this holiday season.
Let’s start with your tree. An artificial tree will last for many years, but when you are ready to replace it – what happens? It will end up in a land fill and last forever! Your best bet with a Christmas tree is to purchase a pine tree with the roots still intact. Then after the holidays, you can plant the tree outside and watch it grow! When purchasing the lights for your tree, remember to buy the LED ones. They cut down on the amount of electricity used.
Decorating the tree is fun and easy. You can use old ribbon laying around the house as garland, or pop some popcorn and gather the family for a popcorn stringing party! Have a contest for your kids and let them create ornaments using items you already have in the house (or that they find outside).
My Mom was green before being green was cool! I remember Christmas mornings at my house – we used a seam ripper to open our Christmas presents. My Mom was able to re-use wrapping paper for YEARS that way. If you don’t want to take it to that extreme, you can use the funny papers to wrap presents, or any section of the paper. Finish it off with a red bow – and wha-lah – a great wrapping job friendly to the environment! If you are having to ship presents this year – please avoid those styrofoam peanuts! Instead use old newspaper as package filler or do as a friend of mine does, save your children's Ziploc baggies and blow them up to use as cushions inside the boxes.
So many easy ways to stay “green”. E-mail cards rather than snail mail, online shopping rather than driving from mall to mall – just a little common sense goes a long way in helping Mother Earth!
If you don't know much about recycling, ask or do what we do and search the web! Don't forget to buy eco-friendly gifts as well this Holiday season!
Happy Holidays!
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