‘Tis the Season…

With the economy in chaos, it is hard to start thinking about buying anything for holidays, let alone trying to make it “greener”. However, it isn’t as hard as you might think and you could find yourself in the black in January rather than in the red! There is a way to green up just about every part of the holiday season and in most cases, you will save money too! This year, try some if not all, of the following ideas and you’ll be on your way to a more eco-friendly season!

 

Holiday cards

Once considered tacky, e-cards are gaining in popularity and are much more accepted these days. Make them more special by uploading family photos and writing a personal message. Of course, grandma will still want one mailed to her so choose wisely; there are many recycled cards out there! Re-use your old gift cards by cutting them up and making festive tags out of them!

Candles

The ambience of a candle is perfect for the holidays and now you can buy soy Hanukkah candles which burn cleaner and are not petroleum based.

Trees – Live or Artificial

If you put up a tree for the holidays, it is still better to use a live tree rather than an artificial one. Artificial trees cannot be recycled after their life span and only end up in the landfill. Cut fir trees are a popular choice and bring the scent of the out-of-doors inside for the season but make sure to have it mulched after the holiday. Your best choice, if you have the room, is to buy a potted tree and plant it in your yard after Christmas so you can enjoy it year round!

Decorations

Stick to all natural decorations for your tree. String popcorn and cranberries for festive garland that your whole family will enjoy making and the birds will love later (just remember to de-string it first). You can also make folded paper stars or snowflakes out of recycled paper. Go for wreaths and boughs made from cut evergreens. They can be found at just about any tree lot and can be recycled after the season.

Lights

If you like to decorate with lights make sure that you have them on a timer. You can save even more electricity and money by using lower wattage bulbs. If you need to replace your light strings, look for LED lights, they will cost a little more in the beginning but will last up to ten years and use even less electricity.

Wrapping paper

Most commercial gift-wrap is non-recyclable however, you do have alternatives! You can look for post-consumer recycled gift-wrap, use newspaper or comics, fabric, or hemp wrap. Gift bags are a respectable choice as they can be re-used season to season but they too will eventually end up in a landfill. Use ribbon over each year or find nice natural alternatives to decorating the package such as pinecones, evergreens, holly, and twine. Avoid using berries and mistletoe as they can be poisonous to children and can fall off a package easily.

Most importantly this holiday season, being around friends and family is the point. Don’t skimp on the meaningful things that tradition has passed down, just be a little more eco-conscience this year, and have a wonderful holiday season!