Recycling Tips for the Day After Christmas
February 18, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Somehow there always so much work to be done after Christmas. What do you do with the wrapping paper, packaging, food leftovers and more? How do you deal with it all, not make more work for yourself, and yet still make the most eco-friendly choices?
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Wrapping paper - First, look at what type of paper was used to wrap the gifts. Many types of wrapping paper are not recyclable paper containing metallic or plastic flecks, other un-recyclable filler fibers, or due to excessive tape. So the options here are to smooth it out and save it for next year, smooth it. Wrapping paper can also be re-used when making crafts such as greeting cards, book covers, and more. Shred it and use it for packing material for mailing things, or for wrapping breakables if you or someone you know is moving.
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Tissue Paper - This can easily be reused. Save the pieces that are not too crumpled and use them next year. If it’s too crumpled or wadded up you can use it to wrap up fragile ornaments for storage. Or save some of it for the extra padding you use to fill out a gift bags.
- Cardboard boxes - easily flattened and recycled. Shirt boxes like you get from a department store can be flattened and added to next years wrapping supplies..
- Gift bags- great for next year
- Christmas cards - make great gift tags for next year.
- Gifts - if you got a new cell phone send in your old one to help our soldiers. Cellphone for Soldiers has a recycling plan. Go to cellphoneforsoldiers.com for a drop off center.
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Clothes- Donate your old clothes to charity. Same with dishes or household items.
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Christmas Tree - some cities like Los Angeles offer curbside recycling. To find out if yours does or to find a recycling center near you do a search on earth911.com
Jennifer McColm Certified Organic Soy Candles!
November 4, 2009 by greencatalog · Leave a Comment
I have worked very hard at creating a long burning, organic soy candle to keep homes aglow and fresh scented. I am so happy to introduce you!
With the holidays fast approaching, if you are like me you are planning and already purchasing gifts and stocking stuffer’s for your loved ones! Take a peek at my line of soy candles as well as beeswax tapered candles.
Benefits of soy candles: no carcinogens are produced from the burning wax, it is biodegradable, soy wax is water soluble - which makes “oops” clean-ups a lot easier, your purchase of soy candles promotes local and US soy farmers, soy wax goes further for your buck, it burns 30-50% longer than paraffin. Beeswax shares many of the same benefits of soy!
Each candle is hand poured in an 8 oz glass mason jar. Once you have enjoyed many hours of your candle you can re-use the mason jar for whatever your heart delights in.
Available in these delightful scents:
Fresh Cut Grass, Bamboo & Basil, Brown Sugar & Fig (a great scent for the Fall/Winter holidays!)
http://jennifermccolm.com/web/green-shop/
Eco-friendly Gifts — Easier than you think!
December 8, 2008 by Nefertiti · Leave a Comment
Just by putting a little more effort into your holiday shopping this season, you will be free and eco-clear! Why not try to give earth-friendly or handmade gifts? Your local farmer’s market is full of talented artisans that depend on their wares to get them through the holiday season, do something good for the economy, and spend locally! I recently purchased a beautiful piece from the local Farmers Market near my home that I am planning on giving away to a dear friend. The price was reasonable and the quality was unmatched. Plus, I am doing my little part to help my community.
Alternatively, if you have time, make up recipe jars, photo-calendars, or coupon books for good deeds. Another eco-friendly idea is giving a “cultural experience” gift. Think about a family membership to the local zoo, museum, or botanical gardens.
Lastly, when you do shop for gifts, take your own bags to cut down on plastic waste. Oh, and those make excellent gifts too!
Healthy Holiday Cookies!
December 8, 2008 by Nefertiti · Leave a Comment
Parties are a huge part of the holiday season but they can also create a lot of unnecessary waste. Try hosting a cookie swap where each guest brings a dozen of their own recipe for each guest. You’ll waste less because products can be purchased in bulk and made all in one day with the same utensils using the same hot oven!
When hosting, use Grandma’s china! When else is a good reason? May as well use it and show it off!Moreover, just think of all those paper plates that won’t be in the landfill!
Here are some holiday cookie recipes that are both delicious and nutricious! Courtesy of Good Housekeeping.
Remember that the holidays don’t have to mean putting the pause on your healthy eating habits. It just means trying new healthier versions of your standard recipes and sharing with friends and family - you might be surprised by their reaction!
As always, Live Green!
‘Tis the Season…
December 7, 2008 by Nefertiti · 2 Comments
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!
