How to have a 'green' Christmas

During the season of celebration we need to show extra care for the environment.

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.

Buy Smart - think 'green'

• look for locally made gifts

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

 area 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.

• 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 whilepromoting the concept of making best use of available

 materials. Here are some examples for you to consider:

• give 'battery-free' gifts

According to the EPA, about 40% of all

battery sales occur during the holiday season. Discarded batteries

are an environmental hazard. Even rechargeable batteries find their

way into the waste stream eventually. Here are a few examples of

gifts that have less of an impact on the environment:

• are some examples:

• 're-gifting' is OK

There's much discussion these days about the

etiquette behind the trend to 're-gift', that is, to pass on a gift you

 received but do not need. What's to discuss? Re-gifting makes

perfect sense. If you receive something you really don't need, look

 for ways you can reuse this gift by passing it on to someone who

 can use it. Of course, re-gifting needs to be done with care so as not

 to offend the original giver,but keeping a gift you don't need is wasteful

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.

Lower the impact of holiday lighting

• Reduce the size of outdoor lighting displays

• Use LED lights for house and Christmas tree lighting

• Outdoor Mini-lights will also save energy

• Turn tree lights and outdoor house decorative lighting off at bedtime

Choose a live tree

Although plastic Christmas trees are reusable from year to year, real trees are the more sustainable choice. Plastic trees are made of petroleum products (PVC), and use up resources in both the manufacture and shipping. While artificial trees theoretically last forever, research shows that they are typically discarded when repeated use makes them less attractive. Discarded artificial trees are then sent to landfills, where their plastic content makes them last forever.

• replant the tree when it becomes too large for your holiday tree

Homemade Cards

Store-bought Christmas cards are rich, elegant and expensive. They also consume a huge amount of natural resources for a throw-away item. The amount of cards sold in the US during the holiday season would fill a football field 10 stories high, and requires the harvesting of nearly 300,000 trees. Homemade cards may not be as professional, but they are more personal and just as appreciated. Making the cards is also a fun activity for the family during the weeks before Christmas.

Making your own cards is easy if you have the material to work with. Try to get in the habit of saving pieces of heavy paper (good one side) to use as the backing for your glued-on pictures. "Card stock" is the ideal weight, and even small pieces are worth saving.

Alternatives to Wrapping Paper

• Use environmentally friendly wrapping paper

• Avoid buying glossy foil or metallic wrapping paper

• Reuse gift wrap where possible

• Use tape sparingly, or not at all

• Choose alternatives to commercial gift wrap