The holiday season is upon us and what better way to kick it off then by thinking of ways to scale it back! This season is full of shopping and wrapping and packaging and just plain old wasting! This year, why not find some ways to get your family in the spirit by working together to "green-ify" your holiday. Here are some easy ways....
Green Gifts
- instead of buying a gift for everyone on your list, why not ask family members, co-workers etc... to draw names and buy just one gift
- instead of buying Aunt Joan that expensive perfume set when you don't even know if she wears perfume, why not think of a charity to donate to in her honour - find a charity that you feel best represents her and explain to her why you chose it
- go homemade! Homemade ornaments made by the kids for Grandma and Grandpa are always a hit, or frame a special photograph that you took during the year. Baking and other treats always go over well in our house (hint hint)!
- give the gift of time. Give your friend a weekend of babysitting so she can have time to herself, give your spouse a "get out of laundry free card" (or two), or give your child a "prince for a day" coupon where he gets to choose all that you do for an entire day
- give the gift of talent. Everyone's good at something! Offer to take a family portrait if you're an avid photographer, give a cooking lesson if you like to cook.
- use reusable gift wrap - cloth bags and boxes are good choices, or wrap food gifts/baking in tea towels tied with ribbon
Green decor
- you know all of those beautiful paintings that Susie brought home from kindergarten this year? Why not use them as wrapping paper (with Susie's permission of course!)
- cut out the front of holiday cards you receive in the mail and use them as gift tags
- opt for LED Christmas lights which use up to 95% less energy
- make your own decorations out of recycled materials found around the home/yard - a little glitter on a pinecone goes a long way!
Live tree vs. Artificial tree
- some people believe that an artificial tree is better for the environment, when in actual fact, a live tree is the way to go - here are my arguments....
- artificial trees are made of PVC and use up manufacturing resources
- artificial trees are made to last forever, but most of that forever is spent in the landfill as the vast majority are discarded after year three for an upgrade - this one comes with its own lights! (Uh oh, now you just tossed your old lights, too!)
- although live trees are chopped down, they are a renewable resource and are replanted regularly
- they contribute to air quality while growing and almost 90% are recycled into mulch - consider having yours chopped into mulch directly and use it in your own garden
- finally, live trees are generally harvested from local tree farms, cutting down on emissions from shipping
There are so many ways to cut down on our environmental impact at this time of year. It is also a great time to begin (or continue) to teach our kids about the importance of the holidays, whatever that may mean in your family. It is also a great way to get our kids involved in green initiatives by asking them to help find ways to reduce, reuse and recycle over the holidays.
