I know that I don’t want to end up in the red after the holiday season is over. I also know that by making greener choices, I might save some green in the process. That’s why I’m giving you a quick refresher course with 6 tips on how having an eco-friendly Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa or general holiday season can add up to some cha-ching for you.
1. Use sustainable gift wrap.
My grandmother would be so proud of how I’ve gotten into the habit of saving and re-using holiday wrapping paper. Not only does this cut down on trash, but it saves me money, too. “In my family, we re-gift gift bags again and again,” adds Wake Forest University Director of Sustainability Dedee DeLongpre Johnston. “Pillowcases can also make pretty gift wraps if done right.” If you can’t reuse gift wrap this year, keep this notion in the back of your mind as you clean up so you have a stash of sustainable gift wrap for next year.
2. Decorate with energy-efficient lighting.
I just wrote a post about green holiday lighting, but it’s a tip worth repeated. If you’re looking to replace your holiday lights, go with LED lights. Like CFLs, they may cost more upfront but, also like CFLs, they have a longer lifespan than standard lights, and LEDs also reduce fire risks because they stay cool to the touch. Want to be even greener? Use light-sensor timers to turn your lights on and off.
3. Give consumable gifts.
I know that around these parts, sometimes baking a batch of homemade cookies or banana chocolate chip bread to give as a gift is the quickest, easiest and most affordable gift to give. If money is tight for you this year, you can make a similar choice–especially if you present your gift in a reusable container. This way you’re not just giving “stuff” that will end up in the trash.
4. Choose a gift that benefits a good cause.
If someone has a passion in life, giving to an organization that supports their cause can be very meaningful. Whether you donate a flock of chicks to support a hungry family through Heifer International or fund the planting of trees through American Forest, you will be giving a gift that gives back and helps preserve the environment at the same time. In addition, consider doing some of your shopping at a local Goodwill store, which supports Goodwill International. Despite the stigma of thrift stores, it is possible to find brand-new, still-with-the-tags-on-them gifts at Goodwill and other resale shops.
5. Give the gift of time.
Schedule time to get together with friends and family for cookie exchanges or other meaningful holiday events. Or if you can swing it, give a gift of a service, such as a manicure or pedicure.
6. Recycle your cut tree.
If you have a cut tree, check with your local municipality to find out when they will pick it up for recycling. (You can also log onto Earth 911 to find out this tree-recycling information, sometimes called treecycling.) More than 30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States each year, but more than 90 percent are being recycled for mulch or chipped and used in parks and other public spaces. OK, so this last tip isn’t as much a money saver as the others, but if you get a live tree, the best way to dispose of it is to have it recycled–not toss it in the trash.
Let us know what other green-saves-green ideas you’ll be using this holiday season.
