Green Holiday Guide
The holidays are here and most of us are looking forward to a time when we can slow down and spend more time with friends and family. However, it can also be a stressful time of fighting crowds and shopping for that perfect gift. If we are not being mindful, the holidays can be a time when we are more wasteful–according to the EPA, five million tons is the amount of trash produced between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day in America. That’s a 25% increase in waste then generated in a typical five to six week period–that’s a lot of trash. The good news is, if we are aware and looking for useful gifts with less waste in mind, we can actually help others reduce their impacts.
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If you’re looking to lessen your impact, here are some helpful gift giving hints with reducing in mind.
- Stainless steel straws with a carrying case
- Reusable lunch box and containers
- Cloth napkins
- Folding silverware set
- Reusable grocery bag set
- Handmade holiday cloth gift bags
- Travel mug
- Reusable beeswax wrap
- House plants
- Water bottle
- Gift an experience – museums, classes, movies
- Gift card
- Membership
- Home or locally made body care
- Baked goodies
- Local art
- Volunteer or donate in honor of someone
- Upcycled gift
Other tips for greening the holidays:
- Decorate your house with LED lights that use 90% less energy than traditional holiday lights, and save your family up to $50 on your energy bills during the holiday season.
- Utilize timers on your lights to reduce the amount of time they spend on each day.
- Most wrapping paper is non-recyclable. Use wrapping paper, holiday cards and boxes that are 100% recyclable paper. Don’t forget to have your recycling container or craft bag ready while everyone is opening gifts!
- Instead of buying new items, take a walk through your own back yard for decor inspiration.
- Carpooling to Holiday functions can be fun but it also cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions.
- Chose a tree from a local farm so forests aren’t depleted. Real trees help create cleaner air by absorbing greenhouse gas emissions and create oxygen. Bonus: Check with your local waste management office about their Christmas tree collection, or drop it off at one of these locations. Lexington folks: leave your tree on the curb through mid-January for curbside collection.
- Find a location to recycle your old string lights, like these in Lexington.
- Add local food to your holiday feasts! Learn about farmers’ markets near you here.
Happy holidays from all of us here at Bluegrass Greensource!