What will you do differently this holiday season to be “green”?
What are you planning to do to be "green" for Christmas and the holidays?
http://greenliving.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_create_a_green_christmas
What are you planning to do to be "green" for Christmas and the holidays?
http://greenliving.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_create_a_green_christmas
Every year we save the paper gift bags for future use — it’s become sort of a game with the kids to peel the name tag off to see who received that bag the year before.
We save boxes from year to year, as well as those from items purchased throughout the year for future use. I have also been known to bring home boxes from work, i.e. copy paper boxes, etc., which are used for storage or for Christmas gift wrapping. This sometimes lends itself to some holiday fun when a person unwraps their gift and sees a box for one thing, but something completely different is actually inside. Of course, by now, my kids know better and don’t count their chickens (so to speak) until they have actually opened the box!
We also have a family rule that you must give a homemade gift to each person on your list — you can still purchase something should you wish, but only after creating a gift yourself.
I save my material scraps from other projects and make cloth gifts bags, which of course, is also part of the gift itself.
As for the tree, we are still using the same artificial tree that I acquired from a local grocery store (7-Up display) after Christmas about 10 years ago. As I was told, it was just going to be tossed out (headed for the landfill) and so they gave it to me for FREE! It is huge and beautiful – even after all these years!
As for what we will do differently this year, I think we will forego all the electric lights – both inside and out and rely on the simple warm light of candles (not on the tree of course).
Great question. Thanks for asking it!
wrap with paper bags n cloth ribbons, dig up a little tree from the property and take it back and put it in the ground after christmas, and get my husband to go out in the woods and get me a turkey, hate that part, but its true. happy holidays. your question has me thinking of more things now. thanks
I’m gonna buy a Hummer.
I’m going to drive my family crazy. I try to buy gifts that are eco friendly, but many of my family members think I’ve gone too far. So, I have to disguise my eco friendly gifts. Last year instead of buying plastic toys for my nieces and nephew I bought them tickets to a show, I know most shows aren’t very eco friendly, but I felt is was better to avoid toxic plastics and all the packaging going to the landfill. I’m still trying to think of gifts for this year.
I use different media to wrap presents, such as news paper, or fabric. The fabric bag helps alot. I had a large remnant piece of red velvet that I sewed into a large bag. The bag is reused year after year for large presents, or for lots of little ones. I also collect everyones wrapping paper and break down shirt boxes and take them all to the local recycling center every christmas day. I hope this helps!