Green up your holiday

The holiday season with its accompanying buying, wrapping and celebrating substantially increases the amount of solid waste we generate. However, there are many opportunities for you to reduce, reuse and recycle the remnants of holiday cheer. Listed below are some tips for reducing waste during the holiday season.

Tips for Holiday

Shopping

When shopping, bring your own reusable tote bag rather than accepting a separate bag for each purchase (be sure to get your sales slip so you can verify your purchases). Say "I don't need a bag" for small purchases. Ask for the box the product came in or get a clothing box for the item instead of collecting both a box and a bag. Choose products that are minimally packaged.

Earth Friendly Gift

Ideas Give experiences, not stuff. Try gift certificates for massages, movies, dining, classes, concerts, sport events, mass transit, etc. Give of yourself. Donate blood to the Red Cross. Become a bone marrow donor. Sign an organ donor card. Donate long hair to "Locks of Love" to make wigs for children that lose their hair to cancer or disease. Give a personal service like snow shoveling, lawn mowing, babysitting, cleaning, running errands, etc. Give a gift that keeps giving. Make a donation in the name of a friend or family member to an organization that they support. Give eco-gifts like reusable tote bags, rechargeable batteries, a bike, energy or water saving devices, bird feeders, a compost bin, etc.

Also, consider giving subscriptions to Conservationist magazine as a way of keeping those who receive it informed and appreciative of the beauty of nature and the work being done to protect it.