How to Have a "Green" Christmas

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Christmas is a time for giving--but it can be so wasteful! Tons of trash, overspending and travel can take a toll on yourself, and the environment. Here are some easy ways we can all go a little "green" for Christmas.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Enthusiasm
Creativity
Willingness to Change

Environmentally Friendly Christmas

Step1

Eliminate waste.

Think about all of the paper products you use this Christmas as find a way to recycle or reuse them. Instead of throwing your greeting cards away, cut them up and use them as tags for your presents. You could even get creative and use comic book paper, old sheet music and old pages from books for interesting wrapping paper. On Christmas day, be sure to save the bows, as my aunt always did. Reuse the bags, boxes and bows for next year's wrapping.

Step2

Cook with organic foods.

Even if you usually don't, give organic foods a try this holiday season. You will be giving your family the gift of healthy foods and will be helping the environment.

Step3

Don't buy faux trees.

Fake trees eventually end up in landfills; the best bet is to buy a potted Christmas tree if you can. If you live in an environment that can sustain it, plant it in your back yard after the holidays. If you live in the south like me, take your tree to be turned into mulch; many places will do it free of charge after the holidays.

Step4

Re-gift.

It sounds tacky, but it's a great way to help save resources. That weird fondue pot you got a few years ago may not be your style, but your teenage sister may think it's great! It's better to re-gift than to just throw them away.

Step5

Conserve Electricity.

It's tempting to make like Clark Griswold and set your house afire with lights this Christmas season, but it's not environmentally friendly. Keep Christmas lights conservative and only run them a few hours in the evening to save on resources (and your electric bill). You can also conserve electricity by bundling up instead of cranking up the heat.