How to Have a Green Christmas

Protecting the environment is always important especially during the holidays. It is estimated that between Thanksgiving and New Years, over a million extra tons of waste is generated in the US.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• creativity
• Maybe a little cash

1. Buy green gadgets as presents –e.g. an energy star appliance, shake flashlight or solar powered gadget- check out these sites ideas: http://www.greenelectronics.com/ or http://mygreenelectronics.org/rethink.aspx, http://green.yahoo.com/holiday2007

2. Ask your children to give their time as a gift to your favorite local environmental charity. Make a donation in honor of a loved one. Choose a cause that addresses an issue that you and your friends and family members care about and support e.g recycling, global warming

3. After the party is over sort out all those items that can be recycled and put them in your recycling bin- re-use cardboard packaging from presents, once your recycling bin is full. Don’t send your styrofoam packaging peanuts to the landfill. Keep them to reuse or donate them to local businesses.

4. Buy local from farmers markets or buy an organic Turkey for your holiday feast. Use leftovers from your holiday dinner to make interesting dishes - think about curry, stir-fry or a delicious salad

5. Buy a live tree and replant it after the holidays or Find out if there is a drop off for Christmas tree recycling in you area.

6. o Bring your own reusable bag to the store to do holiday shopping, or re-use plastic grocery bags. Buy candy and other edible gifts in reusable glass jars or tins. Save your holiday gift wrap, decorations, cards and boxes to reuse next year. Old cards can be used as gift tags next year. Reuse old wrapping paper or put your gifts in reusable bags or boxes

7. Send all of your holiday cards by e-mail

8. Avoid using paper plates, cups or silverware at Holiday parties. If you must use them, make sure they are recyclable

9. If you are making room for new gifts and want to get rid of old clothes or toys, donate your unwanted items to a homeless shelter or charitable organization

10. Make it your New Years resolution to reduce the amount of waste you and your family produce

Tips & Warnings

• Buy energy saving LED lights for decorating
• Buy rechargeable batteries and a charger for battery-operated toys and gadgets you give
• Choose alternative gifts such as theatre tickets, a gym membership, gift certificates, pottery classes – You can even make the voucher out of an old Christmas card
• Avoid Toys Made with PVC plastic since Vinyl Chloride, the chemical used to make PVC, is a known human carcinogen.

[philanthropy]

on 2/26/2008 We make little envelopes each year that say giving tree and hang them on our tree. In each envelope is a Blue Planet Registrar Adopt a tree and we have one on there for each friend that a tree has been dedicated to so all friends and family have a fun little thing to take off the tree and keep to commemorate a tree that was planted for them.