Dreaming of a 'green' Christmas?
by Gwen Shaffer - Courtesy Greentreks.org
More household waste is produced between Thanksgiving and New Years than any other time of the year - as much as six million additional tons. The 2.6 billion holiday cards sold each year in the United States could fill a football field 10 stories high. And then there are the mountains of gift-wrap, Styrofoam peanuts, Christmas trees and candy boxes that generally end up in the landfill. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are alternatives to highly packaged gifts and prepared food trays.
Fran Pieri, director of education for the Pennsylvania Resources Council, says most cities in the U.S. will pick up Christmas trees for recycling. "Also, if you have woods behind you, you can put peanut butter on the pine cones and seeds and it can actually be a refuge for birds in the winter time," she adds.
The biggest trash generator is gifts, Pieri says. "Some of the things people can do would be minimize on 'stuff' purchases - like big packages with extra packaging. Things like theater tickets and gift certificates do not require a lot of packaging. They are usable but don't create that environment of trash.”
There are also plenty of environmentally friendly gifts available. One idea would be to give friends items that save energy - such as low-flowing shower heads and fluorescent light bulbs that use much less energy than incandescent bulbs. Rechargeable batteries are an especially thoughtful gift for kids whose toys require batteries that are otherwise thrown away on a regular basis. As people upgrade new computers and electronics this year, look into donating your old equipment to a non-profit that will refurbish it and donate it to a school or needy family.
If you have your heart set on wrapping gifts, look to see if the paper you buy is made from recycled paper. You can also purchase beautifully decorated gift boxes and bags (the dollar stores sell them). "You just have to put ribbons on them and don't have to use all that wrapping paper," Pieri points out. “The ribbon and box are both reusable. And for children who want to wrap presents for parents, they can glitz up an already used brown paper bag."
Since packaging is among the biggest contributors to holiday trash, Pieri recommends avoiding gifts with excess packaging. "Rather than using new tissue paper to wrap ornaments and things you don't want to break, reuse that same bubble wrap and peanuts," she says. "Also, plastic bags that you buy at the supermarket are great for wrapping ornaments or things that are breakable."
When it comes to entertaining this year, try to make dishes from scratch or ask people to bring just one dish that's homemade for the party. Yes, it’s certainly quicker and easier to serve prepared foods from the grocery stores or delis, but the containers they come in will be here forever if they aren't recycled.
And here’s a thought - rather than tossing out your holiday cards in January, Pieri suggests donating them to a nursery school or day care. "Kids cut out the pictures and glue them into a scene or a collage," she says. "I've used wrapping paper to make bowties on figures like a reindeer, so I'm not throwing it away but rather reusing it for an arts and craft project."
Last but not least in the practicality department, consider writing out a shopping list in order to save energy. "Plan your shopping trip,” says Pieri. “Head towards where you need to go and purchase as many products as possible the first time - instead of going back and forth to the store and wasting the gas because you forgot one thing."
Tips on a green Christmas from the UK Friends of the Earth
Enjoy the festive season by taking inspiration from our ideas for presents, parties and decorations which won't cost the earth.
Presents
Try flea markets, antique jewelry and vintage clothing shops for gifts - you'll be giving a unique present, as well as recycling.
Indulge with a local, organic hamper made up from the local farmers market or give gifts of locally-brewed beer or organic wine.
If you're talented in the kitchen, you could make chutneys, cakes, or chocolate truffles as presents. Or make your own flavored organic olive oil, adding dried chilies, garlic or herbs to a pretty bottle and filling it up with oil.
Treat people to a special experience instead of an item - such as theatre tokens, annual membership of a gallery or a weekend at a spa.
For budding eco-enthusiasts, 'Save Cash and Save the Planet', published by Friends of the Earth and Collins, is packed with ideas on how you can save money and help the planet. savecashsaveplanet.co.uk
Take your own re-usable shopping bags with you when you do your Christmas shopping.
Cut down on the stress of choosing presents if you've got a big group of people to buy for, by organizing a 'Secret Santa' - agree a gift budget which everyone must to stick to, pick one name each out of a hat, then everyone only has to buy one present.
Food and drink
If you can, opt for seasonal local food and drink. A traditional Christmas dinner uses seasonal produce and buying your food from a local market or grocer helps the local economy and cuts down on 'food miles', which contribute to climate change.
Buy loose rather than pre-packed vegetables - it'll help cut down on waste packaging.
If you're having a party, avoid serving food and drink on disposable plates and cups - they will just add to our growing mountain of waste. Borrow extra crockery from neighbors. Many wine shops lend boxes of wine glasses, if you're buying supplies from them.
Around half of the waste produced by households at Christmas could easily be recycled, but last year almost 90% ended up in the dustbin.
Instead of throwing away all those sprout peelings, why not put your vegetable leftovers in a compost bin? Around 4,000 million sprouts are bought in the week before Christmas in Britain, so there's a lot of composting just waiting to happen.
It's tempting to over-buy food at Christmas, but save yourself some cash by trying to plan menus for the holiday season. The average family wastes around a third of the food they buy.
More than 10 million turkeys are bought and 4,200 tons of aluminum foil are thrown away in the UK each Christmas - if you can't re-use the foil for cooking, make sure you put it in the recycling.
