Have a Merry Green-Friendly Christmas: How to Minimize Waste During the Holidays

Amid the merriment and cheer, Christmas often ends up being a time for excess, especially when it comes to waste. However, you can certainly put emphasis on the GREEN part of the holiday’s typical red and green motif by focusing on simple efforts to minimize your waste output. Below, find five impactful yet convenient ways to manage your environmental footprint during the holiday season.

1. Holiday Cards: Do you usually mail our your holiday cards? Don’t waste your money, or the paper! Instead, try sending out e-cards. If you prefer snail mail, opt for eco-friendly or recycled paper cards.

2. Christmas Trees: Did you know you can recycle your natural Christmas tree? Don’t toss it into the garbage! Your tree can be used for organic recycling, mulching, and even bird feeders. Look up your local options for tree recycling on the web.

3. Bring Your Own Shopping Bag: Paper or plastic? How about neither? Bring some tote bags when you go holiday shopping and you can help save a slew of trees, as well as give yourself less to carry.

4. Earth-Friendly Gift Wrap: Wrapping paper using foil is not typically recyclable. Instead, try to use old newspapers for a cool, vintage look, or seek out paper wrapping that have been made from recycled paper. Then, continue your family to continue the cycle after opening their gifts.

5. Gift Cards: Minimize your carbon footprint (and your gas expense!) by purchasing gift cards and gift certificates online or in local stores. This will not only save on wrapping paper waste, but also allow the recipient to customize their own gift. Win win!