Green Holidays!

It’s that time of year when we’re all running around making our last minute purchases for our special loved ones. You may think to yourself, “What can I get my mother, my brother, or my best friend this year?” But what you may not think about is that during the holiday season we generate an excess amount of energy, trash, and pollutants directly into our environment. Think about all that wrapping paper you bought and those gifts with exaggerated packaging, only to be thrown away immediately. What about the new Christmas lights and the gas you use every time you go to the store to purchase a gift, only to use more precious energy? Now I know that during this festive time you probably don’t want to add to your list of things to do, but I assure you that there are fun and easy ways to give a gift to mother earth this holiday season. Here are some great ways you can contribute to the preservation of our environment: There is obviously a lot of shopping going on, so the next time you hit the grocery store for your festively planned meals (and also in the future) make sure that you use a canvas shopping bag. Lots of stores have these available for purchase at the store itself and you can reuse and reuse every time it’s time to replenish your fridge. It’s great to know that you are using one less plastic or paper bag for every canvas bag you use and for every trip you make to the store! Leftovers? No, I’m not talking about food. I’m talking about reusing wrapping paper, gift bags, boxes, bows, and ribbon from the year before. No one will ever know the difference ;) Not only do you consume less paper, but now you have some extra dollars in your pocket! Remember to save what you can for next year’s holiday season and if you do decide to purchase, make sure you purchase recycled products. If you bought a real Christmas tree, you can contribute to keeping it green this holiday season by making sure you recycle your tree immediately after the 25th. Check your area for local recycling programs that are specific to recycling Christmas trees. An easy way to find out is by going to this website http://earth911.org/. Simply type in what you want to recycle and your zip code. It’s that easy! What about all those decorative lights? If you haven’t yet, make sure that you purchase LED lights instead of incandescent or tungsten bulbs. You’ll use much less electricity, save on your utility bill (for all those decorating fanatics ;)), and they last much longer than traditional lights. Make it a fun, festive, and green holiday season! Happy Holidays!