Green Christmas Traditions
Make Environmentally-Friendly Choices Part of Your Holiday Season
Nov 13, 2007 Michelle Carchrae
With piles of torn wrapping paper, plastic packaging and dried up trees left at the curb come the first week of January, it is easy to see that the holiday season is one of excess and consumption. It doesn't have to be this way, however. By choosing new, greener Christmas traditions to practice with your family this holiday season you will give the gift of an environmental conscience and a healthy ecosystem to future generations. Don't know where to start? Have a look at each of your family's traditions and try to spot where you can employ reusable products and increase efficiency overall. Here are some examples.
Reusable Gift Wrap
Using paper wrapping paper once, tearing it up and throwing it in the garbage bin is a tradition that can easily be done in a more environmentally friendly way. Instead of throwing your paper away, put it in the recycling bin instead. If you are an organized, frugal type of person you might consider saving paper that is still in good condition to be used next year. Durable paper gift bags are easier to save and reuse. If you've got a sewing machine and a bit of time, consider sewing some cloth gift bags out of festive cotton prints. It is easy to make classy drawstring-style bags that will last year in and year out, and they have the added benefit of making the chore of wrapping much faster and easier.
LED Christmas Lights
We no longer attach multitudes of small wax candles to our Christmas trees, so why continue to use incandescent Christmas lights? LED bulbs use 90% less energy than a regular incandescent bulb, making them even more energy efficient than compact florescent lights. This high energy efficiency means that LEDs are kind to your wallet too.
Environmentally Friendly Christmas Trees
At first glance, it may seem like chopping down a tree so that you can stand it up in your living room for two weeks isn't very environmentally friendly, but Christmas tree farms do act as a carbon dioxide sink and they replant trees as they are harvested. However, the best option is a living tree either in a pot or root ball. At the end of the holiday season either store the potted tree outside and bring it in again next year or plant it on an acreage, farm or wilderness area and buy another potted tree the following year. By keeping the tree alive with regular watering the job of cleanup is easier too, as fewer needles will be dropped inside the house.
Of course, one of everyone's favorite Christmas traditions is giving and receiving gifts. There are green Christmas gifts to suit anyone on your list, so don't be afraid to branch out and try something new this year. By making a few small changes we can help make a healthier world for everyone. An environmentally friendly Christmas is the best gift of all.
Christmas Tree
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