‘Tis the season to be jolly, to spend time with family and
friends, exchange gifts, eat lots of goodies and generally just
make merry. It is also the season to make trash
– tons of it.
This Christmas, Americans will mail almost 2 billion Christmas
cards, use upwards of 38,000 miles of ribbon and buy millions of
Christmas trees which are usually found browning at the curb a few
days past New Year’s, according to
”
Newsweek.
”
‘Tis the season to be jolly, to spend time with family and friends, exchange gifts, eat lots of goodies and generally just make merry. It is also the season to make trash – tons of it.
This Christmas, Americans will mail almost 2 billion Christmas cards, use upwards of 38,000 miles of ribbon and buy millions of Christmas trees which are usually found browning at the curb a few days past New Year’s, according to “Newsweek.”
There are ways, however, to keep your holiday traditions alive while keeping Mother Nature’s interests at heart. Below are some suggestions for having a “green” Christmas. Some are simple, such as bringing canvas tote bags when shopping for presents or giving homemade gifts rather than purchased ones.
Others require a little thought and some monetary investment, but think about this – by reducing the amount of waste and energy used to create our Merry Christmases, we could give each other the perfect gift – a healthier planet.
“No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights”
Traffic along Severinsen Drive in Hollister always increases at Christmas. Not because of shoppers, but because of the people coming to look at the decorated houses lining the street.
Yes, the effect is beautiful, but residents admit to spending quite a bit of money on lights, giant blow-up figures and of course, their monthly PG&E bill.
Being environmentally aware during the holiday season doesn’t mean giving up brightly lit yards and homes. While cutting back wouldn’t hurt (remember the scene from the movie “Christmas Vacation,” when Aunt Bethany thinks the house is on fire due to all of the lights?), there are new lights available which are more earth-friendly. LED lights, which look the same as traditional incandescent bulbs, last longer, use about 85 percent less energy and stay cool to the touch, which is safer for those families with curious younger children. The lights are fairly inexpensive – a strand of 60 Philips LED dome string multi-color twinkle lights uses up to 88 percent less energy, lasts up to 20 times longer than standard bulbs and is available at Target for $14.99.
Also, try limiting the amount of time lights are actually on. Sure, it gets dark earlier in the winter, but why not wait until after dinner to turn those lights on? Setting a schedule (say from 7-10 p.m.) will help cut back on energy usage. Another suggestion – buy a timer that will automatically turn lights on and off. This way, lights are not accidentally left on overnight and the amount of time they are turned on is the same each night. A basic timer is available at the Home Depot for $9.99.
“The best of all gifts: a happy family wrapped up in each other”
Paper makes up more than 30 percent of California’s solid waste each year. And the average family creates an extra 3-10 bags of garbage for the month of December, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board’s (CIWMB) Web site. With the state’s population at about 37 million people, that amounts to a whole bunch of trash.
There are ways to avoid excess, however. Look around the house and use some imagination – decorating grocery bags with holiday artwork can turn out just as beautiful as fancy wrap and a fun family project also. The color sections of the local newspaper work well, and if the glossy look is what you prefer, try old magazines and those annoying catalogs that come in the mail.
Make the wrapping part of the gift. Wrap your wife’s jewelry inside a new blouse and tie it with a colorful scarf. Or create themed gift baskets, such as an evening out for your husband or a video game night for the kids. Try going paperless – today, reusable gift bags and decorative boxes are sold everywhere, even the local dollar store. Instead of buying rolls of paper each year, re-use paper, ribbons and bows that are still in good condition after the early morning opening frenzy.
Finally, if wrapping presents is a tradition you just can’t give up, try looking for wrap made from recycled materials. Visit paporganics.com, a mail order Web site featuring Christmas wrapping paper ($4.99 for two 24″x36″ sheets) as well as biodegradable ribbons made from cotton and soy-based inks.
“I don’t know how to cut down a Christmas tree. When I look at it, I hope it just falls down”
There are a few misguided souls who believe they are saving the environment by using an artificial Christmas tree. Last year, about half the trees displayed in the United States were fake, according to the Love to Know Christmas Web site. Many people prefer an artificial tree because they don’t shed needles, drip sap or require daily watering. And for those who are allergic, a fake tree might be the only way to go. Although somewhat expensive (Target features a 7′ frosted fir tree with 1,373 tips on pre-attached branches for $99.99, other styles can go as high as a few hundred dollars), an artificial tree can be used year after year.
However, many artificial trees are petroleum based, and that makes them hard to recycle. The needles contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and lead is used to stabilize PVC, and since everyone is aware of how bad lead is for humans and animals, a real tree seems the best option, short of not having a tree at all.
So go for the real thing, and try to support small, local growers, such as Bourdet’s Christmas Tree Farm on Los Viboras Road in Hollister. Bourdet’s, which is open daily from the Friday after Thanksgiving through Dec. 23, features Monterey and Leyland Cypress trees for their choose-and-cut trees, but they also sell several varieties of already cut trees, such as Noble and Douglas firs. After Christmas, contact Hollister’s Boy Scout troops, who will pick up your tree for a small donation and take it to be recycled. Or check out the CIWMB’s Web site for other uses for your tree.
“No matter how we send them, Christmas greetings bring people closer together”
Sending Christmas cards is not an old custom; the first real Christmas card was supposedly sent in the 1840s by Englishman Henry Cole, who thought he was too busy to take the time to write personal greetings and instead hired an artist to create one card he could send to anyone he wanted.
With more than 2 billion cards being sent out at Christmas in the United States alone, one could say Cole’s idea really caught on. Reduce paper consumption and waste by purchasing cards made from recycled materials. Or try going paperless. For the electronically-savvy, e-mail cards are the perfect option. Or try creating a family blog and then sending a bulk e-mail to your contacts directing them to the site. Other suggestions include making a free online slide show or multi-photo e-card at photobucket.com using your family photos. The Web site also allows you to add holiday music, snowflakes and text.
“Christmas is forever, not just for one day”
Several tips for having a green Christmas work just as well throughout the rest of the year. For example, when giving a party, forget about paper plates and plastic utensils – use metal flatware and real dishes and glasses and cloth tablecloths and napkins, no matter how casual the party. If you own an Energy-Star certified dishwasher, you won’t be using too much more additional electricity, and if you wash by hand, recruit a few helpers, put on some Christmas carols and make the chore fun. If you feel it necessary to use disposable plates, use ones made from recyclable paper, not plastic or Styrofoam, and put used plates in your recycling bin, not the trash can (after removing all the food, of course).
If you need to ship a present, pack it into the smallest box possible, and save and re-use any bubble wrap, loose-fill polystyrene packaging chips (better known as “peanuts”) or newspapers as packing materials. When it comes to gifts, try to purchase products which do not come in excessive packaging. Unfortunately, many of today’s hottest gifts come in cardboard boxes, especially toys, but other options include specific retailer gift cards (perfect for the electronically-minded teenager), gift certificates, tickets to a particular sporting event, concert or movie, an annual pass to a state park or beach or better yet – design a card for that special someone promising a night out (or even in) together. Save gas by shopping locally. Walk downtown and visit local merchants, many of whom stay open later during the holidays.
Resources for creating a green Christmas
Green Living – www.greenlivingtips.com
The Grinning Planet – www.grinningplanet.com
California Integrated Waste Management Board – www.ciwmb.ca.gov/WPB/Coordinator/Articles/Holidays.htm
MSNBC (Have a jolly green Christmas) – www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6707542
