Simple Steps for an Eco-Friendly Holiday

Ahh, the holidays...time for family gatherings, warm wishes and.thoughtful remembrances...

...frenzied shopping, gift-wrapping, card-sending, tree-trimming, over-spending....

...and tons upon tons of trash! Shopping bags, packaging, giftwrap, envelopes, catalogs, not to mention the forests' worth of Christmas trees on the curb by December 26.

The good news? With some simple, affordable alternatives and a little advance planning, you can reclaim the meaning of the season, cut back on the expense, the stress and the waste, and have a happy holiday that's easy on the planet.

Here are a few tips to get you started....

Plan Your Gift List

The holidays are a time for reconnecting and appreciating the people in your life...what can you give them that's more personal than the latest mass-produced tchotchke?

• Time is a gift. For the elders on your gift list, consider giving a day's outing, a weekly visit, or a monthly dinner. For working parents, a weekend's babysitting could be a blessed breather. Use programs like Avery Design and Print Online to set up simple coupons to tuck in a card.
• The value of a gift doesn't depend on brand names or store tags. If you have the skill, think of offering handmade items like homemade bread, herbal delights from your garden, or  your own handcrafted accessories.

Sending Cards? Think "E"

Writing holiday cards is a time-honored tradition that's growing increasingly pricey as postal rates rise. Not only this - but what should be done with the cards after the holidays?

• E-cards have come a long way. Artists like Jacquie Lawson and sites like KatiesCards.com offer stunning, dynamic designs for a subscription fee; and the Spirit Card Center,  Hallmark.com and AmericanGreetings.com (among others) offer beautiful free designs. 
• Recycled - but recyclable? Holiday greeting cards, while they may be on recycled paper,  are often not recyclable - particularly those that are deeply colored, embossed with metallic ink or glitter, or backed with metallic foil. On the other hand, companies like FlowerSeedPaper.com offer beautiful, gift-worthy holiday cards that can be planted in the spring as a lasting remembrance.

Shop Sustainably

Instead of spending travel time and gas on holiday shopping trips, and bringing home innumerable plastic and paper bags from the stores, try these strategies:

• Save gas - use mass transit. Support your local MTA - you'll save gas and force yourself to consider your purchases (who wants to schlep a trunk's worth of bags on the light rail?).
• BYOB - bring your own bag, You bring 'em to the grocery store - take them on your holiday shopping trips as well.
• Research online, then call ahead and map your route.. As the holidays near, time pressures can send us zig-zagging madly across town in a search for the perfect gift. Instead of wasting gas and time on the road, call ahead to find out which store carries which product, and cluster your trips geographically.
• Buy local. What do the stores in your own community offer? Are there local farms selling trees or wreaths? Local crafters selling their products at holiday festivals? Many schools, churches and civic groups have holiday fairs - consider supporting them with your purchases, rather than anonymous corporate stockholders.

Give Green

That doesn't necessarily mean giving cash (though it fits all sizes and matches all colors)but giving in a way that benefits both the recipient, and the planet and people.

• Push the envelope. Gifts like concert tickets and gift certificates to reduce packaging waste and the need for wrapping material.
• Give a green nudge. Consider giving products that will help your loved ones go green. Green Irene offers a wide variety of practical, eco-friendly giftables, as well as gift certificates for green home and office makeovers, and 5% of the profit from each purchase is donated to a related nonprofit.
• Consider the source. If you're buying imported goods, look for certified Fair Trade products from companies like Ten Thousand Villages or other members of the Fair Trade Federation. You're helping the handcrafters and farmers who made or grew those products to support their families on a living wage.
• Batteries not included? Parents will appreciate a complete set of hybrid rechargeable batteries, complete with charger - they can be loaded into toys right away, and last 3x longer than the average rechargeable.
• For the person who has everything? Charitable donations in the recipients’ names make great gifts. Heifer International and Seva Foundation are just two of the organizations that offer this option.

Decorate Au Naturel

Many people have their own decorating traditions and boxes of heritage holiday ornaments, collected through the years - but if you don't, consider some zero-waste alternatives.........

• Cut tree? Artificial? Or live? If you don't like sacrificing a living tree for the holiday, consider investing in a live, balled tree that can be replanted after the holiday. It will take some extra TLC - see Forestry.About.com for tips. Why not artificial? Manufactured trees are made from mainly non-renewable plastics, often containing PVC. They are non recyclable and non biodegradable.
• String for the birds. Spend some time stringing cranberries and popcorn...then, once the tree comes down, set it up outside with your handiwork for the birds.
• O the Holly and the Ivy... Look outside in your garden for decorating ideas: this is a good time to prune your evergreen trees and groundcovers. Spent seed-heads make interesting accents for tabletop decorations.
• Recycle your lights...With energy-saving LEDs available this year, it's time to replace your gazillion miles of holiday lights...but how? HolidayLEDs will happily take and recycle your strings of lights and give you a coupon for 15% off the price of any product on their site.

Tame the Wrapping/Unwrapping Frenzy

We've all seen (and lived!) the cartoons where paper, ribbon, bows, tape and scissors are flying in all directions...and we've all seen the bags upon bags of giftwrap that get toted out to the garbage after the celebrations are over. This year, try some other tactics....

• Fill up a basket. Gift baskets add a decorative touch and can be used again and again. 
• Try textiles. If you have handcrafter friends, consider wrapping their gifts in holiday-themed fabric and securing them with cloth ribbons.
• Gifts within gifts. Antique shops often offer inexpensive decorative tins, hatboxes, and canisters that will be cherished and used long after your gift is extracted.
• Reuse boxes and bags. If conventional wrapping is really necessary, buy with an eye to reuse: decorative boxes and durable print bags. To recycle these later, avoid deep colors and metallic papers.

Celebrate Sustainably
Even when your house is bulging with guests, you can stay green...

• Loads of dirty dishes? Not! If you’re the host this year, consider renting reusable plates, cups, utensils, etc.In most cases, the company will take care of the cleanup for you. If worst comes to worst, remember - a well-loaded Energy Star dishwasher is far more efficient than a team of humans could ever be.
• Compost scraps - Keep a bucket on hand to compost vegetable scraps, plate scrapings, and paper towels with food juices (no meat, dairy, or chemicals).

Above All - Enjoy!

Remember, the heart and soul of the holiday is about - well, heart and soul. Giving, sharing, and connecting with loved ones, Spirit...and the Earth. It doesn't take much effort to create a celebration that's light on your budget AND on the planet...just a little extra thought and planning. Have fun with it - and have a stress-free, green holiday!