Week 39 - 12 Green Ideas for Christmas

We are just one day and a wake-up from Christmas and I want to gently remind you of a few ways we can help the environment once the pandemonium is over. The following is a list of 12 simple things you can do to stay “green” this week.

1. When grocery shopping for your holiday gatherings, buy local first and then organic (nice for you, if you don’t have to choose between the two).
2. Sample some organic or bio-dynamic wine along with your old stand-bys (just in case the former tanks).
3. Don’t use disposable plates and cutlery for your holiday gatherings.
4. When you realize you’ve forgotten batteries for some of the toys and electronics, purchase rechargeable. Remember they can be charged hundreds of times and then be recycled (at Best Buy, Home Depot, and Target amongst others).
5. Save any wrapping paper, gift bags, and ribbons that have not been decimated by your family, for reuse.
6. Use your Christmas cards for crafts. For example, kids can make ornaments for next year or I’m going to use mine for next year’s gift tags (cut out a shape, punch a hole, slip some of the saved ribbon through if you like, and there you have it).
7. Recycle any cardboard boxes.
8. Have your tree mulched.
9. Assess whether it’s time to recycle your Christmas lights. If so send them out and remember after Christmas is a great time to purchase new LED Christmas lights.
10. Grind the candy canes that have been on your tree to a powdered sugar consistency and add to hot chocolate, coffee etc.
11. When you are hitting the after Christmas sales, remember to purchase gift wrap and cards made from recycled paper.
12. When family and friends ask why you save this, recycle that, buy local/organic, use china instead of paper, tell them. It’s a great opportunity to get them on board!
    

Have a wonderful Christmas!!!!