EARTH-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY TIPS
"No one person has to do it all, but if each one of us follows our heart and our own inclinations we will find the small things that we can do to create a sustainable future and a healthy environment." - John DenverThis holiday season show your love for both your family and the Earth by incorporating environmental awareness into your holiday traditions.
- Give greener gifts: such as organic cotton or hemp clothing, bedding and towels, handcrafted toys or dolls made from natural fibers or sustainable wood (avoid toys made from vinyl plastic containing PVC components), gift baskets filled with organic goodies or natural body care products, or a magnificent plant. You can also give a priceless, personalized gift of your mind and spirit, such as writing a poem or song, making a collage or other arts and crafts projects, or putting together a family book. Gifts can also be things to do, not just things to have - an example would be a gift certificate to a yoga or fitness class. (Shopping tip: Doing your shopping online eliminates the pollution from car travel, and the waste of paper catalogues. A good starting point for earth-friendly gift ideas would be the EcoMall's Gifts section)
- Try to minimize waste when packaging and wrapping gifts: There are many creative and less wasteful ways to decorate and wrap gifts. Gifts can be wrapped in fabric gift bags, baskets, scarves, or reusable boxes or tins, which can be used for other purposes or future gifts. Newspaper or magazine pages can make unique, inexpensive wrapping paper. For those of you who have the patience and commitment, when opening presents, you can carefully fold and save wrapping paper, boxes, tins, ribbons and bows for use for next year. Look for holiday cards made of recycled materials, or send an electronic, paper-less greeting card.
- Consider adopting a living evergreen as your holiday tree. If you select a live tree with its roots intact, you can plant it in your yard to enjoy its beauty for years to come. If you choose a cut tree, create a bird sanctuary by placing it outdoors for birds to nest in till spring, when it will make great mulch. Don't use disposable Mylar plastic tinsel, and instead look for old-fashioned, reusable tin tinsel, and other natural decorations, which can be used from year-to-year.
"In our every deliberation, we should consider the impact of our decisions onthe next seven generations." - From The Great Law of the Iroquois Indian Federation
RELATED LINKS:
Updated Daily!
| * * * IN-HOUSE RESOURCES * * * |
|---|