How to Have a “Greener” Holiday Season
‘Tis the season for giving and sharing, and
GW Associates shared some interesting statistics with us:
• Americans throw away 25% more trash
during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s
holiday season than any other time of
year. This extra garbage amounts to
25 million tons of trash.*
• If every family in the U.S. reused just 2
feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles
of ribbon saved could tie a bow around
the entire planet.
• The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold
each year in the U.S. could fill a football
field 10 stories high. If we each sent one
card less, we’d save 50,000 cubic
yards of paper.
Items to put in your Blue Bin:
- Corrugated cardboard boxes (flatten and cut into 3’ x 3’ pieces)
- Gift boxes
- Gift catalogs
- Newspapers filled with advertising inserts
- Wrapping paper (non-metallic only)
- Non-metallic greeting cards
Put these paper items in a paper bag and place in your Blue Bin,
or get 2 Blue Bins. Put your papers in one bin. Put your containers in a second bin.
Stack the container bin on top of the paper bin when you set them at the curb.
This prevents the papers from becoming roadside litter.
Reminder: Styrofoam packing does NOT belong in the blue bin. You can,
however, return Styrofoam packing PEANUTS to most local UPS Stores.
Please call before delivering.
Tips for a Greener Holiday Season
• Use reusable shopping bags. This will reduce the number of plastic bags that get trashed and minimize the amount of petroleum used to make them. If you receive plastic bags, remember to recycle the clean ones at your local grocery or retail store.
• Send your holiday greetings in electronic form. E-cards can be enhanced with sound and animation and they create no physical waste.
• If you use traditional gift wrapping, avoid wrapping gifts in materials that are not recyclable or reusable, such as foil or metallic papers. Always buy recycled-content wrapping paper. If your store doesn't sell recycled-content wrapping paper, ask the manager to order it in the future.
• If you send holiday cards, buy recycled-content cards and envelopes. Or make your own cards or gift tags out of last year's cards and the wrapping paper you saved.
• Remove your name from the mailing list of any catalog you no longer wish to receive. Eliminate unwanted credit offers by calling 1-888-5OptOut (1-888-567-8688) or visiting www.optoutprescreen.com.
• Shipping a gift? Reuse the foam peanuts from another package, or use unbuttered popcorn for packing. Return unwanted Styrofoam packing PEANUTS to local UPS Stores. Please call before delivering.
• Rechargeable batteries and a battery charger are a great way to cut down on the consumption of batteries.
• Recycle your tree at either of OCRRA’s compost sites. Remove all lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments, nails, stands and other materials that are not part of the actual tree. OCRRA grinds the trees into mulch that will end up in gardens throughout our community next spring.
Green Gift-Giving Ideas
• Not sure what to get someone? How about a gift certificate?
• Make gifts. Everyone appreciates a home-cooked meal or baked goodies.
• Consider non-material gifts. Tickets to a sporting event, movie, play, or concert are a real treat! Or make a charitable donation in someone's name.
• Think durable! Consider how long an item will last before you make a purchase. Often, a cheaper item will wear out long before its more durable equivalent.
• Look for items made with recycled content.
Green Gift Wrapping Ideas
• Creative wrapping paper substitutes include used blueprint paper, the Sunday comics, or even the sports section for a sports enthusiast. Design your own wrapping paper using paper shopping bags: decorate them with paints, crayons, or markers.
• Replace tissue paper with old lace or strips of paper shopping bags or used gift wrap.
• Make gift boxes by wrapping tops and bottoms separately. Then reuse the boxes year after year; no need to rip away the wrapping paper!
• Save bows and wrapping paper for next year. Buy recycled-content gift wrap and greeting cards.
• Hang earrings, bracelets, or necklaces right on the Christmas tree, or put them inside or around an open ornament.
• Wrap gifts for a:
- handyperson in a tool box.
- sewing enthusiast in a fabric remnant and tie with a ribbon.
- chef in a colorful dish towel; kitchen utensils can pop out of an
oven mitt or use a colorful tablecloth to wrap dishes or dining room gifts.
- gardener in a bucket or planter.
