Green Living at the Holidays

Choosing to honor the earth by using green living strategies at the holidays is simple and rewarding.
Once you get some new green living traditions in place the hoidays will feel even more special.

Donations to Help the Earth

If you are looking for a worthy organization to make a holiday donation to, AmericasWetland.com works to preserve the wetlands in Louisiana. About 5 million birds that migrate find shelter in the wetlands, notes National Geographic. The wetland areas in Louisiana also help the region survive storms.

Holiday Travel

Take public transportation if possible for holiday travel. Avoid traveling long distances in a car as that just adds more pollution to the environment. If you pick at least one holiday each year where you will stay home it will add up to saving a lot of pollution from driving or flying over your entire lifetime.

Use Green Ideas to Present Gifts

Get creative and find green ways to present holiday gifts. There are many ways to use items from nature to cover holiday gifts.

You can grow and harvest bamboo to use to make bamboo boxes that could be used for many years to hold holiday gifts. A bamboo box is a great way to cut down on the use of wrapping paper.

You could also make your own paper from old newspapers or magazines to wrap gifts in. Many craft stores sell paper making kits. It is easy to make paper at home.

Collect baskets in holiday colors from a thrift store and use them each year to hold gifts. This could be a family tradition. The baskets will last for a long time and become more special each year. Also, using baskets saves all the annoyance of ensuring that all the supplies needed to wrap gifts are on hand.

Get a potted inside tree as a gift for someone. Then hang small gifts from the branches with holiday colored ribbons. Or decorate it in holiday candy canes or other treats as extra gifts.

Also, the Green Guide notes that using fabric tied with a ribbon is another way to wrap gifts. The fabric could be used for years at the holiday season.

Shop Locally

Rather than driving out to the mall, shop locally in town for holiday gifts. This helps stop pollution from driving and also gives a boost to local retailers. Also, in warmer areas, you can make your own fruit baskets to give as gifts with a quick trip to the local farmers market.

Do a Swap with Friends

Many people have some new gift items they never got around to using in the home. Also, they might have some decorative items they are bored with.

So have friends over for a swap party or a swap dinner. Use a big table to display the items everyone has brought. Then have each person pick an item they would like to have to give out as a holiday gifts. Books that look new are also great to bring to a swap. If you paid $30 dollars for a book and you're done with it, why not let someone else use that book as a gift?

Sources:

-Personal experience.

National Geographic

National Geographic