How to Have an Eco-Friendly Christmas

Christmas is a fun time of year, but it's also a very wasteful time, with Americans throwing away nearly an extra million tons of trash per week. Here are some tips to help you keep your Christmas eco-friendly.

Switch to LED Christmas Lights
The principle here is similar to the idea of choosing fluorescent bulbs over incandescent bulbs in your everyday lighting. LED Christmas lights last longer, and are 80-90 percent more energy efficient. They also don't get hot, and if one light in the string goes out, the entire string doesn't die.

Artificial or Real Trees?
Here's a debate. On the one hand, artificial trees consume a lot of energy and petroleum to create. On the other, once its created, an artificial tree can save the waste of all the trees that are just thrown on the side of the road after Christmas. The better solution? Buy a cut tree (since most Christmas trees are grown on tree farms these days, there's no harm to natural habitats by cutting the trees down), and after Christmas, put it through a mulcher to recycle its resources into your garden.

Don't Get All Wrapped Up
Consider buying gifts that don't require a lot of wrapping: gift cards or tickets to events. Or, to preserve the surprise, set out a gift, but blindfold your loved one and reveal the present at the right moment. If you do use wrapping paper, be sure to recycle it afterwards, or, better yet, place your gifts in decorative gift bags sealed with a bit of ribbon or tape. After the gifts are opened, the bags can be saved and reused the next year.

Make Handmade Gifts
Consider giving handmade gifts to your loved ones; for one, the sentimental value of giving someone a gift that you've put your own time into has great appeal. If you can knit, consider knitting socks or a scarf for a friend, or, for example, if you have artistic talent, draw or paint a picture for a friend. Consider baking sweets for a friend, or giving a basket of fruit.

Give Green Gifts
Consider giving as gifts items that can help your friends and family green their own lives, such as a low-flow showerhead. If you purchase a toy or device that uses batteries, consider including a set of rechargeable batteries to encourage the user to not waste.

Buy Online
You can save gas (and time spent battling crowds) by ordering gifts from online stores, or, for almost waste-free shopping, buying online credit, such as iTunes codes, which can be sent directly to your loved one's account.

Don't Use Disposable Dishes
Paper plates and plasticware create a lot of waste that can be avoided by using metal and ceramic and just washing them, especially if you have an Energy-star dishwasher. If you must use disposable stuff, be sure to use recyclable materials like paper plates instead of styrofoam.

Reconsider Your Yard Decorations
Is it really necessary to use four miles of Christmas lights to decorate your yard? A simple tasteful string of lights around the edge of the house or along a fenceline looks great, and doesn't consume near the energy that covering every square inch of your yard in illumination will.