Steps You Can Take to Have a "Green" Christmas

The environment is one of this world's biggest concerns at the moment. By now everyone is aware of the global warming crisis we face, and while there are steps we can take to reverse this global phenomenon, it will take the cooperation of nearly every single person on the planet. There is however some things we can do in our everyday lives to help curb global warming.

And while some of these habits may seem like tiny, meaningless tasks, they really do add up. Here are some things to keep in mind this Holiday season, and some steps you can take for a "green" Christmas, using the 3 R's as a guideline - reduce, reuse and recycle.

Reduce Waste

In order to reduce waste and trash that will eventually end up in our landfills try to cut back on excess packaging. There is no need, for example, to present a gift bag with a fully wrapped present inside - instead, opt for one idea or the other. Wrapping your gifts is of course the traditional method, but simply putting the item inside a gift bag is becoming more and more common in the Holiday season.

You can also get creative with your packaging, as well. Old newspapers or pages from magazines can make for a fun way to wrap a gift, while reducing the amount of waste that goes into our landfills at the same time. Not to mention this will save you some Holiday money on wrapping paper, too.

Reuse Packaging

Another good tip to remember around Christmas time is to reuse any packaging you get. Sometimes gifts are handed out early, sometimes day or even weeks in advance. You can reuse boxes, gift bags, and sometimes even wrapping paper for your own gifts.

You can also reuse holiday cards if they haven't been signed or written on, as well. This is perfectly acceptable and many people are giving out blank cards for the Holidays now, for this very purpose. The majority of cards only end up in the garbage anyway - if you keep it clean and unsigned, you can just pass the card along to the next friend. Just remember who gave it to you originally; you don't want to give it back to the same person!

Recycle

During the Holiday season and Christmas in particular, we all produce a lot of waste. Anything that cannot be reused for another gift should of course be recycled at your local recycling center.