Tips to Give Our Earth the Gift of Recycling This Holiday Season

Not too many people go to great lengths to save the environment on Christmas, like warping your presents with newspaper. However, you don't have to go to that extent to make your part in saving the environment.

The United States alone uses at least 33 percent of the earth's timber and paper, according to the grassroots recycling network (GRRN), a coalition of recycling organizations in the United States.

But here are some ideas you can use this holiday and as part of your new year's resolution to make your part in saving the environment.

As part of your local curbside collection program you can recycle the following:

Gift catalogs
Non-metallic greeting cards
Corrugated cardboard boxes - most cardboard is recyclable and there is a high demand for it.
Gift boxes
Greeting cards
Plastics

Wrapping Paper:

Wrapping paper - non-laminated or dyed without gold or silver additives can be recycled too (make sure it has not sticky tape on it).

Save wrapping paper for use as collage material in books, pictures, and to make holiday cards; also cut out figures from wrapping paper and use them as gifts tags. Old greeting cards can be used for gift tags too.

Use wrapping paper and foam material for later packing.

Old and new gifts:

If you got a new computer and printer for Christmas and are discarding the old one, think about donating it to a local non-profit organization or parent- teacher association. The same goes for other electronic equipment.

If you got a new cell phone this year, donate the old one to a domestic violence program in your community. Your cell service provider might be able to give you some information.

For your electronic toys, photographic equipment, and other electronic items, think about using rechargeable batteries. And when you are ready to discard them, call 800-8-battery, for ways to dispose of them.

On your next gift, consider using gift bags, or buying recycled wrapping paper and use string or ribbon instead of sticky tape.

New Year Celebrations:

Think about ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle this New Year's Eve. Buy recyclable cups, plates, plastic utensils, paper and ribbon.

GRRN says that if every family in the U.S. reused just 2 feet of holiday ribbon, we could tie a bow 38,000 miles long around the earth.

And don't forget to make recycling part of your new year's resolution as well.

These are just a few ideas. There are many more small ways to contribute in saving our environment. Feel free to add your own ideas to the list in the comments section so we can all incorporate them in our New Year's resolutions and have a better new year 2008.