Enjoy an Eco-Friendly Christmas

Christmas time is once again upon us, and with the holiday season comes the massive amounts of waste. Every year tons of wrapping paper, gift bags and greeting cards go to waste- not to mention the billions of plastic packaging that winds up in landfills once a gift has been opened. In this article we will discuss ways to enjoy an eco-friendly Christmas. These tips will help you reduce the impact you’ll have on the planet during the holiday season and spread some holiday cheer at the same time!

Send Recycled Greeting Cards

There are a few different ways you can lessen your impact on the planet when it comes to sending out Christmas cards. The first, and perhaps greenest, method is foregoing paper cards all together and simply sending out e-cards to those who are on your Christmas list.

While this is the most eco-friendly way to send out holiday cheer, some people still prefer tried and true greeting cards that they may display around their home or save as a keepsake. If you’re the type who prefers sending out tangible cards, the next best way to go is by purchasing and distributing holiday cards made out of recycled materials. There are a wide variety of cards produced from recycled paper, which are equally as handsome and cheery as any other card. Check out Etsy, local gift stores and even natural food stores for planet-healthy greetings. You can also save and repurpose the cards you receive each year. Save the cards and then collage or remake them to make them your own!

how much of this can you reuse? Almost all of it!

Don’t Gift Things You Know Will End Up in the Trash

One way of cutting back on the amount of waste you produce this Christmas is simply by reducing the number of things you gift to people. If you’re that relative who enjoys sharing gifts with every member of your family, perhaps you should stop for a minute and reconsider whether these gifts are truly appreciated. If you want to give something, food is always a good option. You can make edible homemade gifts that will be surely be appreciated more than a boxed cake!

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

As always, as with anything else, recycle. If you take care to open your gifts without tearing the wrapping paper, you can save it to reuse next year- and the year after that, and the year after that. The same goes for gift bags and tissue paper- these things are perfectly good to reuse, and unless you reuse the same gift bag or wrapping paper on the original gifter, no one will ever know you recycled!

Why waste money- and resources- on buying new rolls of wrapping paper year after year? Don’t throw perfectly good, albeit slightly “used” paper in the trash outside your garage door. If your wrapping paper hasn’t been completely obliterated in the madness of opening presents, by all means, recycle.

These are just a few tips to get you started in preparing for your green holiday season. As long as you take care not to be wasteful, buy eco-friendly or recycled goods, and recycle what you can after the holidays, you can lessen you carbon footprint you leave implanted on the holiday.

image credit: wowitsstephen on flickr