‘Tis the season for giving, counting your blessings, family, miracles, remembrance and new beginnings. I encourage everyone to find a way to incorporate the Earth in their holiday traditions – giving back to the Earth and counting the blessings the Earth provides us year-round; taking care of the Earth as we take care of our loved ones.
Unfortunately, alongside the season of wonder and light there is also a season of waste in America. Practice being a Green Citizen this holiday season with some of these tips as you practice your holiday traditions. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Los Posadas, Krampus or none of the above, there is always an opportunity to celebrate sustainability.
Try vegan or plant-based menu options
Cows and lamb are the top two protein contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Plant-based diets conserve water, preserve forests, and protect biodiversity. Benefits of a plant-based diet are not just for the environment, but your health too! It provides a healthy variety of nutrients to your gut, lowers risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease. It’s okay to start with small changes as you become more aware of your health and the environment.
Sustainable gifts
Whether gifting to kids, a spouse, a parent or a stranger, it’s never too late to give mindfully. Here are some tips to giving sustainable gifts this season.
- Make a list and plan your gifts prior to shopping. Having a plan and a budget before you enter the store will help prevent overspending, wasteful/unnecessary gifts and can keep you thoughtful and organized in your gifting.
- Try this Vegan Gift Guide from Veganuary
- Make Your Own! DIY gifts are appreciated because they mean that the gifter put some thought into their gift. Whether it’s homemade cocoa mixes, a knitted sweater or handmade ornaments and candles, gifts made from the heart go a long way. You can find inspiration and many ideas for DIY gifts online or at your local library.
- Sustainable business to buy gifts from:
- Gift Guide from One Tree Planted
- Ethical Online Shopping from Sustainable Jungle
- Top 10 Sustainable Clothes Companies according to Sustainability Magazine.
- Do your research! As you shop in store or online research the products and businesses you are purchasing from. Do they practice sustainability? Does your Amazon order provide packaging that reduces the carbon footprint?
- Gifts of experience. This might sound cheesy, but experiences are truly great—and sustainable—gifts. This could be a promise to watch a movie together; a membership to a museum, park or zoo; entertainment tickets or a trip to see local Christmas Lights.
- Gifts that keep giving. This year, consider making a donation in someone’s name. Many organizations like World Wildlife Fund, Greater Good, Packed with Purpose, Sierra Club or conservation groups offer products where a portion of the proceeds go toward a good cause, or you can adopt an animal or choose a purpose. Also check out local non-profit organizations or national and state parks for gifts or ways to donate (such as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources online store!)
- Do a gift swap! Not only is this a good idea if you are part of a group that has a tight budget, but it’s a great way to re-purpose and re-use some items that we don’t utilize much anymore.
- Ditch cheap stocking stuffers. Traditional “stocking stuffers” are often cheap, break easily, hardly used and end up in a landfill within the year. Rethink your trinkets and make sure they are really worth it.
- Buy Vintage or Secondhand. Waste comes in many forms, and clothing trends lead to environmental waste. Buying vintage or secondhand offers a way to reuse items that still have life before they get tossed.
Shop Local. There are many opportunities to shop locally. Check out some ideas below!
Rethink your gift wrap
“Most mass-produced wrapping paper and gift bags are printed using unsustainable inks and coated with shiny foils — which are not recyclable. Get creative and wrap gifts with materials that you have around the house, like old maps, comics, or paper shopping bags. You can also use any pretty, clean fabric like scarves, bandannas, or dish towels for a reusable wrapping. Create your own bows from strips of colorful paper and accessorize with twine, pressed leaves, and pinecones.” – One Tree Planted
- Save and reuse wrapping paper, tissue paper, gift bags and boxes.
- Avoid bows and stick on ribbons which are not recyclable.
- Use tulle instead of gift wrap, or a reusable bag/box/basket instead of a traditional gift bag
- Be creative! Use magazines or newspapers. Or coloring pages that would normally get thrown out. Or forgo the wrap altogether!
Real Christmas Trees
Yes, plastic and artificial trees can be used year after year, but not only do they wear down fairly quicky, the plastic used to create them takes years to break down whereas real Christmas trees are more environmentally friendly. Be sure when shopping for fresh-cut trees that you ask the grower and vendor about pesticides or other added chemical colorants that you want to avoid.
Decorations and lighting
- Switch to LED energy efficient lights.
- Use solar lighting for the outdoors.
- Use natural decorations.
- Make your own.
- Ditch the tinsel.
- Repurpose burnt out Christmas bulbs (you can find lots of ideas online!)
- Use sustainable candles such as beeswax, soy and sustainable palm oil
- Look for compostable pinatas (Instructions for a DIY eco-friendly pinata here.)
Efficient Energy
- Keep your thermostats low, wrap up in blankets, long-johns, or fleece pajamas to save heating energy
- Weatherproof your windows
Sustainable Christmas Cards
- Buy recycled or recyclable
- Go digital
- Make a phone call instead!
Responsible Travel
- Carpool
- Take public transit
- Pack less. Think “what can I use multiple times?”
- Avoid single-use plastics. Use travel bottles that you can refill every time you travel instead of buying new travel size items. Look into solid toiletries like shampoo bars and bite toothpaste bits.
- Take reusable bottles, cutlery, and straws instead of buying plastic bottled drink beverages.
- Pack a shopping bag to avoid plastic shopping bags.
- Research your hotels and flights eco-ratings (skyscanner.net – greener choices) and look into carbon offset programs
- Buy local at your destination
- Beginner’s Gude to Sustainable Travel from National Geographic
- A View Outside article on Eco-friendly travel tips
Prep your house with eco-friendly cleaners
Volunteer, donate and give back
Remember those tips from Thanksgiving!
Compost, leftovers, meal planning, ditch the disposable cutlery and dishes, reusable food storage and more are still relevant for December holidays too.
