Give the Gift of Being Green this Holiday Season
The holiday season is a time to give thanks, rejoice with the company of family, and share gifts with friends. While we create memories to last a lifetime with loved ones, we also create waste that can last just as long in landfills. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), American households increase the total waste they produce in a year from 4 million tons to 5 million tons between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, an increase of 25%. The holidays are special, but they don’t have to be special at the expense of our planet. This holiday season give your relatives the gift that keeps on giving …being green.
Here are a few of Nature Up North’s suggestions on how to be green this holiday season. We hope that these can help you reduce the waste produced by wrapping paper and boxes, but also from some of the gifts themselves! Not seeing a recommendation that you think should be made? Comment below or talk to us @natureupnorth on Instagram and Nature Up North on Facebook.
- Personalized Wrapping Paper. Wrapping paper is as big a symbol for the holidays as the Christmas tree itself, but it can also get boring if everyone uses the hottest pattern that year. Instead, grab any spare brown paper bags or newspapers you have and use them to wrap your gifts. Consider drawing on your new wrapping paper for a personalized touch! Not the artistic type? There are also lots of recycled and recyclable wrapping papers available. Best of all might be to reuse wrapping paper saved from previous years and save this year’s gift wrap to use again in the future. Happy wrapping!
- Arts and crafts gifts.It’s always nice when the kids get to give gifts too (even if you’re the one buying, wrapping, and putting the gifts under the tree). If having 2 year old Timmy give a new coffee maker to Uncle Jim seems a little far fetched, consider a greener alternative such as gifting pine cone bird feeders! Make a minimal waste gift using materials that can be found around the house and in your backyard. First, go outside and collect any fallen pine cones. Then, using a spoon or a spatula, cover the pinecone in peanut butter. Finally, dip the cone in bird seed. Worried about a peanut allergy? You can follow the same steps with softened lard, suet (animal fat), or vegetable shortening like Crisco! Check out these pages for more ideas on easy bird feeder construction:
- Christmas Tree Changes. Knock a few too many ornaments off the tree last year? Looking to save on your energy bill? Tired of dragging the tree out to the curb? There are things you can do to help with each of these problems while still being green! Instead of buying new ornaments or light strings, string up popcorn, cranberries or other holiday themed items. If no one is home during the day, turn your lights off until someone gets home. Once the holidays are over, consider dragging your tree to the backyard once you’ve taken all of the decorations off. Fallen trees are excellent sources of habitat for many native species of birds, insects, and squirrels because they provide shelter and concealment from the snow and any predators looking for an easy snack. If you’re debating whether a real or artificial tree is better for Mother Nature, check out this separate article we’ve written on that topic: https://www.natureupnorth.org/justmynature/jacob-malcomb/nature-north-christmas-tree-guide.
So, no matter what holiday or holidays your family celebrates at this time of year, these are a few suggestions for greening your holiday season. If you’re looking for a green solution to a holiday headache feel free to reach out to us on Facebook (Nature Up North) and on Instagram (@natureupnorth). If your new and natural holiday creations attract any wildlife to your yard, share it with us as an encounter here on our website!
Happy Holidays!
