Green Up Your Holiday Gifts
Lyn Davis
Headlines encouraged consumers to plan their holiday shopping excursions on Black Friday and Cyber Monday -- scouting for the best bargains. Some stores opened at midnight, and found themselves flooded with shoppers who could not wait to burst into the store aisles.
Giving gifts is fun and of course we want to choose these gifts wisely so that our gift is appreciated by the recipient. We need to be conscious of the impact this gift will have on the environment.
We must also consider the packaging of the item we purchase. Excessive packaging means more waste in our landfills. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of household trash increases by 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. That extra waste amounts to 25 million tons.
Celebrate the holidays, Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, New Years -- they all deserve to be celebrated. It is our responsibility to be responsible stewards of our environment and work to lessen the negative impact these holidays have on our environment.
Here are some ideas:
Read the labels on gifts you purchase, make sure the packaging is recyclable.
Energy efficient appliances are marked with the Energy Star logo. Giving an energy efficient appliance as a gift is much more kind to the environment.
If you mail greeting cards, consider sending a postcard instead of a larger greeting card. Better yet, send a cyber-greeting to friends with computers.
Be creative and reuse last years holiday cards as gift tags.
Consider a recycled gift, perhaps a family heirloom, or a vintage gift from a thrift or antique store. Jewelry and glassware are good examples.
I am sure you have a collection of some sort. Avid collectors will usually obtain duplicates at some point. These duplicates make perfect gifts for the new collector.
If you enjoy cooking, prepare some of your favorite recipes -- this is especially nice for older people who are either on a fixed income or are not able to do much cooking. When you are cooking for your family - make a little extra to give as a gift to someone.
If you have a special talent, consider giving the gift of your time, as a coach or trainer. Teach someone else your hobby. Coach someone on the golf swing you have worked so hard to perfect.
Plant a tree in honor of someone.
Give a donation to a charitable organization.
Giving a gift certificate for services you know the recipient enjoys makes a great gift.
We can all take steps to improve the environment Choosing appropriate holiday gifts is one action you can take.
Before purchasing your holiday gifts, give some thought as to how your give will impact the environment. Give a
http://turngreen.com/ Green Gift This and other
http://www.uberarticles.com/?id=26130&b=79 unique content 'green gift' articles are available with free reprint rights.
