Have yourself a merry little GREEN Christmas

Consume less “stuff”  ~  Use less energy
Reduce global warming

Alternatives for gift giving

  • Change to a “secret Santa” process where everyone buys for only one person
  • Do a party craft where everyone makes a card or gift for one other person (instead of bringing purchased gifts)
  • Give to a charity, or sponsor a child, in the name of a loved one, e.g., http://www.worldvision.ca 
  • Undertake a family service project, such as working together at a soup kitchen.
  • Give new-to-you, used, recycled and handed-down gifts, e.g., from your home, from flea markets or online http://www.torontohabitat.on.ca/web/ListGoods.aspx (housewares, kitchens, lighting, windows, etc.) http://yellowpages.ca (e.g., search "second hand stores", "bicycles", etc.) http://www.shopgoodwill.com (eBay alternative)  

Alternatives for Christmas cards

  • Send emails this year!  Don’t consider it crass -- think of all the trees and energy you are saving!
  • Cut the fronts off the Christmas cards that you received last year, and use them as “postcard” Christmas cards to send out this year. Write your own message on the blank back.
  • Reuse envelops (instead of recycling them) by slitting them open at the side, then paste a white label over the old name/address and readdress them.
  • If you send cards, purchase them from a charity.

Alternatives for gift wrap

·         Reusable Christmas decorator bags

·         Reusable cloth bags made from Christmas fabric or other decorative fabric

·         Tea towels

·         Remnants from wallpaper

·         Reusable cardboard boxes (e.g., shoeboxes) with only the lid wrapped in Christmas fabric or paper to open easily and use again – tie with reusable ribbon or craft supply such as gimp for closure.

Alternatives for bows

  • Gimp and pipe cleaners – durable, reusable, and can be used as a craft item
  • Biodegradable natural ribbons (lovely to reuse as hair ribbons or for next year’s wrappings)
  • Skip the bows and ribbons entirely!

Alternative for Christmas present name tags

  • Cut up last year’s Christmas cards, keeping the part with the picture or printed holiday message
  • Make the present more exciting by writing an obtuse or witty clue on the card

Food choice alternatives

  • Buy food and produce grown locally – this reduces the transportation costs and energy costs
  • Buy loose rather than pre-packaged vegetables and fruits
  • Start up a cookie exchange with friends to reduce your stress and allow time for charity work
  • Don’t use disposable plates and plastic cutlery that create more garbage
  • Rent wine glasses from a party store (Bonus: you return them dirty!) don’t buy plastic disposable

Energy saving Christmas alternatives

  • Switch to LED Christmas lights – they use a tiny fraction of the energy of regular lights.
  • Skip buying another illuminated reindeer and give the money to a global warming charity organization instead, or purchase decorations from Ten Thousand Villages to help the developing world

 

Save Energy ~ Save Money ~ Save the Planet