The holidays are a magical time of the year, but it can also be one of the most wasteful seasons. Millions of people will celebrate the end of the year in their own ways, but many people don’t realize that their holiday traditions are not the most environmentally friendly. Contrary to popular belief, going green or being more eco-friendly does not automatically mean you must give up your favorite activities or traditions. There are many simple ways to keep your beloved traditions while being greener. With some small changes, you can enjoy the holiday season while being green, without sacrificing any of the holiday comforts or routines you love. Use these handy tips and tricks to have a more sustainable and green holiday season without breaking the bank or ditching your favorite parts of the holiday season.
Homemade Eco-Friendly Decor And Gifts
Stores start selling holiday season decor and gifts mere seconds after the Halloween items come down. While store-bought decorations and gifts are easily accessible, they are typically not the most eco-friendly or personal option. Instead of buying the same decor and or gifts everyone else has, consider making your own with upcycled materials, items you already have at home, and eco-friendly additions like disperse dyes for tie-dyeing projects. Use cardboard from delivery boxes and some creativity to make your own holiday decorations. Make puff balls out of coffee filters or tissue paper with a cardboard backing. Take the filaments out of old lightbulbs and make decor or ornaments with the glass shell. There is an endless number of ways to make eco-friendly decor and gifts that are personally meaningful and personal.
Reusable Or Green Wrapping
Instead of using typical wrapping paper, try to find reusable wrapping materials or eco-friendly wrapping materials. Newspapers are a common convenient and repurposed wrapping paper. If you have old wrapping paper lying around, use it rather than buying a fresh roll. Gift bags and boxes are perfect reusable items that can also turn into a family tradition. Buying reusable bags and boxes is an investment up front, but once you give a gift in a bag or box, that person gives a gift in that same vessel, so the green benefits get passed on. There are gift boxes and bags in any pattern and size you want, so you don’t have to worry about your green gifting materials being boring either.
Green Delivery
Many people are ordering the supplies and gifts they need online and have them delivered to their house. This is a fantastic service that is convenient beyond belief but double-check that you are using eco-friendly shipping methods. Shipping will never be carbon neutral as moving heavy packages takes fuel, which creates pollution. You can still do your best to find shipping services that use the UPS time in transit API for order tracking and eco-friendly packaging materials like renewed cardboard. If you are ordering from Amazon, you can often group your orders, so they all arrive on the same day in fewer boxes, which is even more eco-friendly because it requires fewer trips for the delivery driver and fewer packing materials. Having all your Amazon orders arrive on the same day is a fantastic green idea, unless you need an item by a specific date. Watch your timelines to see if you can use greener shipping without anything arriving too late.
Greener Tree
Many people will put up a Christmas tree for the holidays, but there are many ways you can make your tree even greener. Using LED lights with timers will lower your energy usage because LEDs use less energy when they are on than traditional tree lights, and timers ensure your lights are not accidentally left on too long.
LED lights and timers are a significant step in the right direction, but you can make your tree even more eco-friendly by getting a living tree. Living trees are Christmas trees that are still alive and will remain alive while it is in your house. Living trees often come in a large pot or tree holder to keep the tree alive with active watering until after the holidays, when the tree is then planted outside to continue growing. Some living tree companies expect you to plant the tree yourself after the holidays, while others will take your living tree back and plant it for you. Living trees and more work than pre-cut trees, but they are far more eco-friendly so long as you follow through and your living tree ends up adequately planted.
The holiday season is a beautiful and magical time of year, but not everyone considers how the holidays can also be greener with just a little effort. Homemade gifts and decor are a great green activity that is also more personal. Use reusable or recycled wrapping materials, opt for delivery with the fewest boxes possible, and consider a living tree with LED lights to make your holidays even more eco-friendly.
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