Cagwin & Dorward Landscape Contractors

Holiday Page It’s that time of year!

The holidays are upon us and as we celebrate, give gifts, decorate and travel, we have the potential to consume a lot of resources and generate tons of waste. With resources becoming more precious, think of ways you and your family can support the planet during this usual time of excess.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of household trash increases by 25 % between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. That extra waste amounts to 25 million tons.

Meanwhile, paper product use (cards, gift wrap, decorations, party ware, etc.) goes up significantly during the Holiday Season. But making paper is one of the most polluting industries on earth.

So let’s be smart about it!! There are a number of ways to lessen the amount of waste - by reducing, reusing, and recycling what we can - without putting a damper on the holiday season. Here are some helpful tips…

Holiday Purchases:

Don't overbuy food that you end up throwing away
Buy and send gifts on line to reduce your CO2 footprint, save gas ($$) and give yourself more time to enjoy the season with friends and family, rather than with strangers in traffic and finding parking
If you must go out, shop with your own reusable bags instead of going home with stores plastic or paper bags
Buy environmentally sustainable products, bonus points for socially responsible companies
Re-gift that Fruit Cake!!!

Cards and Gifts:

Buy gifts, gift wrap and cards that have recycled content and/or are recyclable -
Consider gifts with a history - from your home or a thrift shop; vintage or antique gifts like jewelry or dishware
Make your own gift
Re-use Gift Bags and boxes
Wrap in Comics - they reflect seasonal imagery, making them a good wrapping resource year rounds
Make last year's card covers into this year's gift tags
Make a donation in honor of someone
Make a sustainable donation to an organization, family or community in need, anywhere around the globe
Give the gift of a living plant or packets of seeds
Plant a tree in honor of someone
Give a gift certificate for a massage or a facial
Buy movie passes or a dining certificate
Consider buying Energy Star rated electronics, etc.
Avoid foil and plastic embossed cards – many resources are used in the manufacturing process

Decorating:

Decorate with more energy-efficient lights (LED).
Turn on Holiday Displays only when someone is home – this will reduce energy and fire hazards!

Trees:

Buy a living tree you can plant outside or keep as a houseplant
Buy a tree grown locally to save energy associated with transportation
Buy a smaller tree. Shorter growing time = less land required and there's less to dispose of when you take it down
If your town doesn't have a tree chipping and/or recycling site, ask why

After the holidays, you can reduce waste by:

Planting live trees and recycling cut trees
Donating unwanted gifts and food to thrifts stores and food banks
Composting veggie and fruit trimmings
Recycling all the glass, paper and plastics left over from the holidays
Recycling old electronics - computers, cell phones, printers, etc.

Sources:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2007. Courtesy of Kaiser Permanente
Seattle City Light, Holiday Lighting Conservation Program

Happy Holidays to you and your family!!

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GO! - 10% Reduction Holiday Suggestions