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.

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.

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…

Cards and Gifts:

Buy gifts and cards that have recycled content and/or are recyclable.
Consider gifts with a history - from your home or a thrift shop. Buy vintage or antique gifts like jewelry or dishware.
Make your own gifts.
Re-use Gift Bags and boxes!
Make last year's card covers into this year's gift tags.
Make a donation in honor of someone.
Make a sustainable donation to a 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 Conservartion Program

Happy Holidays to you and your family!!

Becoming Part of the Solution ... GO! Team:
Allison, Brooke, Dennis, Hannah, Khrysti & Robin Roman

GO! - 10% Reduction Holiday Suggestions