Keeping Christmas Green

Ahh, the holidays. Nothing quite like that joyous spirit to get you in the giving mood, or more precisely, the buying mood. From everything to wrapping paper to the regulatory Christmas cards to be sent to every family member from Mom to your second cousin twice removed, Christmas is an unduly, overly-expensive holiday to not only enjoy, but to endure. We'd be lucky to enter 2013 with a balanced bank account.

Enter the concept of recycling. You do it everyday, and the holidays should be no exception. With the bundles of gift wrap excessively stuffed into gift bags, the extra energy amassed as a result of travelling (don't forget about the heat used in the house!), not to mention the massive tree sitting in your living room, decked out from head to toe with beautiful ornaments, Christmas does quite the little number on Mother Earth.

Imagine the day after Christmas for this Rockefeller tree!
Photo courtesy of cntraveler.com

So what are some of the best ways to give back to the environment during this joyous season of, well, giving? Once New Years rolls around and your living room is stuck with the skeleton of your Douglas-Fir, you can do your part by hauling it onto the front yard for pick-up, sans ornaments and artificial snow. Recycled Christmas trees are often used as mulch, sprinkled along hiking paths, and even converted into fuel as biomass plants.

Some other quick tips for keeping Christmas green: reuse gift bags, or regifting (someone else may love it!), adjusting your thermostat (your skin will feel the difference!), and research before you buy! Next time you're online, search for everything on their gift-list and keep it local. You'll save time and gas that way.

For more green tips, check out: http://www.nrdc.org/living/stuff/recycle-your-christmas-tree.asp and http://earth911.com/news/2009/11/25/green-holiday-basics/