Tips for Having an Eco-Friendly Holiday Season

f there is one thing that Americans do a lot of, each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is spending money. Last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 19 billion cards, letters and packages were delivered during that period. They also report that, during December 2008 alone, $28.2 billion was spent in department stores. While all that spending, giving and receiving may be good for the economy, it wreaks havoc on the environment.

“A lot of resources are being used, and a lot of trash being produced,” explains Gary Null, an award-winning talk show host, notable author and the founder of Progressive Radio Network (PRN). “We know the devastating effect that this has on our planet. It is important to do our part to try to keep the holidays as environmentally friendly as possible.”

With a population of 308 million in America alone, if each person tossed one extra piece of garbage, this holiday season, the additional waste would be quite alarming. There are things that we can do to achieve an eco-friendly holiday. Start by keeping these tips in mind:

·        Buy less. Focus on buying quality, rather than quantity. More items means more resources were used and more waste will be accumulated.

·        Buy used. Purchasing used products is environmentally friendly. It keeps resources from being used to create new items, and it prevents the used ones from going to a landfill.

·        Skip the shipping. Try to skip mailing packages. If you must ship, the smaller the better.

·        Reduce travel. Think twice about whether you need to travel, If you do, consider purchasing carbon offsets.

·        Get toy savvy. Each year, billions are spent on toys. Look for toys that are made of eco-friendly materials and have limited packaging. Also, try to skip the plastic toys, since they are so bad for the environment.

·        Wrap smart. Wrapping paper can be a real drain on the environment. Look for friendlier alternatives, such as discarded newspapers. No matter what you use, be sure to recycle what you can, afterwards.

·        Party green. If you have any get-togethers, be sure to green the party by using only eco-friendly party supplies.

·        Card yourself. With billions of cards being sent throughout the holidays, a lot of resources are being used. Skip sending any unnecessary cards and, if you do send some cards, opt for online or recycled paper versions. Also, be sure to save, reuse or recycle the cards you do get.

·        Recycle sleuth. Whether looking at the packaging, at presents or at the decorations, recycle as much as possible. Many items come in cardboard boxes that can easily be broken down and put into the recycling.

·        Decorate wise. When doing any decorating, opt for low-energy lights and use a timer. Each year, roughly $410 million is spent in the U.S. for the purchase of real Christmas trees. If you opt for one, try to buy it as close to home as possible, and have it recycled locally when you are done with it.

“At first, it may seem overwhelming to have an environmentally friendly holiday,” adds Null. “But once you take on the challenge and pull it off, you will feel great about it. Plus, it will be a breeze to do it for each of the holidays that follows. It really will be come like second nature.”