Updated 29-Apr-2012

Greening  the Holidays

Briana Brill, Go Green La Grange!

If you’re like me and groan when you see the morning news shows feature stories about the 4:00 am Black Friday door busters, the “must have” toys and gadgets of Christmas 2010, and party planning that seems better suited to the Queen of England than your own family, you wonder if there’s anything you can do to keep meaning in the holidays, while at the same time helping (or at least not hurting) the planet in the process.  

Go Green LaGrange! has compiled volunteers’ favorite tips for contributing to both a meaningful and green holiday season.

Creating new traditions:

• Spend time as a family playing board games, singing carols by the fire, or hiking in the woods
• Research charities for an annual family donation
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen or other organization that needs extra help while regular volunteers are on vacation

 Thinking green when purchasing gifts and other items:

• Give gifts for services (i.e. spa, house cleaning, classes) or gift cards for local restaurants
• Consider gifts from antique stores, resale shops, or estate sales
• Choose quality over quantity
• Regift (thoughtfully that is!)
• Buy products made from recycled materials, such as wrapping paper, holiday cards, fleece, recycled glass and plastic products. 

 Reducing waste:

• Reuse gift bags, wrapping paper, boxes and tissue
• Be creative with wrapping and containers using old posters, maps, baskets, tins, and other interesting containers and wrappings
• Reuse holiday decorations; supplement as needed from thrift shops, garage sales and homemade items (cranberry garland, for example)
• Use washable plates and glasses rather than single-use

 The following web site offers additional ideas: http://www.newdream.org/holiday/simplify.pdf

And finally, need some help in discussing environmental issues with Uncle Manfred, who’s had a little too much spiked eggnog?  Check out Sierra Club’s Holiday Survival Guide: How to Win Arguments and Influence People at:  http://www.sierraclub.org/talk/