Green Options

The incandescent bulb has been the standard in lighting since it was introduced over 100 years ago and we switched from candles. Incandescent lights are very inefficient as they expend a large portion of the energy needed to power them on heat. In the last few years compact fluorescent lights have become widely available and are now a common and easy to find replacement for standard incandescent bulbs. Although compact fluorescent lights are much more efficient than [...]

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It has become predictable, with every approaching holiday, the green blogosphere erupts in eco-advice. Recently, I have received several emails asking for suggestions on how to reduce waste during this sometimes glutinous holiday. All the shopping bags, gift wrapping, decorating, etc. adds up to a tremendous amounts of packaging waste, which makes it challenging to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Here are a few suggestions for greening your Christmas celebrations. These suggestions also apply to other winter holidays.

1. Wrap Presents in Fabric and Forgo the Box: If you feel the need to wrap presents, which does create some wonder in children’s eyes, try wrapping presents in fabric. Fabric is reusable and less likely to be tossed in a landfill after the presents are opened. You can find less expensive fabric that has already been cut into “fat quarters” at fabric stores, as well as thrift stores. Left over fabric wrapping “paper” is great for later kid crafts and quilting. Furthermore, if offered a box from a retailer to place your present in before wrapping, decline this extra packaging. The more we reduce, the less waste we create.