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Have a Green Holiday: Tips for Reducing Your "Wasteline"

From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, household waste typically increases by more than 25 percent nationwide. Food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping materials, etc., all add up to an additional 1 million tons of trash per week being dumped in landfills nationwide. While the Larimer County Landfill does not experience such an increase, we can all do our part to minimize waste during the holidays (and always!).

This year, consider creating holidays that encourage more sharing and laughter, and less stress and environmental impact. Think about the activities you truly enjoy and how you can show your loved ones you care without going broke in the process.

Going "green" for the holidays by reducing the amount of waste generated is a lot easier than you may think. All it takes is a little creativity and a commitment to ensuring a healthy planet for ourselves and future generations.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

tree
  • For your holiday tree, consider a fun family outing to a U.S. Forest Service tree thinning area to cut your own, and then recycle it for mulch after the holidays. (The Larimer County Landfill accepts Christmas trees from residents for free for a limited time over the holidays. Visit www.larimer.org/solidwaste in December for details.) Or, choose an artificial tree that can be reused every year. For a small home, buy a potted Norfolk pine or fig tree that can be decorated each holiday season.
  • Consider giving to your local food bank or making a monetary donation to an environmental or community organization in your name or someone else's.
  • Make a commitment to an organization to volunteer throughout the year—not just during the holidays.
  • Contact a charity for its "wish list" and fulfill some of those wishes.
  • Avoid over-packaged and resource-consuming gifts, plastic or electric gadgets with limited use, and disposable products. Think about the impact of your gift: Is it environmentally friendly and safe? Will it be reusable? Is it recyclable or made from recycled materials? Try these ideas:
    • Give a garden: seeds, gloves, tools, gardening books, nursery gift certificates, etc., arranged in a flower pot or watering can.
    • Make a "green" gift basket including energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs, a reusable water bottle or coffee cup, non-toxic household cleaners, cloth shopping bags and cloth napkins.
    • Give a compost bin or bird feeder and seed.
    • Rechargeable batteries and a battery charger go great together with or without an electronic gift.
    • Give an experience. A lot of people would like to try new things but won't or can't spend the money on themselves. Gift certificate ideas include: music, language, or cooking lessons; sports instruction; museum passes; tickets to a play; or membership to a museum or zoo.
    • For outdoor lovers, give an annual county, state, or national parks pass.
    • Give of your talents, perhaps creating a family recipe book or giving personal gift certificates for things like a homemade meal, babysitting, a bike tune-up, home repair, or gardening and lawn care.

Reusable or recyclable gift wrapping can be fun and unique. Consider the following:

scarf
  • Use scarves, handkerchiefs, bandannas, cloth napkins, newspapers (especially the comics!), or reusable cloth bags.
  • Provide a present in a present: kitchen gifts in towels, picnic or grill utensils in a tablecloth, or a "theme" gift in a nice basket or wooden box.
  • Hair ribbons, ornaments, bows saved from other gifts, or shoelaces make great decorations.
  • Last year's holiday cards or children's finger painting artwork can be cut up for gift tags.

For holiday gatherings with friends and family, reduce the amount you have to throw away afterwards by:

dishes
  • Using reusable tableware and dishes. If you don't have enough, borrow from friends or purchase some inexpensively from thrift stores. Use cloth napkins.
  • Placing recycling containers at your party so guests can recycle their cans, bottles, etc., or better yet, use punch bowls and pitchers for drinks.
  • Buying baking goods and snack foods in bulk or packaged in recyclable and reusable containers.
  • Planning food wisely for less waste, and composting fruit and vegetable peelings.
  • Spreading the word and showing your guests how easy it is to reduce waste.
Green isn’t just a holiday color. After the holidays, follow through with environmentally friendly New Year’s resolutions by making reducing, reusing and recycling a daily habit.

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