Christmas is a time of family, feasting, and mass consumption. The amount of garbage that we create during the holiday season is ridiculous. We are throwing away food, paper and all sorts of things even though we know during this time of year there are people who have nothing. Not only are we being wasteful and neglecting to remember the millions who have nothing but we are also being extremely harmful to our environment. There are many ways to avoid over consuming this season, which are easy to do, and not only will they help save the environment but also save your pockets from being gouged!

AVOID UN-RECYCABLE WRAPPING PAPER
Recycled wrapping paper maybe thinner than the other brand but it will not only save our trees. It tends to be cheaper in most stores and is available in a variety of designs. Using recyclable wrapping paper is a quick and easy way to greenify your Christmas!

GIVE THE GIFT OF GIFT BAGS
Gift bags may not be the hallmark Christmas morning where the child is tearing paper off the new gift but it does help to recycle! Gift bags can be reused dozens of times and with the right tissue paper and better yet- the great gift inside. Save your pockets and some trees by switching to gift bags! These days they are also available in vinyl and other materials than paper which can be used as grocery bags and storage bags later.

THROWING A PARTY WITHOUT THROWING AWAY
Holiday parties are the biggest sources of our mass consumption during the holidays. A few tips for having a party without creating too much waste is actually quite simple. Try to avoid paper/plastic utensils. We are all guilty of the quick throw away items but if we choose to wash and reuse we can save ourselves an entire garbage load! Another helpful trick is to ask guests to bring a Tupperware/container to the party and everyone gets to take home their favourite desserts or dishes. This will allow the guests to continue sampling your delicious items and also reduce the waste for the evening!

DEORATION DO’S
Reuse decorations from previous years! We don’t need brand new decorations every year; actually the most sentimental of our pieces are usually the oldest ones we have. To save your wallet and the earth try and use pieces you’ve had for years and modify them. If we continue to re-use we can help reduce the amount of waste at Christmas.

These are only a few tips to greenifying your Christmas! There are hundreds of ways that you can make this holiday season your greenest yet but any difference is a big difference in the long run.