HOLIDAYS WITHOUT WASTE
The holiday season in America—with all the buying, wrapping and celebrating—substantially increases the amount of garbage we make. In fact, experts agree that 25% more garbage is dumped between Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Eve than any other time. That's 5 million extra tons! What a way to say “peace on earth.”
Tips for Gift-Giving
 • Give gifts that save: rechargable batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, reusable lunch kits all save money as well as earth’s resources.
 • Give a membership: environmental, arts or hobby organizations often include useful publications with memberships.
 • Second-hand or antique shops are great places to do holiday shopping.
 • Give gift certificates rather than purchasing items that may not be used or needed,
 • Give an experience: tickets to an event, certificate for a special service, lessons, or an excursion.
 • Homemade gifts can include not only cookies or candies, but also a craft, or skill such as hair styling, gardening, pruning, cleaning, etc.
 • Shop local. Support your local stores and crafters rather than national chains and mail houses to reduce shipping and transportation resources.
Shopping Tips
 • Make a list and stick to it. Don’t succumb to (fill your closets with) impulse purchases.
 • When shopping, bring your own reusable tote bag and/or say “I don't need a bag” for small purchases. Consolidate items into one bag.
 • Choose products that are minimally packaged. Speak up! Let the store know you are shopping to avoid waste.
Tips for Mail Order
• Request minimal packaging; insist on paper packing instead of plastic.
• After making your order, take your name off the company's mailing list and insist they do not sell rent or share your contact info.
• Save bubblewrap & packaging peanuts for reuse. Give them to mail services like Postal Express.
Wrap it up!
• Don’t use wrapping paper. Just add bows to holiday shopping bags or gift boxes.
• Give gifts in baskets, tins or jars.
• Wrap gifts in festive fabrics, bandanas, old maps, posters, or reused gift wrap.
• If you buy gift wrap, be sure it is recycled paper with the highest post-consumer content you can find.
• Save bows, ribbons and paper to reuse next year. Shred used wrapping paper to use as filler or instead of tissue.
Greeting Cards
• Buy holiday greeting cards made from 100% post-consumer content recycled paper or make your own.
• Use postcard greetings to save postage, envelopes and excess paper.
• Use holiday cards to make gift tags, cute little gift boxes or more greeting cards, or donate them to:
  St. Jude's Ranch for Children
  P.O. Box 1426 - AL
  Boulder City, NV 89005-1426
Holiday Decorations
Avoid buying disposable decorations. Save for reuse next year or donate to local schools, churches or nonprofit organizations. Make your own to create fulfilling traditions with family and friends. Use natural materials such as pine cones, dried flowers or berries; tinsel-type decorations made from chip bags wiped clean; ornaments from cookie dough, etc.
Recycle Christmas Trees
Contact your garbage hauler to see what recycling they offer. Check the local newspaper for scout troops and nonprofits who pick up trees for donations or deliver your tree to Lane Forest Products or Rexius for a small fee.
Compost
Don't forget to Compost your kitchen food scraps from holiday dinners and parties. Use only fruit and vegetable wastes, not meat, dairy or grease.