How to Go Green this Holiday Season

December 2008 could mark just another holiday season—relatively indistinguishable from the last… Except for the fact that you might be entering the season with a little more motivation to be green and little less cash in the gift-giving reserves.

Which gives you all the more reason to alter—then heed—an old adage: it’s the quality of the thought that counts.

This year, spend a little extra time thinking about what you give, how you decorate, and what you serve. Your thoughtfulness will pay dividends, not just to you and your family, but to the planet.

Gifts.

When brainstorming gift ideas, think quality over quantity. Money’s tight, so don’t buy just to buy. Sure, fall-back soaps and candles for her and a t-shirt for him are fine, but why not give quality gifts—ones you feel good about buying and giving?

Buy Local. Look in locally-owned stores for gifts. Shopping at mom and pop stores sends your money right back into your city’s or town’s economy. By doing so, you’re encouraging a vibrant and diverse marketplace right where you live rather than supporting a big box store. Bonus points if the gift you buy is also made locally.

Buy Green. Commit to knowing where the gifts you buy come from, what they’re made of and how they’re made. Plastic products, for example, release harmful toxins into the air in production, leach chemicals into our body when we use them, and stick around for several thousand years once discarded. Try to buy gifts made from sustainable materials that are safe for the gift’s recipient and the planet. Trust us: you’ll feel good about it.

If you’re looking for green toys, check out these Green Toy Company Recommendations.

Check out SustainLane’s Holiday Gift Guide for other green gift ideas.

Don’t forget to take a look at the SustainLane GreenSaver – an online coupon book for green gifts sold by companies with a conscience.

*And, by the way, if you really don’t know what to get your sister-in-law, and candles really do sound like your best option, try to buy from businesses like Chicago Honey Co-op, a really cool company that makes natural bee products from beehives located on downtown rooftops and provides job-training opportunities for underemployed residents.

Still out of ideas? If you can’t think of a good gift to give, could it be because the intended already has too much stuff? If so, why not skip buying him more things he doesn’t need, and instead give a gift certificate to the movies, to a restaurant, or for a therapeutic massage? Give money to a charity in his name, give a free night of babysitting, or gift a loaf of homemade bread or delicious organic cookies. Plant a tree in her name, or sign her up for a month’s worth of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) deliveries, so she gets organic fruit and vegetables to her door weekly.

Gift wrap.

According to Use-Less-Stuff.com, Americans throw away five million additional tons of garbage in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Don’t be a part of this waste! Don’t be a part of it at all.

Whether you’re wrapping Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or some other kind of present, it’s the quality of the wrap-job that counts, not the quantity of shiny paper and cellophane.

So give this a try: Save trees, save landfill space, save money. Tell yourself you are not allowed to buy any new wrapping paper or other gift-accessories this year. (That means no new ribbons, bows, or gift tags). Then add one other stipulation: every gift you give must inspire its recipient to tear into it.

Now that you’ve set yourself free from the bane of common gift wrap, it’s time to unleash your creative spirit upon your junk drawer, cabinet and garden.

Just about anything’s fair game when it comes to present-wrapping:

- Go for reusable cloth, bags, paper, old maps and boxes in lieu of new wrapping paper.
- Use old VHS and cassette tape as ribbon.
- Tie your packages with old holiday lights for a funky, found-art look.
- Make festive gift-top décor with re-used bells, whistles, fake holly or mistletoe, Pez dispensers, dreidels, small, ceramic figurines, gelt, and anything else you lay your eyes on in and around your home.
- For a rustic look, wrap gifts with brown paper bags. Skip scotch tape, and hold the bundle together with string or twine. As decoration, tie plant trimmings on top. Rosemary keeps its shape and fragrance even after it’s dried. Newspaper is another wrapping paper option if you don’t already have paper bags.
- SustainLane's Diana B. posted a really cool video demonstratingfuroshiki, a traditional Japanese method for wrapping things in cloth and fastening with knots.

If you’re not feeling inspired to create your own green gift-disguise, do not fear. SustainLane reviewers recommend these reusable and recycled gift wrap options. If you need a card, Mr. Elli Pooh giftcards, made from processed elephant dung, is always a hit. (No, they don’t smell!)

Décor.

This December, no matter where you are, you’re likely take in familiar holiday delights: tinsel dusted over the limbs of a flocked Douglass fir tree or Hanukkah bush; strings of lights twinkling on fences, eves, and banisters; menorahs in front windows; reindeer, snowman, and other winter holiday bric-a-brac on lawns and side tables.

Now for the sad news? Much of this décor is destined for a landfill or, at the very least, a rarely-visited attic corner.

So go green. Only decorate with items you can reuse, repurpose, or recycle. No—we’re not suggesting you spread granola on your table runner and stick a candle in the middle. But it is possible to beautifully and tastefully decorate your home without buying any disposable products.

The Low-Down on Trees.

Your cheapest and greenest option? Decorate a tree in the yard. Or forego a tree altogether. But maybe that’s going too far out on a limb…so here’s what you need to know to be an informed tree-buyer:

Fake trees – If you already own a fake tree, don’t let it go to waste. Use it. If you’re thinking about buying one, consider this: While it may seem green to buy a fake, re-usable tree, these trees are made from petroleum-based products and are often shipped from abroad, pumping a heck of a lot of CO2 into the air before it ever gets to your living room. The fakes are usually made of unrecyclable, dioxin-leaching PVC, and often contain lead as a stabilizer. Our advice: skip ‘em.

Living trees – A real, live tree may be the choice some people. It requires no needless cutting down a living tree, and when the holidays are over, you can plant it in the ground and watch it grow. Of course, this might not make sense if you live in a city or if you live in a climate that’s not conducive to pine-tree growing. If you go the living tree route, consider decorating a tree that’s actually in the ground or one that’s already in a pot in your house.

Cut trees – Trees are farmed like any agricultural crop, so seeking out pesticide- and herbicide-free trees is best for you and the planet. Buying locally-grown trees is also the best option—this means no extra fossil fuels are used to get it to you, and you’re supporting your local economy. Perhaps the worst part about cut trees is that so many of them end up in the nation’s landfills. If you choose to buy a cut tree, make sure to recycle it. The National Christmas Tree Association helps you find a recycling center near you. Trees with tinsel or flocking aren’t usually accepted at these centers, so avoid these synthetic, non-recyclable decorations.

Ornaments.

Skip buying ornaments in favor of making your own tree décor.

Here are some quick ideas:

-Cookies make great ornaments. Make a simple sugar cookie or ginger bread recipe and use cookie cutters to create festive shapes. Pinch a hole in the top of them before baking, then tie a ribbon through the hole to hang it on the tree.

-Use recycled paper to make origami “doves.” Follow directions to make a crane and attach a small twig to its beak to signify an olive branch.

-Homemade garlands can take the place of store-bought ones. Popcorn and fresh cranberries are easy to string. Take a long piece of sturdy thread and attach a needle at the end to make it easier to get the stuff on.

If crafts aren’t your thing, check out these cut eco-conscious ornaments from Molberi. Use the SustainLane GreenSaver coupon code for a 20% discount: sustain08.

Table Décor.

No mail order wreaths this year. Edible arrangements make great centerpieces. Fill bowls or glass hurricanes with organic and locally-grown colored fruits available at the farmer’s market, like granny smith apples, pomegranates, and cranberries. These can easily be used in future recipes, like pies, jams, and compotes. You can also gather fallen twigs and branches from the ground. Arrange them in the center of the table with soy or beeswax candles for a festive, wintery look. Wrap napkins with sturdy herbs like rosemary and thyme. For place settings, stay away from disposable dishes, cutlery and napkins. If you are short on tableware, think about renting dishes for the night. If you must go disposable, make sure your wares are biodegradable and/or compostable.

Lighting

Anyone who’s paid a December electricity bill knows how it spikes with the annual addition of holiday lights. White twinkling lights look great on your eves and in your windows, but they can cost a pretty penny.

If you’re in the market for new lights this year, why not go for LED (light emitting diode) holiday lights? These bulbs use up to 95 percent less electricity and last 10 times longer than traditional bulbs. An added bonus: LEDs create less heat, so they’re much safer to have on your tree and around your home.

Regardless of what type of lights you use, the easiest way to save money on your electricity bill is to flip the switch to off during the day and when you go to bed.

Candles

If candles will adorn your dinner table or sideboard, consider using soy or beeswax candles instead of petroleum-derived paraffin ones, which is what most candles are made from. Soy and beeswax are made from renewable sources and are said to rid your home of allergens and clean the air. They’re also virtually dripless, odorless, and smokeless. You can find beeswax candles for menorahs here.

The Meal.

So, the tree is trimmed, the candles are lit, and the table is set – now comes preparing the meal.

-If you splurge at all this holiday season, splurge on your main dish. Buy organic and/or free-range and/or pastured meat. This ensures not only that what you’re putting into your body is free from added hormones and antibiotics, but that the animals were treated more humanely than conventionally farmed animals. If humanely-farmed meat isn’t readily available in your area, try ordering from Niman Ranch, which offers sustainably-raised meats including beef, pork, and lamb.

- If you can’t afford to buy organic meat or even mostly organic, then at least remember the Dirty Dozen. These are twelve produce items that remain loaded with pesticides and herbicides, even after you wash and peel them. If nothing else, buy these items organic, whatever the cost. Making potato pancakes? Potatoes are on the Dirty Dozen list! Conventional potatoes are soaked in pesticides. Fry organic potatoes.

-For alcoholic drinks, try organic wine and beer. These beverages are made from agricultural products—like grapes, barley, and hops!—that were grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. No added chemicals to the crops, means no added chemicals to our lakes, rivers, and streams or to our bodies. The best part is, they taste just as good, if not better. Search for the “organic” label on the bottles. SustainLane users have reviewed these wines and these beers. Organic spirits can be hard to find, but they do exist! Ask at your local liquor store to see their selection.

Take these steps to heart, and your holidays are off to a great start. Tell us how it went!