It's That Time of Year Again!

The holidays, like it or not, are upon us.  Even before Halloween gets here, the Christmas ads are running.

From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, the amount of food, gifts and other disposables increases to massive proportions.  It's the most wonderful time of the year and the biggest trash producing time of the year too!

If you search the internet for how to "green" your holidays this year you will be blasted with thousands of helpful (and a few not-so-helpful) tips on what you can do to have a greener holiday season.  There is a solution to just about everything that you will come across this season.

According to the US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency), between Thanksgiving and New Years the amount of trash generated by Americans can increase up to 25% or from 4 million tons to 5 million tons! That's a lot of garbage!

This year, let's plan ahead! Think Green! Think money saving! (Always a good thing!) It doesn't matter how you spend you holidays.  There are tips for you to make it a greener season.  All it takes is a little forethought and maybe a little extra planning to be able to go into the New Year stating that YOU - YES YOU - are making a difference!  It doesn't matter how small the contribution just as long as you do something.

The EPA provides a great list to start with: (http://www.epa.gov/students/holiday.html)

Holiday parties and other activities present many opportunities to reduce waste through reuse and recycling:

• Have a create-your-own-decorations party! Invite family and friends to create and use holiday decorations such as ornaments made from old greeting cards or cookie dough, garlands made from strung popcorn or cranberries, wreaths made from artificial greens and flowers, and potpourri made from kitchen spices such as cinnamon and cloves.
• Turn off or unplug holiday lights during the day. Doing so will not only save energy, but will also help your lights last longer.
• Think "green" while shopping. Try to buy items with minimal packaging and/or made with recycled content. Check product labels to determine an item's recyclability and whether it is made from recycled materials.
• Consider the durability of a product before you buy it as a gift. Cheaper, less durable items often wear out quickly, creating waste and costing you money. Look for items that embody the concept of reuse. For example: swings made from used tires, wooden toys made from scrap wood, craft kits that take advantage of used goods and discards, and drawing boards that can be erased and reused.
• Thousands of paper and plastic shopping bags end up in landfills every year. Reduce the number of bags thrown out by bringing reusable cloth bags for holiday gift shopping. Tell store clerks you don't need a bag for small or oversized purchases.
• Wrap gifts in recycled or reused wrapping paper or newspapers. Also remember to save or recycle used wrapping paper.
• Donate the older toys that you no longer use to charities.
• Bake cookies or other goodies for your friends and love ones and package them in reusable and/or recyclable containers as gifts.
• If you host a party, set the table with cloth napkins and reusable dishes, glasses, and silverware. Consider renting more formal tableware that you might not use very often. Also save and reuse party hats, decorations, and favors.
• Compost leftover food scraps and leaves.
• After parties, fill your dishwasher to capacity before running it. You will run fewer cycles, which saves energy.

Think Green before you act this holiday season.  Every little green change helps keep the planet in a better state for future generations to enjoy.