Going green in your home and everyday life has become a very hot topic the world over. As the Green Movement grows, we have changed our light bulbs, started recycling, bought rechargeable batteries, utilizing cloth grocery bags, reducing our household waste, etc.

So now that we are on the path, can being green extend into our lives even further? The answer is YES, it CAN!

Consider green options for gift giving for birthdays and the upcoming holiday season. From Halloween into December, we are bombarded by the must have gifts for Christmas. With a little planning and forward thought, you CAN have a Green Christmas!

Let’s talk wrapping paper, ribbons, and tape. Even if your wrapping paper is printed on recycled paper, what happens to it Christmas morning? It’s almost always thrown into the trash. Ribbon and tape are made of plastic and their decomposition rate is about the same as a plastic grocery bag (think 400+ years in a landfill). There are several green options for gift wrapping.

1. Use Newspaper or hand colored brown paper bags tied with twine. The nostalgic look will impress the recipient while you are honing your skills as a lean green gift giving machine.
2. Use cloth gift bags to wrap your gifts. You can usually find these at any craft show and can be used over and over again. Or, you can make them yourself. Add a little satin ribbon and you have and original gift wrapping solution. To make your own fabric gift bags, all you need is a small amount of holiday fabric (usually less than a yard). Cut 2 pieces at least 2 inches larger than the gift (more if you want). Sew three sides together and make a hem around the fourth side. Place the gift inside the bag, and tie off with matching satin ribbon.

When it comes to actually purchasing gifts, consider these options to you can give a green gift to your loved ones:

1. The recipient. Most people would cherish a small hand made gift as opposed to a large store bought gift just because it was on sale.
2. Renewable sources. Buy items that are made from renewable sources. Bamboo yarn can make a beautiful sweater. There are hundreds of businesses whose main goal is not money, but to promote earth friendly products. These are the companies we should be patronizing.
3. Shop local. A good way to shop for gifts is to put a 100 mile limit on your purchases i.e., don’t purchase an item that had to travel more than 100 miles to your city/town.
4. If you have someone on your list who “has everything”, donate to a local charity in their name. The organization typically has some sort of correspondence sent to the donor giving thanks.

If you are sending out holiday cards, make your purchase count. Buy cards printed on post-consumer recycled paper. Buy card sets that support a cause. There are plenty of organizations that do both. National Wildlife Federation, The American Cancer Society, Red (found in Hallmark stores) supports Aids charities in Africa, Unicef. These are just to name a few.

Have a Merry (Green) Christmas!

Green Living