Holiday Tips to Go Green and Save Green

My family has always been an avid promoter of ‘going green.’ All year long we recycle and compost instead of throwing items in the trash. We continue this trend during the holiday season. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized how eco-friendly my family was during the holiday season.

The three major green actions we take include reusing wrapping paper, buying a real tree and reusing decorations. Whether you live a green lifestyle or are just looking to save money and the environment this holiday season, these tips are easy to follow.

Reusing Wrapping Paper
Reusing wrapping paper saves money, reduces waste and surprisingly makes the present opening process longer. My Mom taught me at a young age to carefully unwrap my presents. You may think that this takes away from the fun of ‘ripping’ open a present, but it actually became a competition between me and my siblings to find out who could keep her wrapping paper the neatest. Gently opened wrapping paper is easier to re-use and save for next year. The added bonus of carefully opening presents is that it takes longer, lengthening the one of the best parts of the holidays.

Buying a Real Tree
Not only is it a great family activity to shop for a real Christmas tree, but it’s also a great way to go green this holiday season. The Christmas tree industry provides greener air and jobs for Americans.  These are important reasons to buy real trees in order to keep the industry alive. A single-farmed tree absorbs more than 1 ton of CO2 throughout its lifetime.  

One common concern I’ve heard about purchasing a real tree is the recycling process.  As long as you do it right, recycling your tree can also give back to your community. Recycled trees can be integrated into playground material, hiking trails, paths and walkways. And remember, the best way to buy a tree is locally and organically.

Reusing Decorations
A huge part of the holidays is tradition.  So what better way to add to your family’s tradition by using the same decorations year after year?  As a child I loved the sense of familiarity that came from seeing the same holiday decorations. It was easy to help my Mom decorate since the same decorations were put in the same place every year. Reusing your holiday decorations is an easy way to reduce waste while also saving some personal green.