It can be totally off-putting to try to be “Green” during a holiday season when many of us are extremely time and budget-challenged,as we’re just trying to hang on for dear life and get through the season. There are, however, a few simple changes that you can make, which wind up making a huge difference.
1. Shopping Bags: Sounds obvious, but remember to take as many reusable bags to the store as you possibly can, as you’ll be doing a bigger shop than usual. That’s why I love Chico bags – you can fit as many as you need in your purse. Also use your bags when gift shopping and say “no” to tissue paper.
2. Less Packaging: Try to buy food with less packaging. I know it’s tempting to buy ready-cut veggies on polystyrene trays or anything that makes makes life a little easier, however food packaging accounts for a large percentage of our trash and winds up in over-stuffed landfills. It’s also more expensive.
3.Wrapping: Try to wrap small gifts in old magazines, tins, pieces of fabric or scarves, however, if you’re in a pinch for larger gifts, use inexpensive holiday gift bags and instead of writing on the label provided, stick your own label onto the bag, so that recipient can peel it off and use again and again.
4. Just one thing: This is the time of year that we tend to buy things like chocolate, sugar, gourmet teas and coffees. See if you can buy just one of these items Fair-trade (it will clearly state this on the label.)
5.Last Minute: Many of us run around manically doing last minute shopping for people we’ve guiltily forgotten or for those we don’t feel we have enough for. Sometimes a beautiful letter/note of deep appreciation for someone you care about, is much more meaningful than a rushed last-minute gift that could wind up in the back of a closet to be re-gifted.
