Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, Americans produce 25 percent more trash than normal. Co-founders of eco-company everydayJun, Nancy Poletti and Justine Segal, offer the following tips to encourage everyone to have a greener, less wasteful holiday season
*Decorate: Consider adopting a live Christmas tree. A live tree is delivered with its rootball intact (disguised in a burlap sack). At the end of the holiday, the tree is returned to its farm where it is replanted in the ground.
Another environmentally-friendly option is purchasing a “cut your own” tree. These are a great way to ensure that your tree has the smallest carbon footprint possible. And if your town has a mulching program, your tree will serve another purpose in the spring.
LED lights use 80 to 90 percent less electricity than traditional incandescent lights and can last up to 20,000 hours. In addition, they’re cool to the touch, making them less of a fire hazard than incandescent.
*Celebrate: Consider electronic invites, but if paper invites are a must-have, use recycled materials, or better yet, make your own.
Instead of serving on disposables, wow your guests with those gorgeous place settings that you’ve been hiding since your wedding day. It’ll go a long way toward reducing the amount of waste you create.
Serve local food and beverages. Most conventional food travels an average of 1,500 miles before landing on your table. Sites like localharvest.org can help source everything you need to help keep your party “local.”
*Give: Families who enlist in “Secret Santa” are often thrilled at the idea of buying less. And the commitment to buying just one gift gives people the focus and clarity they need to buy something really special.
When giving gifts this year, consider eco-friendly options. Food and beverages are always in style as are experiences — like sports lessons or memberships to museums. Gifts that will reduce waste and unnecessary spending.When wrapping gifts this season, think reusable. Raid the recycling bin for newspapers and magazines — they make for interesting and colorful packages. Try cutting newspapers in strips and curling them like ribbons for added pizazz.
*Resolve: To reuse as much as possible. Donate old clothes to someone who can use them. Old suits can get a new life at charities like Dress for Success. Local places of worship often have a direct line to families in need.
For more great green holiday tips and information about everydayJun’s Waste Free Lunch Kit, log onto www.everydayjun.com