Have Yourself an Eco-Friendly Holiday
Expert offers tips on ways to keep your holiday season green.
Courtesy Cher Murphy for Progressive Radio Network
December 4, 2009
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Recycle gift wrapping this holiday season.
iStockphoto.com/Pattie Calfy
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New York, New York – If there is one thing that Americans do a lot of each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is spending money. Last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 19 billion cards, letters and packages were delivered during that period. They also report that during December 2008 alone $28.2 billion was spent in department stores. While all that spending, giving and receiving may be good for the economy, it wreaks havoc on the environment.
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“A lot of resources are being used, and a lot of trash being produced,” says Gary Null, an award-winning talk show host, notable author and the founder of Progressive Radio Network (PRN). “We know the devastating effect that this has on our planet. It is important to do our part to try to keep the holidays as environmentally friendly as possible.”
With a population of 308 million in America alone, if each person tossed one extra piece of garbage this holiday season, the additional waste would be quite alarming. There are things that we can do to achieve an eco-friendly holiday. Start by keeping these tips in mind:
● Buy less. Focus on buying quality, rather than quantity. More items mean more resources were used and more waste will be accumulated.
● Buy used. Purchasing used products is environmentally friendly. It keeps resources from being used to create new items, and it prevents the used ones from going to a landfill.
● Skip the shipping. Try to skip mailing packages. If you must ship, the smaller the better.
● Reduce travel. Think twice about whether you need to travel. If you do, consider purchasing carbon offsets.
● Get toy savvy. Each year, billions are spent on toys. Look for toys that are made of eco-friendly materials and have limited packaging. Also, try to skip the plastic toys, since they are bad for the environment.
● Wrap smart. Wrapping paper can be a real drain on the environment. Look for friendlier alternatives, such as discarded newspapers. No matter what you use, be sure to recycle what you can afterwards.
● Party green. If you have any get-togethers, be sure to green the party by using only eco-friendly party supplies.