The Gift of Green
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white
Made famous by Bing Crosby, the song’s lyrics were penned by Irving Berlin for the 1954 film classic White Christmas. Berlin was prolific, composing more than 3,000 songs within 17 film scores and 21 Broadway plays. While we can’t promise that Nashville will have a white Christmas, we CAN pledge to make the holidays green.
During “the holidays” — the six-week period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day — Americans will generate 1 million extra tons of garbage per week, consisting of the 200+ mail-order catalogs the average US household receives, the 100 pounds of excess food the average US household throws away, holiday trees and mile upon mile of ribbon, gift wrap and packaging. Add to that the megawatts used to fuel holiday lights, and the gasoline burned to visit loved ones or drive from store to store looking for that perfect something. Should we just Scrooge out and put the kibosh on holiday cheer? Absolutely not! With a bit of planning and a little ingenuity, we can create an even better holiday vibe while keeping our carbon footprints at respectable levels.
Tip 1: Forgo traditional holiday cards. Americans send approximately 3 billion holiday greeting cards. Laid end to end, that’s more than 26,000 miles of cards ... enough to circle the Earth and then some. Sure you got the cutest family photo ever at the beach this summer, all of you (including the family pet) wearing Santa hats. Instead of mailing 200 hard copies, create an e-version to send via the Internet. By sending the majority of your greetings electronically, you can reduce the amount of paper entering the municipal waste stream. And think of postage saved!
Tip 2: Ditch the traditional gift wrap. There are many alternatives to traditional gift wrap, which accounts for tons of holiday garbage. Purchase themed fabric and create simple drawstring gift bags. Not handy with a sewing machine? Scarves and pillow cases make dandy gift wrap, and small gifts can even be wrapped in cloth napkins or bandanas.
Tip 3: Be a responsible gift giver. Robert Lilienfeld, co-author of the book Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are (Ballantine), suggests giving gifts that can be experienced, like tickets to a sporting event or a homemade dinner. Such gifts minimize wrapping but are still meaningful. My 90-year-old aunt, when asked what she wanted for Christmas, replied, “Honey, I don’t really care as long as I don’t have to dust it.” Honor loved ones by donating to non-profits or sponsoring an Angel Tree child. Giving gifts like cloth napkins, reusable shopping bags or a share in a local farmer’s cooperative promotes a greener lifestyle and has a favorable impact on the Earth long after the holidays are over.
Tip 4: Plan ahead. Consolidate shopping by making a list of gifts to buy and planning your outing accordingly. This saves gas, time and stress. The same is true for holiday meals and parties.
Lilienfeld also suggests limiting excess food waste by preparing an adequate amount of food for your guests, rather than an extravagant amount. If there are leftovers, send them home with guests in reusable containers or compost them.
Tip 5: Throw greener parties. Forgo disposable dinnerware, and rent dishes and glassware. This, says Lilienfeld, makes for a more elegant party anyway. Walk, or if it’s too far, carpool (with a designated driver) to parties. For formal gatherings, Lilienfeld suggests renting formalwear or purchasing attire from a consignment shop. For post-party cleanup, use Earth-friendly products.
Tip 6: Use eco-friendly lighting. Though more expensive than traditional bulbs, light-emitting diode, or LED, lights are 90 percent more efficient. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, if every American replaced their conventional string lights with LEDs, at least 2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity could be saved in one month, which is enough energy to power 200,000 households for one year. Plus, they release little to no heat and can burn for 200,000+ hours.
Tip 7: Get whatever tree you want. There really isn’t a consensus on which option is more eco-friendly. Though artificial trees use significant energy and petroleum-based materials during manufacturing, Lilienfeld notes that this one-time purchase can save gas otherwise used for annual trips to the tree farm. Buying a living tree with a root ball sounds good, but indoor heat will do it in. A tree farm purchase is eco-friendly only if properly recycled.
