Help save the Planet this holiday Season-Here are a few great ideas to help you
keep the holidays as eco-conscious as possible.

1. Christmas Cards: Send your Christmas cards via email (E-card), buy cards made of eco-friendly stock, or use
   a holiday photo card which may be used as a keepsake instead of thrown away. Save the cards you get in the
   mail this year, use them the next year for kids’ Christmas activities or crafts.
2. Holiday Decorations: Before throwing out old Christmas decorations, consider if someone else may
   appreciate them. Donate them to a thrift store like the Salvation Army or other organizations if they are in
   acceptable condition.
3. Christmas Trees: Don’t throw away your natural Christmas tree. Most areas have some Christmas tree
   recycling options such as curbside recycling, non-profit pickups, or other creative ways to re-use Christmas
   trees such as mulching programs, soil erosion barriers, and bird feeders.
4. Re-Usable Shopping Bags: Just like any time of year, utilize re-usable shopping bags to reduce the number
   of plastic bags that are thrown in the trash later.
5. Gift certificates: Gift cards are a great way to minimize waste and drive down your transportation footprint
   by keeping business local.
6. Handmade Christmas gifts: Get creative (or help your kids get creative) with Christmas crafts and holiday
   baking. Homemade Christmas gifts like goodies, bread or Christmas ornaments and decorations made of
   materials around your home make meaningful and resourceful gifts.
7. Buy earth-friendly gifts: Consider giving green gifts, or gifts made of durable materials or recycled content
   to minimize the impact on the environment.
8. Gift Wrapping Paper: Most Christmas wrapping papers are not recyclable, especially if they are made of
   foil or metallic materials. Other green wrapping paper substitutes include the Sunday comics or the Sports
   section of your newspaper.
9. Gift Tags: Make your own gift tags using recycled wrapping paper or last year’s Christmas cards.
10. Wrapping Accessories: Re-use ribbons, bows, gift bags, and boxes whenever you can. Reusing ribbon may
    seem like a small step, but if every family in the US re-used just 2 feet of holiday ribbon, it would save 38,000 miles of ribbon and tie a bow around the planet!