Eco Christmas

'Tis the season.. for thousands of wasteful cards, boxes, and wrapping paper... What's a semi-green person to do?

("carbon neutral" card from Bloomin.com)

Well, let's start with the holiday cards. Obviously, you could skip them altogether, but that defeats the point. You could send e-cards.. but they just don't have the same charm. So, how about finding some eco-friendly cards? These are some pretty great sites to find them, including the one pictured above:

Bloomin.com
BotanicalPaperworks.com
PearTreeGreetings.com
SierraClub.org

If you want to take it even further, opt for holiday postcards. Some of the sites above offer them.

Now, for the obvious steps...


Re-use gift boxes. If you must buy new, find recycled/post-consumer boxes. As for wrapping, use old magazines and newspapers. It really can look chic; and is super easy on the ol' wallet. Prefer the glossy and colorful stuff? The good news is that a lot of companies are now making vibrant, recycled wrapping papers for you to choose from, if you don't want your gifts to look outwardly "eco-friendly."

"What about gift bags?," you say. As you probably do already, re-use any gift bags you have. If you're shopping for new gift bags, consider using cotton/canvas/repurposed bags that the recipient can use for groceries or as a tote later on.

And for the ribbon, choose something like raffia or natural twine instead of plastic or foil.

Lastly, remember the holiday season is really about family, friends, and charity.. not possessions. Love and quality time never end up in landfills; so give them freely and abundantly.

Happy Holidays!