Greening the Holidays
REDUCE & REFUSE IN 2022!
Black Friday + End of the Year sales are here but so is the waste! Did you know that household waste increases to over 25% from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day?
As we make plans to spend time with friends and family, exchange gifts or celebrate the season in a unique way, follow these 8 tips to give Mother Earth a break and stretch your dollar.
1. Time Over Trinkets
2. Cloth & Paper VS Gift Wrap
3. Natural vs Artificial
4. Avoid Packaging
5. Host a Leftover Potluck
6. Support a Black & Green Business
7. Waste Not, Want Not
8. Zero Waste Gifts
TIME OVER TRINKETS
Fill in the blank.
__________ is the reason, for the season!
Regardless of your reason to celebrate this time of the year, celebrations are lack-luster if you are alone. The older we get, the more we realize how much time is the most valuable currency. Prioritize the TIME you spend with family and the memories you will make by being fully present. Allow your presence to be THE present and reassess the compulsive purchases and unnecessary items arriving on your doorstep or being sent to others. PLUS you can save your funds and invest in purchasing land. Turn that gift fund into an investment fund. By reducing the demand for consumer goods, you are benefitting the planet in more ways than one - from less manufacturing, less pollution/transportation/delivery, less waste, less disappointment and more quality time.
CLOTH & PAPER VS GIFT WRAP
GIFTS
Back in the day, my father told me that the gift many were elated to receive during the winter was a sack of oranges from Florida, pecans and a little homemade taffy from the local sweet shop. As the cost of food (and everything else) rises, consider giving the gift of a nutritious meal or local produce to support growers in your area instead of a packaged gift.
Instead of the easy dollar store run or a night without dishwashing, avoid the disposable decorations and try natural biodegradable and/or reusable alternatives. Suggestions for a fabulous GREEN time:
Use plantable holiday cards (cards made with wildflower seeds inside)
Use potted flowers or plants for your table centerpiece - grab a beautiful pot or paint a pot
Solar LED lanterns for outdoor entertaining
Eco-friendly/beeswax candles and lanterns
Reusable homemade bunting, banners and garlands
Biodegradable confetti made out of planet-friendly materials.
Seed bombs, gourds or luffa party favors.