(by Lisa Martin on December 14, 2010 from Green Earth News)
The holiday season doesn’t have to be a burden on the environment. Making small changes in what we do can lower the impact of this holiday season.
Replace your holiday lights with energy efficient LED lights. According to Energy Star, holiday LED lights consume about 70% less energy and last up to 10 times longer than traditional holiday strands. The lights will pay for themselves in electricity savings in less than five years! For a typical holiday tree illuminated with 1,100 lights and operating for six hours every day of the week, you can expect to save up to $8 per month, or 70 kilowatt-hours of electricity, by using LED lighting. The best part is that you can find them virtually anywhere and they come in various shapes, colors, and sizes. There are weather resistant ones for outdoor use too! Also, if one light goes out, the strand still works. I’m still amazed that most of us will use 180 hours of electricity per month this holiday season to illuminate our trees and our holiday decorations.
Use a power strip for your holiday decorations. By using the on/off switch on a power strip, you can fully power down decorations. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics and appliances is actually consumed when they are turned off. This can be as much as 10 percent of a home’s overall energy usage.
Be mindful of the gifts you choose to give. Choosing gifts from recycled sources helps reduce the waste stream. Also, give battery free gifts. According to the EPA, 40% of all battery sales happen this time of year. Even rechargeable batteries find their way in the trash, and discarded batteries (both kinds) are an environmental hazard. Check out some fantastic eco-friendly gift options that require no batteries!
Choose a live tree. Although an artificial tree can be used year after year, real trees are still the more sustainable choice. Eventually artificial trees (which are made from petroleum products) will end up in the landfill and their plastic content will make them last forever. Live trees are a renewable resource grown on tree farms. While they are growing, they contribute to better air quality, and over 90% are reduced into mulch after the holidays. Live trees tend to be locally grown and sold also.
Recycle old electronics. When the latest version of an electronic gift shows up under your tree, make sure that you recycle your old ones. Older models of computer monitors, laptops, cell phones, etc can be donated to shelters. Also, stores like Best Buy will also pay you to recycle these things!
Reuse boxes and gift wrapping materials. Throughout the year, I personally keep all the boxes that I think I can use to wrap gifts in whether the box came from Amazon or Green Earth Bamboo. I also keep the tissue paper enclosed with the gift too. A trick I learned from my grandmother is that you can actually iron out creased wrapping paper! It turns out as good as new. If you get gift bags, those are very easy to reuse too.
I hope these suggestions will help you care for the Earth and celebrate the season! Make sure to visit Green Earth News’ Green Is Grand section for more on eco-friendly living!
