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#5: How To Green Your Holiday Traditions

by SARAH NELSON, Contributing Writer

’Tis the season…for being wasteful. For some reason, every year when fall wraps up and we start shopping for the holidays our commitment to eco-friendly living goes in the garbage with the Halloween candy. The last days of December usually see an influx of garbage reaching landfills to the tune of an extra 25 million tons. Not this year. This year, with our help, you are going to go green for the holidays. And hopefully a greener Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa will help you kick off 2010 with a greener you.

Step One: Send e-cards!

I know, everyone loves getting holiday cards in the mail. It’s the time of year when you get the juicy updates on your loved ones’ adventures over the last year. But what happens to all of those cards when the decorations come down? That’s right, they end up in the trash with all of the non-recyclable wrapping paper. So try something different this year and take it to the web. Don’t fret, you can still don your sweater vests for a family photo, just keep it digital.

Step Two: Replace old holiday lights.

In some neighborhoods, houses compete to have the most elaborate displays of holiday lights. The cost to light a house like that would leave you with an $8,000 bill.

• You don’t have to be a Scrooge and scrap the outdoor holiday lights all together. There are plenty of options for limiting energy consumption and cutting cost. Instead of buying the standard 40-watt lights or, worse, the 100-watt bulbs, try out LED lights. They come in really cool florescent colors and cut your energy usage by about 80 percent or more. Plus, LED lights don’t have a metal filament like standard lights so they last a lot longer. Check out Eartheasy.com for a variety of LED options.

• If you use outdoor light, limit their use. It’s a pretty safe assumption that come 3:00 a.m. very few people will be out admiring your genius holiday display. Try using a timer to make sure the lights turn off – even when you forget to pull the plug yourself.

• Cut back on your outdoor display. When you have to rent a storage unit for your Christmas decorations, it’s probably time to cut back. In this case, less is always more.

• As for indoor lighting, the same rules apply! If you’re out of your home, asleep, or simply leaving lights on in a room that isn’t being used, it’s just plain wasteful – not to mention a safety hazard.

• If you celebrate Hanukkah, opt for candles instead of electric lights in the Menorah. Or, better yet, if your family is rather accident prone and extended periods of open flame is typically a bad idea, opt for a LED Menorah. You’ll save energy and well, keep your house safe and sound for next year’s festivities.

Step Three: Make your own decorations.

Regardless of the holiday, you’re bound to have a pile of decorations to hang around the house. Instead of buying new items to replace the ones that went missing or broke in the off season, consider making your own decorations.

• Kwanzaa is all about finding creative ways to celebrate community. Instead of buying a Kinara, make the candle holder from a 2×4 or you could even use a piece of driftwood. Find some candle holders at your local hardware store and you’re set.

• Mkeka place mats are usually made of straw, which is already an earth-friendly resource, but you can also try making your own Mkeka with cloth or recycled construction paper.

• You can make the Mishumaa saba, the seven candles, at home instead of purchasing them from the store. If you do purchase candles, try out the beeswax alternative. Beeswax emits less soot and tend to last longer than standard candles.

• For Hanukkah, make your own dreidel from used milk carton or cardboard.

• Create a recycled menorah out of wood scraps, or use votive candles and ribbon from around your house.

• Make a Star of David from popsicle sticks or use fabric scraps to make a patchwork version.

Step Four: Opt for a live tree.

Each year, millions of trees are cut down for Christmas. With each one that is axed, entire forests are destroyed and that many more carbon emissions are released into our atmosphere.

• If you celebrate Christmas, why not try a live tree this year? You can buy a potted pine tree at Home Depot or find one at a local Nursery for about 30 dollars and once you’re done celebrating – you can plant it! If you live in the Portland area you can rent a Christmas Tree from Living Christmas Trees. They drop it off at your house for the holidays and then pick it up and replant it until the next year. If you live in San Francisco, Friends of the Urban Forest is selling potted Christmas trees for $95, and you can keep that one.

• For Hanukkah, you can make a symbolic donation to plant a tree in Israel through the Jewish National Fund.

If you’re still pretty committed to having a traditional tree, here are some ways to go a little greener:

• Opt for a tree that is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. You can check into local organic growers or order from Fresh Christmas Tree. They are based in West Virginia, so think about your carbon footprint when you buy, though they do ship organic trees to 46 states.

• Recycle your tree. Earth 911 provides great information on available options in your area. There are some programs that mulch trees and use them in local parks and gardens.

• After the celebration ends, you can even make your own tree mulch. Your flowers will thank you for it.

Bottom line: be creative, be aware, and think green. You can do it. Have a green holiday!

Check out more Holiday Do It Yourself Projects.

Photo by westerndave, flickr.