A Leaner, Greener Holiday SeasonAs tough economic times loom ahead, we may have to tighten our belts, but we certainly don’t have to call off the holiday festivities. On the contrary, now is the time to get more creative, and to make the most out of what we have! After all, the holidays are about giving, sharing, and spending time together as a family. With new babies on the scene, or on the horizon, what better time to examine our holiday rituals and figure out how we can have a more positive impact on the world, starting with our own families.
Buy and Recycle a REAL tree
With its invigorating scent and vibrant colour, nothing beats the charm of a real Christmas tree trimmed in traditional decorations. If you plan to celebrate the holidays by decorating a tree, a good option is to buy a locally grown Christmas tree from a member of The Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association. Since locally grown trees travel shorter distances, they are much fresher and are more likely to keep their needles longer. The most important thing to do is to recycle your Christmas tree after the holidays to fully reap the environmental benefits.
Most Canadian cities offer a Christmas tree recycling program, and will collect trees and turn into compost and mulch. The city of Toronto, for example, uses the compost and mulch from recycled Christmas trees around plants and trees in local parks, and distributes to residents in the spring through Toronto’s free compost distribution program.
While artificial trees may be reusable, and more economical, most are made from petroleum-based materials, such as PVC, polyurethane foam, and steel. Although you may use it for many years, it will eventually end up in a landfill and linger for centuries to come. Yucky!
Tip: To recycle your tree, remember the following:
-Remove all lights, ornaments, wire, nails, and stands from the trees before you place it on the curb.
-Any trees collected before the official collection day will be landfilled. Please make every effort to comply with your local guidelines for recycling your tree.
Use Energy Efficient Lights
It’s easy to save energy (and money!) this year and still enjoy a wonderful light display. This year, replace your old lights with light-emitting diode, or LED Christmas lights. LED Christmas lights emit a bright, vibrant light that uses 80% less energy than conventional tree lights. They are also longer lasting and stay cooler than traditional bulbs, posing less of a fire hazard.
Many Canadian cities have launched local initiatives and are offering free LED Christmas light replacements to residents who bring in two strings of traditional lights. Check your city’s official website to see what kind of local programs are being offered.
Handmade Holiday Greeting Cards
Christmas cards are a lovely gesture, and are a good way to keep in touch with family and loved ones you may not see as often as you’d like. Cards can be quite expensive, so this year, why not pick up some recycled card stock and make your own card creations! Use last year’s recycled Christmas cards to make paper appliqués, or add natural adornments, such as dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, star anise, or cardamom pods. Recycled fabric, buttons, ribbon, and twine also go a long way.
Tip: Don’t forget to include a picture of your wee ones!
Go Ahead, Eat My Gift
I, for one, am tired of all the useless “stuff” that accumulates at this time of year. I think most people are trying to de-clutter their lives to some degree, so here’s a tip: give gifts you can EAT. Plates of assorted cookies and baked treats make a great host gift. Last year, I made bean soup kits with layered beans in glass jars. I assembled spice kits and included them with the cooking directions, printed on festive postcards. This year, I’ve decided to give bottles of wine with mulled wine kits that I’ll assemble with spices wrapped in cheesecloth. Other suggestions include homemade infused oils, fruit jams, preserves, chutneys, and salsas, handmade herbal tea sachets, and gingerbread tree ornaments.
Tip: Toddlers and kids make great little helpers—from stirring dough and adding chocolate chips, to counting beans and tying bows!
Tricks for Trimming
Once Dad stabilizes the tree in its stand (with potentially lots of swearing), it’s time to set about trimming the tree. Instead of spending money on costly ornaments, why not enjoy making your own ornaments together! Charming natural creations include gingerbread men, popcorn garlands, dried fruit slices, colourful yarn balls, candy canes, and natural pinecones. Strips of recycled fabric also make excellent bows!
Tip: Use a gingerbread recipe that makes tougher cookies (lots of flour). These will hold up better for ornaments. Check on-line for easy gingerbread ornament recipes.
That’s a Wrap
There are lots of ways to be creative with wrapping gifts and avoid wasting a lot of money on fancy papers that will end up in the garbage. Here’s how:
-Reuse last year’s gift bags. Just make sure to remove the tags!
-Wrap your gifts in colourful tea towels and fasten with a ribbon. The towel becomes part of the gift and is always a useful household item!
-Tear pages from old magazines, catalogues, or atlases for a unique look.
-Use Kraft paper and fasten with colourful string or twine. Kraft paper can be later used for kids’ crafts, sketching, and drawing. It can also be more easily recycled.
-Decorate gifts with recycled ribbon or fabric strips, found items such as pinecones and spruce twigs, colourful buttons, dried oranges, and other items.
Tip: Avoid using Scotch tape when wrapping gifts as this will tear paper and make it more difficult to reuse next year. Use ribbon, twine, raffia, wool, or string instead.
-- Sarah Simpson
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