It's the most wonderful time of the year. It's also one of the most wasteful: bright lights, rolls of wrapping paper and lots of leftovers. But here are simple steps you can take to cut back.
Leah Ingram likes to spread green cheer.
"365 days a year I’m trying to reduce what I’m throwing out. I am recycling. I am reusing,” she said.
During the holidays, she kicks it into high gear by shredding old paper to store ornaments and re-using ribbon to decorate her home.
"One of the things that we did last year was to use re-usable bags to wrap the gifts,” Ingram said.
Paul McRandle with The Green Guide says with a little tweaking, you can give a gift to the planet this season.
"There are lots of little things you can do that will make the holidays both environmentally friendly and a lot more fun,” McRandle said.
The first thing to look at is the Christmas tree; one option is a potted tree from a local nursery.
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"It’s a live tree. It's going to add to your landscaping outside your home after the fact. It can provide shade later in its life,” McRandle said.
Or, find a freshly cut tree grown with reduced pesticides. Spice it up by hanging some homemade gingerbread men.
Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are the authors of celebrate green! And say these ornaments aren't just fun to look at.
"if you've done it just a few days before Christmas than you can still eat them. If not, you can hang them in a tree so a bird can enjoy them. Or you can compost them,” Corey Colwell-Lipson said.
You can also decorate with things like cookie cutters, antiques, and old buttons. Looking for lights to deck the halls? LED lights use 1/8 of the energy that standard bulbs do.
"And not only that, but LEDs burn at a cooler temperature, so that when they're on your tree it actually won't dry out the tree as much,” Paul McRandle said.
Or lighten up the mood with clean burning, beeswax candles.
For the table, stuff toilet paper rolls with holiday candy and wrap with recycled paper. Guests can crack them open for a sweet surprise.
You can also create an eco-chic centerpiece.
"You simply take a glass bowl and you fill it with some items from nature. Then take another glass platter that's a little bit larger and place that on top,” Lynn Colwell said.
You can also trim your "waste" line at dinner by purchasing local vegetables and organic meats.
"Serve them on ceramic dishes rather than the throwaway disposable wares,” McRandle said.
Leah composts leftover food scraps, then uses the mixture in her garden. She says that going green has cut her trash consumption in half.
Americans produce 25 percent more waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
