A lot of children usually get gifts in the Winter Holiday season. Gifts cause garbage and so many things we buy this time of year cause pollution in some way. Here are some tips (from Andrew Nisker) about how to be more environmentally friendly this year:
1. Forget wrapping paper. Use newspaper from the recycling bin so you're not killing more trees, and you're causing less pollution. Put the gift in a box, wrap it in old clothes or an "old" bag.
2. Goodbye to Xmas trees. Instead of using a lot of water and fertilizer to grow the tree, and then having the tree shipped to where you buy it...don't buy the tree and hide the gifts around the house for a fun Hide 'n Seek/Scavenger Hunt game!
2. Goodbye to Xmas trees. Instead of using a lot of water and fertilizer to grow the tree, and then having the tree shipped to where you buy it...don't buy the tree and hide the gifts around the house for a fun Hide 'n Seek/Scavenger Hunt game!
3. Don't use paper plates and plastic cutlery. While it makes more tidying up and water pollution to use real china and cutlery, it cuts down on the waste and garbage that ends up in landfills.
4. Be selective. Instead of giving toys/gifts, how about gift cards, subscriptions to a cool website, tickets to a concert or movie, a meal at a favourite restaurant, or giving a book or DVD that you really liked?
5. No cards. There are lots of websites where you can send free e-cards, and there are no trees being killed or factories running to print the cards.
6. A greeting tree. A tree in a common area (school, community centre) where families put up one card for everyone, instead of cards for each friend in the neighbourhood.
7. Shop online. Instead of driving around, polluting the environment and getting stressed, sit down in front of the computer to do your shopping. Wear your pyjamas and stay warm at home. Often shopping online costs less than being in the store to buy it. No lineups to check out either!
8. Buy local. Buy homemade products from a local farmers market. Shop at local stores instead of driving far away to buy a gift. Try not to support items being shipped from far away, causing lots of pollution along the way.
9. Holiday lights. Sure lights look great around the home or tree, but they're wasteful and not environmentally friendly. Replace older lights with newer energy efficient ones. Put your lights on a timer, so they're not going 24 hours a day - when you're out or asleep.
10. Give a gift to somebody who really needs it. Find a charity that does good work and feel good about making a donation to them, and someone who may need the gift more than you.
Mahara, Hana, Aisha and David AKA Mr. K.
What thoughts or suggestions do you have about how to be more "green" this jolly golly holiday season?
6. A greeting tree. A tree in a common area (school, community centre) where families put up one card for everyone, instead of cards for each friend in the neighbourhood.
7. Shop online. Instead of driving around, polluting the environment and getting stressed, sit down in front of the computer to do your shopping. Wear your pyjamas and stay warm at home. Often shopping online costs less than being in the store to buy it. No lineups to check out either!
8. Buy local. Buy homemade products from a local farmers market. Shop at local stores instead of driving far away to buy a gift. Try not to support items being shipped from far away, causing lots of pollution along the way.
9. Holiday lights. Sure lights look great around the home or tree, but they're wasteful and not environmentally friendly. Replace older lights with newer energy efficient ones. Put your lights on a timer, so they're not going 24 hours a day - when you're out or asleep.
10. Give a gift to somebody who really needs it. Find a charity that does good work and feel good about making a donation to them, and someone who may need the gift more than you.
Mahara, Hana, Aisha and David AKA Mr. K.
What thoughts or suggestions do you have about how to be more "green" this jolly golly holiday season?
3 comments:
As I said to my class today, I don't expect any of you to change the way that you buy gifts. Rather, I'd like you to think about what you give, how you give it, and why you're giving it. Is there another way to do it? Can you be MORE environmentally friendly with your gifts and giving? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is a good start, but there's more.
I thought this was a great idea for Chrismas gifts because there are many alternatives to buying things that are bad for the enviroment. Many gifts are also expensive, and do not have mch use.
I think a green holiday season is good for the community,and the world. I know this because the world and our community is getting dirtyer and dirtyer every day. This reminds me of a show I watched that said to reycle and reuse things so the world can stay clean.
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