Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Welcome to the holiday season! This is a time filled with twinkling lights, Christmas carols, fresh baked cookies….and lots of excess and pollution. Over the next month I’ll be sharing different ways that I’m going to try to make my holidays a little bit more eco-friendly. I celebrate Christmas so that will be my primary focus, but a lot of these tips can be applied to other holidays throughout the year. Whether its how we decorate our houses, give gifts or entertain guests – there are small changes we can make to ensure that the holidays really are the most wonderful time of the year. This post will be updated daily, and I’ll be sharing on Instagram at @make_a_ruckus.

1. Holiday Cards – Consider sending a digital holiday card to be completely zero waste! My favorites are on Paperless Post, but Lifewire has a great article of all the best options out there whether you’d like a traditional looking card, a card from your dog, or an animated video of elves and the faces of your family members.

If you do decide to send a paper card, make sure to opt for one that is made of paper vs. glossy photo paper. Due to chemicals used during the printing process, these photos in many cases cannot be recycled. There are some facilities that are equipped to recycle them, but may not be widely available.

2. Holiday Decorations – When decorating your house, opt for natural decorations such as real wreaths, eucalyptus branches and pine cones. All of these items are beautiful, smell great and can be composted after the season. Many Christmas decorations are plastic and come packaged in lots of plastic. If you already have lots of decorations (let’s face it, we all probably have a big bin of decorations stashed somewhere) – keep using them! Try to use them for as long as possible before sending them to the landfill.

Avoid buying new plastic decorations from a big box store. Try to make your own, or buy locally made decorations. And definitely avoid glitter! Glitter not only makes a mess in your house, but it often makes its way to the oceans which can leech chemicals into the water and marine life might ingest the glitter. Do you really want to spend the holidays vacuuming anyway?

3. Christmas trees – What kind of tree should I get? Couple different tips for this one! Best case scenario is to get a real tree that is still potted so it can be replanted. My family has done this a few times over the years. I remember one year the tree had to be in the kitchen because it was so heavy and we couldn’t get it any farther in the house! But don’t let that deter you – just bribe some strong friends with spiked egg nog so they’ll help you out.

Next best option – a real tree! I was surprised about this one – I assumed an artificial tree was better. A few caveats – get your tree from a tree farm as they are good about replanting. And when tying it to the roof of your car, try and forego the net they put around it and just tie it on as is. And make sure to compost the tree (or just throw it in the woods) after the season. If you do have an artificial tree – no worries! Just try to use it for as long as you can before sending to a landfill.

4. Decorating the tree – This one is pretty easy, just continue to use what you have! Most people probably have a lot of ornaments that they’ve accumulated over the years. Not only is it important to use what we have for environmental reasons, but there is a lot of sentimental value in our Christmas ornaments.

My husband and I have a tradition of buying each other a new ornament each Christmas. This year, instead of counting on Amazon Prime, I’ll be looking into a couple different options. First, I’ll look into local artisans and small businesses – the ornaments won’t need to be packaged up for shipping and I’ll be supporting my local community. If there aren’t options in your area, look into sites like Etsy. Although the items will need to be shipped to you, you can look at ornaments made with natural materials that aren’t plastic and coated with glitter. Or, best case scenario is to make ornaments yourself!

For a lot of families, a tree is not complete without tinsel. There are a few other options here – look into making a paper garland out of recycled paper or magazines. Or make a string of popcorn to hang on the tree.

5. Christmas Lights – There is nothing quite like driving around at night during December and admiring Christmas decorations. I grew up in Sudbury, Massachusetts about 20 miles west of Boston. I remember the town being pretty laid back when I was little, but as I got older it was obvious that more and more money came pouring into the town. There is a neighborhood called “Tall Pines” which was a relatively new development of mega mansions. Every year, the homeowners would compete to see who could have the most elaborate lights display. I must admit that I looked forward to driving around that neighborhood every year to gawk at the Christmas lights. But now that I’m paying attention to how American excess is affecting the environment, I cringe thinking about it.

The clear answer to how to be environmentally friendly when it comes to Christmas lights is to not put up lights at all. But I think its important for us to find ways to enjoy our lives, but do it in a responsible way. My advice is go for a simple and classic look – such as candles in each window. Or opt for mini lights made of LED lightbulbs. Skip the large, blinking, multi colored lights and the light up, inflatable figures that need to have a fan running constantly.

6. Christmas Lights, cont’d – Here is a simple one for today! After you’ve put up your tasteful display of LED lightbulbs, consider getting some timers for your lights.

I know I can’t rely on my own brain to remember to turn off the Christmas lights before going to bed, so setting a timer is the perfect solution to conserve energy and save you money. There are plenty of options on Amazon, and they’ll last for several years.

7. Gifts – When it comes to making our Christmases a little greener, gifts are a major consideration. For the next few days I’ll have tips on how to reduce our waste and consumption by being smarter about how we give gifts. My first tip on this is pretty simple – don’t give gifts. Now for some people this might be way really controversial. My family was never big into giving gifts, and while it was hard to understand as a kid when I heard about all the gifts my friends got, now I’m used to it. In fact, I am really uncomfortable when people go all out on Christmas. Even before I was conscious about waste, the excess around the holidays bothered me.

Even if you’re not like me, there are ways to tone down gift giving without feeling like you’re missing all the fun. The first way to do this is reducing the number of gifts you give to someone, or deciding that you’re no longer going to exchange gifts with someone. For example – this year my husband’s siblings and significant others all decided that we’ll do a Secret Santa instead of buy gifts for everyone. And I sent out a message to my husband’s extended family to ask that they not buy gifts for my son. They are so lovely and generous, but it’s hard buying gifts for other people’s kids! I’d rather have them save their money than run the risk of buying clothes he won’t fit into, or buying toys that he won’t play with (give him a wooden spoon and a measuring cup and he’ll go to town). And rethink other gifts you were planning to give. Would your kids teacher want a random candle that you picked up on the clearance rack at TJ Maxx, or would they rather have a thoughtful note with an Amazon gift card?

8. Gifts – Another idea for how to rethink your gift giving is to consider an experience over a “thing.” My husband and I have been doing this with our niece and nephew for years; we’ve gone to the aquarium, zoo, children’s museum and the science museum. It allows us to spend time with them, and I bet (well, hope) it means more to them than a toy or clothes. My husband and his brother have also taken this approach and gone to a Bruins or Celtics game instead of tried to guess about what they other person might like.

Now, it is still possible to gift an experience for people that live far away from you. Have they mentioned a favorite coffee shop that they go to? Would they love a cooking class at Sur la Table? Or for foodies that live near a major city, there are often gift cards you can purchase that are accepted at many different restaurants so they have the option to choose. Or check out national sites like Spa Finder or Massage Envy (in case you are compelled to buy me a gift, either of those will be accepted).

9. Gifts that do good – Another amazing option for a gift is to make a charitable donation. This is the season of giving, after all – why shouldn’t we think about those less fortunate than we are? This sentiment has already gained some momentum with the invention of Giving Tuesday a few years ago to try to combat the craziness of Cyber Monday. Even if you missed #givingtuesday, there are still things you can do.

Last year I was at a loss as to what to get my niece and nephews in Columbus, Ohio. I knew they all loved the zoo, but they already had a family pass. I went on the website and found that you can “adopt” an animal at the zoo. They’ll send you a framed picture of your animal with more information about them. The kids were really excited to be able to go to the zoo to visit “their” animal. My favorite story about giving on Christmas is about family’s tradition of picking a special cause every year and revealing the recipient in a white envelope in the tree. This family’s kids even got involved, and couldn’t wait to open it each year.

 10. Shop Local – Check out your local stores to get gifts this year. They’ll likely be made with higher quality materials and they won’t need lots of packing materials to be shipped to you.

And some upsides beyond being eco friendly – you’ll contribute to your local economy and probably mind more unique gifts than on Amazon or big box stores.

11. Reusable shopping bags – this is an easy one, guys. I know people are probably pretty good at bringing reusable bags when they go grocery shopping, but are we as diligent when we go gift shopping? I keep a bag folded up in my purse for spontaneous trips to the store, and keep my reusable bags in the car so I have them while I’m out an about.

And if you do get caught out without your bags, see if they have paper bags vs. plastic, and just get one back and put any other purchases in there.

12. Recyclable wrapping paper – Did you know about 4 tons of wrapping paper is thrown away ever year just in the US? Even before I committed to living in a more eco friendly way, wrapping paper waste really bothered me. On Christmas morning there would be a huge trash bag that would easily get filled and shipped off to a landfill. All that waste for a few seconds of tearing a gift open.

Throughout the month, I’ll have ideas for alternatives for wrapping paper. But for those that still want to use wrapping paper, you have some more eco friendly options. There are a bunch of recyclable wrapping paper brands out there; my favorite is Wrappily. Just make sure to tell the recipient (or write on the card or tag) that the paper is recyclable! Using recyclable paper doesn’t matter if it gets thrown in the trash.

13. Existing gift bags – Before investing in any new wrapping paper or bags, take a look at what you already have. My husband and I save the bags we receive and reuse them every year. We are pretty late this year in bringing up our Christmas bin, and when I opened it I was amazed at the huge pile of gift bags we have already. Most of the bags are made of plastic, or have plastic coating on the paper so they are likely not recyclable. So the best we can do is to use them over and over before sending to the landfill. The recipient will never know (just make sure to take of any old labels!). And bonus, you won’t have to buy anything new – which is good, because those things get expensive!

 14. Reusable gift bags – Don’t have any existing gift bags laying around? Pick up some reusable gift bags to use as the gift bag. And this doesn’t have to be limited to Christmas gifts, I had a few gifts from my baby shower in reusable bags, and I still reuse the bags! Reusable gift bags are pretty affordable these days, and may not cost you more than regular gift bags.

For anyone that is concerned with the environment, we should all be talking about this with our friends and family to get the awareness out there. But it is difficult to do so without sounding like a crazy alarmist, or being a buzzkill. Gifting a reusable bag is a really approachable way to remind people to think about the environment.

15. Natural gift wrap – There are so many options for how to give a beautiful gift without having to be wasteful. One of those options is to explore more natural gift wrap such as newspaper, brown craft paper, burlap or a decorative cloth. These materials are either existing, recyclable or reusable and won’t be sent to a landfill.

And instead of plastic glittery bows, look into using holly or herbs like rosemary or sage. These will all look beautiful, smell fragrant and can be composted. And any of these options lend themselves well to Instagram worthy photos.

16. Holiday treats – Every year I make spiced nuts around the holidays to bring to parties and give to our friends and neighbors. Usually, I buy the nuts on Amazon which not only have to be shipped to me but the nuts are sold in plastic bags. I then put them in cellophane bags or tins. This year, I bought the nuts in bulk at Whole Foods and brought an old applesauce jar to reuse. I’ll also be handing these out in Le Parfait jars (a gift in itself).

Whatever your tradition is, look for ways to make it more eco friendly. Cookies can be stored beautifully in glass jars, reuse old tins, or dress up wax paper bags. Let’s be honest, people don’t really care how their cookies come packaged, right?

17. Packing materials – Chances are, you’ll probably have to ship a few gifts this year. Instead of going the packing peanuts or bubble wrap route, explore a few other options first. See what you have already before using anything new; we save all of our shipping materials in our basement and I know I have a good amount of bubble wrap that I can reuse. If you need to buy something new, look into shredded paper instead of packing peanuts or bubble wrap which can’t be recycled. Better yet, use some of your own shredding material (obviously, make sure any confidential information is not visible). Another idea that I’ve heard of is to use cloth to protect items while shipping. Use a blanket or an old tee shirt – bonus points if the recipient can reuse the item afterwards.

18. White elephant – Whether you call it it a White Elephant, Secret Santa or Yankee Swap – most of us are probably doing a gift exchange of some sort. One option for these is to use something that you can find around your house vs. buying something new. Make sure that everyone else is on board so they don’t just think you are being cheap!

The whole point of a gift exchange is to get together and enjoy some friendly competition. What else is going to be better fodder for a few laughs than some of the junk that we keep around the house?! If you do end up buying something new, try to abide by the other tips here – buying local and using reusable materials for wrapping. And try not to pull #1!

19. Holiday entertaining – When having people over, it can be super tempting to use paper plates and plastic silverware. But its so unnecessary. Roll out the real plates, glasses and silverware. Up your game even more with cloth napkins.

Yes, you’ll need to do some dishes and laundry, but its a small price to pay to save a ton of landfill waste. And hopefully you’ve got guests that are willing to jump in and help.

20. Booze! The most important topic, amiright? Obviously, make sure to recycle any wine, liquor or beer bottles. Take it a step further and try to get beer in bigger quantities, like growlers or kegs. That’s right – kegs are eco friendly! Who knew the frat party staple was actually a pioneer of reusable materials? But just remember to say HELL NO to the red solo cup that usually accompanies kegs and use real glasses instead.

And for the oenophiles out there – remember that real corks are compostable. Cheers!

21. Cook Gather Give – This year if you are planning on having friends over, join the Cook Gather Give movement. It was started as a response to the unprecedented natural disasters we’ve seen this year.

Ask guests that instead of bringing over a host gift or wine, make a donation to the charity of their choice to help those affected by natural disasters. Share photos on social media with the hashtag #cookgathergive.

22. Zero Waste Travel – Many people are likely packing up to travel somewhere this Christmas. Whether you are driving or flying, traveling without generating waste can be tough. I recently went on my first trip since trying to be eco friendly and I found there were some really easy steps that I could take, like using reusable water bottles, coffee mug, silverware and containers with me to the airport. Request food in your own container vs. a plastic one, or look for food that is package free like fruit (which is healthier for you anyway!). I almost always buy a bag of nuts at the airport, so for my last trip I packed one from nuts I bought in bulk – much more eco friendly and MUCH cheaper.

23. Save your wrapping paper – Yes, I know you made fun of your Grandma for doing this, but it turns out she was onto something! For any wrapping paper that can’t be recycled, try to open gifts carefully and save it to reuse. I’ve heard stories that people’s grandmothers would iron the paper and use it for years and years – while that is commendable, it might be pushing it a bit much! If you can get even one more use out of paper, that is a huge win and will help to minimize landfill waste. And if the paper isn’t in tip top shape, another way to reuse it is to make your own holiday bows. I attempted to make these this year out of magazine paper and they came out pretty well! I thought it was kind of obvious that they were DIY but my husband couldn’t tell – so either I’m super critical or he is oblivious. I’ll choose to believe the latter!

24. Candles – This time of year, it is so nice to have a scented candle burning in the house. But traditional candles can contain paraffin which is from petroleum and can release chemicals and greenhouse gases into the environment when burned.

So this year, look into safer and more eco-friendly alternatives. These could include essential oils in a diffuser, a reed diffuser or a candle made with natural ingredients that comes in minimal and recyclable packaging.

25. Compost your tree – After Christmas passes and you need to get rid of your tree, try to make sure to dispose of in a responsible way. Ideally, it would be composted. My family used to throw it in the woods behind our house for it to break down. If you live in the city or don’t have a place to dispose of it yourself, contact your local public works department. Many communities have drop off points for christmas trees to be turned into mulch and reused in landscaping.

Merry Christmas everyone! Hopefully you’ve picked up a tip or two that you can implement. I hope you have a wonderful day with friends and family. Looking forward to 2018!