A mountain of holiday gifts and goods make their way from and into homes each holiday season. It is a harsh reality but, not long after the festivities subside, nearly all of those often well-intentioned gifts move on to mounds of landfill.
Slowing the migration is as easy as setting your family the Green holiday Challenge to send as little as possible to landfill this holiday. Inspired by the target of a close to empty wheelie bin, you will all make decisions that generate less waste.
Many actions help with celebrating a green holiday, like selecting locally-grown foods to reduce food miles, switching to LED eco holiday lights and donating gifts to charities. The massive amount of food, plastic and non-recyclable waste is the chief environmental problem, but it is a simple one for eco friendly households to take on.
Sit the team down before holiday and talk about methods of reuse, reduce and recycle. Here’s some ideas to get you started.
Good for the environment plastic-free picnics
Disposable plastic plates and cups are made from petrochemicals, so pollution is made in their manufacture and when thrown-away they sit in landfill forever. Opt for reusable plates that you wash up or use palm leaf plates, a stylish plant alternative. They add a chic eco friendly style to your festive table and can be put onto your garden as mulch, instead of in the bin.
Trim a living tree
When Santa arrives in his carbon-neutral sleigh, surprise him with a live Australian Wollemi pine tree. This recently discovered tree is now available in nurseries. A potted Wollemi can grow with your family to be trimmed year after year. Or, why not a tradition to find a lovely Eucalyptus branch that can be composted when the holiday festivities are over.
Wrap it again
A great stretch the budget and save piles of waste is to wrap presents in newspaper, magazines and even junk mail. For kids use the comics, for car lovers use the motoring pages. wrapping, place gifts inside reusable shopping bags, or sew cloth bags from festive holiday material that your family can re-tie with ribbon annually. For an extra special Green holiday touch, Earth Greetings make beautiful post consumer waste wrapping paper with Australian holiday designs printed with vegetable inks.
Detour past the bin
Ask yourself, is this holiday gift wind up in the bin within a couple of weeks? If yes, choose something else. The old saying quality not quantity is a great friend of the planet. Even the cheapest items use the planet’s limited resources, energy and water to manufacture. Instead of buy a risky gift, think about a gift voucher or make a donation to a charity on behalf of the individual. Should you receive an unsuitable gift, pass it straight on to a charity such as the Salvos.
A green holiday gift for your garden
Food scraps make up a huge portion of rubbish and once in landfill they generate methane, a concentrated greenhouse gas. Compost at home instead and turn leftovers into fertiliser for your garden. The Bokashi composting bin is a popular system that sits conveniently in your kitchen.
Packaging-free paradise
Picture a paradise where holiday morning is clear of mounds of discarded plastic packaging. It takes a little bit more thought and effort. Locally made and hand-made holiday gifts are less likely to be over-packaged. A trip to the local Farmer’s Markets will also you stock up on fresh festive food with minimal packaging.
As opposed to talking rubbish; this holiday, your family will soon be asking is this for landfill, recycling or composting? And the joy of achieving your challenge will bring good tidings to all.
Biome Eco Stores is a chic retail outlet with a conscience. Firmly committed to eco friendly principles, Biome offers a unique and meaningful green holiday collection for gifts and decoration.
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