Eco-Holidays
The Holiday Season is here!  
There is no reason the season shouldn't be GREEN!
Christmas Trees
  1. Artificial - Eighty-five percent (85%) of artificial trees sold in the U.S. are manufactured in China.  
    They contain non-biodegradable plastics and possible metal toxins such as lead. Artificial trees
    are non-biodegradable, cannot be recycled, and the manufacturing process requires large
    amounts of fossil fuels. Also, the transportation of artificial Christmas trees halfway around the
    world adds significantly to the overall consumption of fossil fuel. When disposed in a landfill,
    artificial trees will never breakdown but rather permanently remain in landfills. If disposed of by
    incineration, the PVC in artificial trees will emit into the atmosphere dioxins and other
    carcinogens resulting in health risks. Artificial Christmas trees are manufactured from a non-
    renewable source.   The purchase of foreign-made artificial Christmas trees is damaging to
    American Christmas tree growers who employ more than 100,000 workers.
  2. Cut - REAL Christmas Trees are 100% recyclable. Once a real tree has done it's job it can be
    chipped into mulch and used for landscaping.
  3. Live - The tree should be kept indoors for only a short period. The shorter the tree's stay indoors,
    the better its chances of survival when planted outdoors. The maximum stay indoors should be 7
    to 10 days. If the tree is kept indoors for a longer period, the buds may break dormancy. When
    planted outdoors, the succulent new growth will be killed by cold temperatures. Shortly after
    Christmas, remove the tree from the house and place it in a cool location. (Don't place the tree
    directly outdoors. The sharply colder temperatures outdoors may injure the tree.) A brief stay in a
    cool garage, shed, etc., allows the tree to become gradually acclimated to cooler temperatures.
    The soil ball should not be allowed to freeze during this period.
Buy Recycled:
  • Christmas Cards and envelopes
  • Wrapping Paper
  • Paper for Holiday Letters (Darker colors are harder to recycle)
Renew and Reuse:
  • Brown Paper Bags
"brown paper packages tied up in string"
  • Gift Bags
  • Ribbon
Wrapping Paper Alternatives
  • Brown Paper Bags
"brown paper packages tied up in string"
  • Newspaper/Comics
  • Fabric (towels, cloth napkins, etc.)
  • Last years calendar
  • Old Maps
If every family wrapped just three gifts this way,
it would save enough paper to cover 45,000
football fields. - Sierra Club
Candles?
Remember to buy soy based or beeswax.
 All others are petroleum based.
Lowe's currently carries soy based in their Holiday area
Tree Disposal
  • After it has been undecorated, put it in a corner of the yard where it can be utilized by wildlife
  • Chip it and use it as mulch
  • Donate the tree to a conservation group, which will use it to create fish and wildlife habitats
  • Drop off at a recycling center, most home improvement stores offer this
Each year 10 million Christmas trees end up in the landfill.
Tear the front off Holiday Cards and save
them to use next year as gift tags