I got the monthly newsletter from my local Co-Op yesterday. Earlier this year, I joined Ocean Beach People’s Co-Op. While many people want and strive to be green, the folks at People’s do it, they truly love it and live it. They have opened my eyes to a whole new level of green. I love their newsletter because I always learn something new. Admittedly, I don’t always follow or agree with their position, but I definitely learn.
Same goes for the following article. I really liked the content. Not sure I’ll do it all, but the world would truly be a better place if all of us did at least one thing they recommend. Here is the article in it’s entirety:
Celebrate – the Eco Way
During the holiday season we tend, as a whole, to consume more. And, in doing so we create more… waste, that is. The following is a short list of ideas to help you reduce, reuse and recycle this season.
- Purchase living gifts such as house plans, garden seeds or potted trees that can be transplanted in the spring.
- Reduce wast by offering special food items or personal services as gifts. Baking cookies or preparing a meal a week for someone who would appreciate the help are two examples.
- Reuse holiday wrapping: use old maps or pages from newspaper comics for wrapping gifts.
- Reuse good quality, nearly new items as gifts or as donations to less fortunate individuals and families. Local charities can help distribute these items.
- If your celebration calls for a Christmas tree, conpensate for the harvest of your tree; arrange to plant a new tree in your yard or neighborhood next spring.
- Give gifts that promote life style changes friendly to the environment. For example: cloth napkins and tablecloths, cloth or string shopping bags, a compost bin, gift certificates to resale shops, lunch boxes, reusable or biodegradable picnic plates, cups and utensils, recycling bins or stationary made from recycled paper.
To preserve the spirit of giving, don’t try to give too much. Less “stuff” means less waste and a healthier environment for everyone.