I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas!

It’s that time of year again…holiday parties filled with gift-giving! Whether you feel inspired or obligated, the winter holiday season brings packages and more packages covered with shiny paper and pretty bows.

Did you know that the amount of wrapping paper used in the United States, just for Christmas alone, is estimated to require 33 million trees to produce and would fill more than 5,500 football fields?! A study conducted by researchers at Stanford University further indicates that the waste produced in the United States increases by 25% in the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s as compared to the rest of the year.

Most gift wrap is not recyclable at all, but with the suspension of our recycling facility, we are looking for ways to promote the other two R’s – reduce and reuse. Here are few ways you can still have the prettiest presents and give a present to Mother Earth at the same time:

• Use fabric to wrap your gifts. It can be a scrap piece of pretty fabric from the store or even a scarf or tea towel that becomes part of the present.
• Use a basket to hold the gift (make sure to use cloth or paper crinkles if you want the basket lined).
• Hide a gift inside another gift. For example, new makeup or perfume can be gifted in a cute toiletry bag/case.
• For smaller gifts, glass Mason-style jars, coffee mugs, and even water bottles, if you’re gifting to a fitness enthusiast, work great instead of wrapping paper.
• Stuff the present inside festive socks. Who doesn’t love holiday socks?!