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INFORM's Tips for a Cleaner and Greener Holiday Season

Celebrate A Clean Environment Along With The Holidays

NEW YORK, NY, December 3, 2004:  The holidays have arrived ushering in a time of gifts, garlands and garbage galore.  One of the enduring images of the December holiday season is the imposing mound of garbage that follows the wrapping and opening of gifts, the office party, and the holiday dinner.  From Thanksgiving through New Year's American's generate 25 percent more waste than usual creating an additional 6 million tons of garbage.  Where does all of this rubbish come from?  Trees, cards, paper and many other holiday staples add up.  Americans purchase 25 million Christmas trees, more then 2.3 billion greeting cards (enough to circle the globe), not to mention miles upon miles of gift wrap.

The holidays can be just as much fun, just as meaningful, and just as colorful without being so wasteful.  How?  INFORM, a New York-based, national non-profit environmental research and outreach organization shares tips for a cleaner and greener holiday season.

Gifts

Give durable and long-lasting gifts that are minimally package, without unnecessary plastic wrap or cardboard, and buy gifts made from recycled materials when possible such as:

• Cloth or linen napkins and napkin rings
• Refillable pens and pencils.
• A mug for the office; an insulated mug or thermos for commuters.
• A vintage lunch box with reusable bags or containers.
• Loose tea and tea ball (you may be able to find an interesting antique one).
• A reusable seltzer canister with rechargeable cartridge.
• A set of rechargeable batteries and charger.
• A perpetual calendar that never needs replacement.
• A solar or kinetic watch.
• A refurbished computer instead of a brand new one.
• A bicycle or rollerblades (to encourage alternatives to motor vehicle use).
• Houseplants or a garden (for example, give seeds, gloves, or gardening tools).

• A membership in an environmental, philanthropic, or relief organization.
• An experience: a vacation, lessons, a day at the spa, gift certificates for a meal at a restaurant, guided tours, tickets to concerts, theatre, or museums, etc.
• A donation in someone's name or a tree planted in someone's honor.
• A savings account or savings bond for a child.

Gift Giving

Avoid unnecessary wrapping.  The average consumer wraps 20 gifts during the holidays.  If each American wrapped just three of those gifts in reused paper, the paper saved could cover 45,000 football fields!

• Wrap gifts using the gift itself (for example, use a scarf as ribbon).
• Use decorative newspaper ads, colorful pages from magazines, old maps, calendars, or color comic strips as wrap. When buying new wrapping paper purchase rolls with recycled-content.
• Wrap music gifts in old sheet music and use the tape from an unwanted audiocassette as ribbon.
• Wrap gifts in fabric, reusable cloth bags, or baskets.
• Reuse old ribbons and wrapping paper.
• Use an old necktie or scarf as a bow or ribbon.
• Use the fronts of old holiday cards as name tags for this year's gifts.

Holiday Cards

• Recycle old holiday cards. How? Here's one suggestion: Send them to St. Jude's Ranch for Children, a home for abused children in Nevada, where they make new cards from old ones and sell them to support the ranch. Used cards can be mailed to St. Jude's Ranch for Children, 100 St. Jude Street, Boulder City, NV 89005, or call (800) 492-3562.
• Create your own cards made out of used paper.
• When buying cards, choose ones made with recycled paper.
• Send e-mail or Internet greetings to friends and family, or send a holiday postcard to save paper.

Trees

• Consider buying a potted Norfolk pine, fig tree, or indoor house plant that can be reused every holiday season.
• Purchase a tree from a tree farm rather then cutting one down in the wild.
• Make use of your tree when the holidays are over: Use the boughs to protect plant beds, convert leftovers to mulch or compost, and use trimmed branches for decorating around the home or making wreaths.

Decorating

Try these old-fashioned, fun alternatives to buying new items.

• Popcorn and cranberry strands (use them as birdfeed after the holidays).
• Old jewelry
• Small stuffed animals and toys.
• Memorabilia such as a child's first shoes.
• Edible cookie ornaments and candy canes.
• Buttons knotted on a sturdy length of string.

Celebrating

• Use reusable plates, flatware, glasses, tablecloth, and linens, or rent them rather then buying new ones.
• Make sure you have a recycling system for aluminum cans, plastic, and glass bottles set up for your party. Show your caterers, helpers, and guests where to put items and demonstrate to them that you care about he environment.
• Use washable pans instead of disposables for cooking. It's much cheaper to buy a roasting pan than to purchase foil pans all year long.
• Buy fresh, unpackaged foods when possible.
• Take holiday photos with a standard camera, not a disposable one.

For more information on these and other "green" holiday ideas please visit:  www.informinc.org.

About INFORM

INFORM is a national, nonprofit research and outreach organization that examines the effects of business practices, technologies, and products on the environment and human health.  For 30 years, INFORM has sought practical solutions to the environmental challenges of safeguarding ecosystems from toxic chemicals, shifting to pollution-free transportation, and preventing solid waste.  Combining groundbreaking research with strategic outreach, INFORM endeavors to turn findings into change.  INFORM's objective and constructive recommendations have helped guide members of government, industry, environmental groups, and communities around the world in decisions promoting both economic and ecological sustainability.