Green Holiday Tips

Spread green cheer for the planet while you're at it with our green holiday tips!

Green Gifts | Halloween | Thanksgiving | Year-End Holidays | Valentine's Day Mother's/Father's Day

Help for Holiday Stragglers

Running short on wrapping paper? The solution may be hanging right in front of you:

Your old calendar - pull it down and use it to wrap presents. If it looked good enough to hang on your wall, it'll probably look great on a package (just make sure the entries on the back side don't hold any trade secrets or embarrassing personal appointments).
A reusable gift bag like the ones at wrapsacks.com.
Make the wrapping part of the gift by swathing it in a scarf or other reusable fabric.

Lights out: This year, you finally swapped out your incandescent Christmas lights for energy-efficient LED ones. Retailer HolidayLEDs.com occasionally accepts incandescent holiday lights for recycling. Send 'em to:

HolidayLEDs.com
Attn: Recycling Program
120 W. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1403
Jackson, MI 49201

Back to nature: Christmas trees can and should be mulched to help create healthy, new soil. Check with your local recycling or disposal company to find out whether they do curbside pickup. Go to Earth911 to find a recycling location near you.

Gifts that keep on giving: No need to hunt for receipts or wait in line at the store. Unwanted gifts can be swapped online for what you really want. Even gift cards can be sold back or exchanged. Or, give a gift that gives back, make a donation in honor of a friend or loved one and share in our country's most special wild places.

Green Gift Ideas

Spread a little love for the planet along with your holiday cheer. Green gifts are often unique and more meaningful than run-of-the-mill purchases, and they're easier than ever to find

Buy recycled, organic, fair-trade, and other environmentally friendly items like those on greatgreengoods.com and greenpages.org.
Give green experiences such as a certificate to an organic restaurant or a membership in a cycling club or car-share program (such as zipcar.com).
Make your activism gift-worthy by combining an inspiring book or DVD (get ideas here), a compact fluorescent bulb, and some organic treats in an attractive, reusable container (Gogreengift.com sells a prepackaged version).
Make your money do double duty by donating to a conservation organization in the recipient's name. Donations to the Sierra Club's Sponsor a Wild Place program help protect some of the planet's most spectacular wilderness areas, and comes with an adorable animal puppet or a useful backpack.

Green is the Color of Love

Making your Valentine's Day green is a nice way to show you've put extra thought into things.

Forget the overpriced, pesticide-laden bunch of long-stemmed roses and pick up some fresh wildflowers at your local farmers' market. (If you must go traditional, at least make 'em organic.)
Fair-trade, shade-grown chocolate is always nice.
If all the best restaurants are booked, whip up a candlelit dinner at home. Can't cook? Keep it simple with a romantic picnic, a formula that's endured for hundreds of years: a jug of (organic) wine, a loaf of bread, maybe some artisan cheese - and you.

Green Mother's and Father's Day Ideas

Shop vintage: Rather than buying something new, find an antique. The gift will have sentimental value, and antiques leave a lighter footprint by not using any additional resources for manufacturing.

Recycle: Give new life to Dad's old things - recover a tattered chair or other piece of beloved furniture. (Note: It's best to ask him which items he considers in need of a redo before attempting drastic revamping projects).

Save energy: If he loves to have the latest gadget, shop for eco-friendly innovations like a solar-powered motion-sensing outdoor light, or a wind/solar-powered phone charger.

Trick or (Fair-Trade) Treat

Hand out sustainable treats on Halloween. Buying fair-trade goods supports a better life for farming families in the developing world by ensuring that they're paid a fair price for their products. It also helps promote environmental stewardship, good working conditions, and community development.

Feast on This: Thanksgiving

Eating greener doesn't mean having to give up tradition. Increasingly, holiday revelers are opting for organic turkeys. Find out where you can get your own healthier bird - raised in open spaces without antibiotics or growth stimulants -at theorganicpages.com.

While plotting your menu for the big holiday meal, consider incorporating some local foods. For tips and ideas, check out Sierra Club's coverage of the 100-mile Thanksgiving challenge, as well as the seasonal ideas for vegetarians at Grist and the Organic Consumers Association.