How to be Green During the Holidays

If you're like most families, the holidays are a time of lots of plastic bags, snippets of ribbon and empty tape cartridges, ripped shopping bags and that's even before all the wrappings come off the presents.

But there are some ways to keep the garbage cans a little emptier and help the environment at the same time during the holidays.

Here are some quick tips to keep in mind as you get ready to celebrate:

● Reuse bows and ribbons from last season.

● Avoid buying foil or plastic coated gift wrap because each cannot be recycled.

● Bring canvas bags for all holiday shopping, not just at the supermarket, or combine purchases into one big bag rather than getting a new bag at each store.

● Instead of wrapping gifts in paper, be creative. Use reusable gift boxes, bags, fabric remnants, scarves etc.

● Make gift tags from old greeting cards.

● Give gift certificates or non-material gifts such as tickets to a game, play, movie or concert.

● Buy rechargeable batteries for electronic gifts.

● Donate unwanted gifts, clothing or toys to a local charity rather than discarding them.

● Extend party invitations and greetings by phone or e-mail instead of using paper.

● Choose cloth napkins, dinnerware, glasses and utensils for parties instead of disposable tableware.

● Buy a live tree and replant it after the holidays.

● Use decorations that can be used year to year (no tinsel!) or are taken from nature (sprigs of holly, for example).

Keep America Beautiful estimates that the amount of garbage in the U.S. increases by an extra one million tons per week between Thanksgiving and New Year.

Let's all do our part to reduce this amount, for the beauty of our communities and health of the environment.