Article compliments of Luzerne County Recycling

Here are a few great ideas to help you keep the holidays as eco-conscious as possible.

1. CHRISTMAS CARDS: Send your Christmas cards via email (E-card), buy cards made of eco-friendly stock, or use a holiday photo card which may be used as a keepsake instead of thrown away. Save the cards you got in the mail this year, use them next year for kids’ Christmas activities or crafts.

2. HOLIDAY DECORATIONS: Before throwing out old Christmas decorations, consider if someone else may appreciate them. Donate them to a thrift store like the Salvation Army or other organizations if they are in acceptable condition. 3. RE-USABLE SHOPPING BAGS: Just like any time of year, utilize re-usable shopping bags to reduce the number of plastic bags that are thrown in the trash later. 4. GIFT CERTIFICATES: Gift cards are a great way to minimize waste and drive down your transportation footprint by keeping business local.

5. HANDMADE CHRISTMAS GIFTS: Get creative (or help your kids get creative) with Christmas crafts and holiday baking. Homemade Christmas gifts like goodies, bread or Christmas ornaments and decorations made of materials around your home make meaningful and resourceful gifts.

6. BUY EARTH FRIENDLY GIFTS: Consider giving green gifts, or gifts made of durable materials or recycled content to minimize the impact on the environment.

7. GIFT WRAPPING PAPER: Most Christmas wrapping paper is not recyclable, especially if it is made of foil or metallic materials. Consider wrapping paper made with recycled materials so that it may be recycled. Other green wrapping paper substitutes include the Sunday comics or the Sports section of your newspaper.

8. GIFT TAGS: Make your own gift tags using recycled wrapping paper or last year’s Christmas cards.

9. WRAPPING ASSECORIES: Re-use ribbons, bows, gift bags, and boxes whenever you can. Reusing ribbon may seem like a small step, but if every family in the US re-used just 2 feet of holiday ribbon, it would save 38,000 miles of ribbon and tie a bow around the planet!

10. REUSABLE CONTAINERS, CUPS & UTENSILS: for parties can keep future parties just as festive by reusing the same items and saving on cost. Returnable bottles for beverages and reusable plasticware that’s dishwasher safe are also great options.