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On Black Friday, news cameras watched as shoppers waited outside of stores, anxious to spend their money or swipe their plastic credit cards to purchase the most sought after toys, electronic gadgets, and much more. For those shoppers who missed out on Black Friday bargains, they were able to shop online for bargains on Cyber Monday. Everyone is looking for that perfect give, the perfect decoration or ornament for the holiday season. We travel to purchase these items, we travel to deliver the gifts, we travel for the holiday feast. This all consumes an enormous amount of resources. We must also consider the packaging of the item we purchase. Excessive packaging means more waste in our landfills. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of household trash increases by 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. That extra waste amounts to 25 million tons. No matter what holidays you Celebrate, Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, New Years, enjoy your holiday season. We can celebrate the holidays and still be kind to the environment. We all need to do our part to reduce the impact the holiday season. Here are some ideas: Read the labels on gifts you purchase, make sure the packaging is recyclable. When purchasing appliances, look for the Energy Star logo. This logo means that the appliance is more energy efficient. If you mail greeting cards, consider sending a postcard instead of a larger greeting card. Better yet, send a cyber-greeting to friends with computers. Recycle your holiday greeting cards and use them the following year as gift tags. Consider a recycled gift, perhaps a family heirloom, or a vintage gift from a thrift or antique store. Jewelry and glassware are good examples. I am sure you have a collection of some sort. Avid collectors will usually obtain duplicates at some point. These duplicates make perfect gifts for the new collector. A food basket can make a great gift item. This does not have to be gourmet food, just basic food items or baked goods make an ideal gift for single people, elderly or those on a fixed income. Your time and expertise makes a perfect gift. If you have talents that someone else lacks, this makes a helpful gift. It may be something as simple as mowing the lawn for someone, or pulling weeds for an hour. Plant a tree in honor of someone. Donate to an organization or cause the recipient cares about. Gift certificate for services are always a welcomed gift. This holiday season, be responsible in your gift giving. Choose gifts that are environmentally friendly. If each consumer does makes a conscious decision to buy gifts that are kind to the environment we will all benefit.
Article Source: http://www.greenbuildingarticles.com
Before purchasing your holiday gifts, give some thought as to how your give will impact the environment. Give a Green Gift
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