How To Green Your Holidays

  • November 4, 2009
  • 1,173 Views

carlo_scialla from Carlo Scialla (and 3 others)

  • Actor  Bob Scialla
  • Actor  Joan Scialla
  • Actor  Chris Hartmann
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You can be festive and eco-friendly at the same time, if you follow these suggestions.

You Will Need

  • Heritage meat
  • Heirloom fruits and vegetables
  • Locally produced foods
  • Cloth napkins
  • Energy-efficient lighting
  • Consumable gifts
How To Green Your Holidays: Serve heritage meat

Step 1: Serve heritage meat

At holiday dinners, serve heritage meat – meat from animals raised on sustainable or organic farms that comes from less common breeds. Heritage turkeys, pigs, and cows are just a few of the choices available. Most are antibiotic- and hormone-free, plus they’re more flavorful.

How To Green Your Holidays: Prepare heirloom crops

Step 2: Prepare heirloom crops

Use heirloom fruits and vegetables in your side dishes. It will help preserve varieties not mass-produced by industrial farms.

Visit eatwellguide.org to find farms and markets near you that sell heritage and heirloom foods.

How To Green Your Holidays: Buy local

Step 3: Buy local

Buy foods and beverages that have been produced locally.

How To Green Your Holidays: Eliminate paper products

Step 4: Eliminate paper products

Eliminate as many paper products as you can: Use cloth napkins; mop up spills with dishcloths; wrap gifts in old newspapers or magazine pages; and send e-cards or recycle last year’s holiday cards into postcards.

How To Green Your Holidays: Save energy

Step 5: Save energy

Save energy by using LED lights on your holiday displays. If you’re giving a battery-powered gift, include a rechargeable battery and charger.

How To Green Your Holidays: Green your gifts

Step 6: Green your gifts

Green your gift-giving: Give consumables, like food or movie tickets, or a coupon for a personal service; make a charitable donation in your recipient’s name; spruce up a thrift-shop find; or give something that helps the environment, like a grocery tote bag.

Buy your gifts locally to spare the environment the emissions used in shipping.

How To Green Your Holidays: Cut down on gifts

Step 7: Cut down on gifts

Cut down on gifts altogether by agreeing to give only to the children in the family; organizing a Secret Santa, where everyone picks just one person to give a gift to; or suggesting a group outing in lieu of exchanging presents.

According to one environmentalist, if every American family saved and reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of trimming saved could tie a bow around the planet.

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Comments (3)

Christy2000

Great suggestions, but you forgot something important. Don't serve meat at all! Or at least only make a very small amount and include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables instead. Even though organic meats are better than other meat, it is still meat. Factory farms are the largest contributor to global warming, so have a vegetarian Thanksgiving. I am! You may end up remembering some great recipes that haven't been made in years to take its place.

over 2 years ago by Christy2000

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Dragon591

Yeah why would you serve meat when ur still KILLING animals!

over 2 years ago by Dragon591

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BCipolla

Really useful stuff! Heirloom Brussels sprouts, anyone?

over 2 years ago by BCipolla

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