One of the things that puts people off buying organic and green products is the belief that they are much more expensive than ‘normal’ products. In one sense this seems to be true because the price you pay for pre-packaged goods at the cash register is higher. But, if you think in the long term, buying green is very cost effective. For example, if you buy in bulk and use glass containers you’ll be paying less and avoiding any long term (expensive) health problems that come from harmful chemicals bleeding out of plastic packaging and into your food and drink.
It’s not just by being more conscious of food and beverage packaging that we can have a greener Christmas. When you buy your tree, make sure it comes from a sustainable forest where they replace every tree they cut down. And, after the 6th of January, use the tree for firewood, make it into mulch or contact your local council. Many have a special tree pick up service. Of course the best option is to buy a real, live tree with roots intact and plant it in your garden. If your apartment is a little on the small side get a baby tree in a pot.
Try making your own decorations out of paper instead of buying plastic and metal ones. Besides helping to bring out the creative side in you, this will save you some money.
Don’t use disposable cups and plates. Use glass and china and wash them with biodegradable dishwashing liquid.
Buy presents made of natural wood or fabrics. For parents worried about toys containing toxic plastics or paints this is a particularly good idea.
Cut down on your driving by getting most of your shopping done at one mall. If you carpool with a friend or neighbor this will be even better. And think about the money you’ll be saving on gas 
Use the internet to send Christmas greetings and search for presents that are electronic downloads – games, ebooks, music. There’s nothing greener than this.
One final word of advice. Don’t try and go completely green overnight. That would just drive your family crazy and cause a lot of stress because it’s impossible. Try one or two things first and little by little increase the number of environmentally friendly things you do.
Like a puppy, being green is not just for Christmas and if you want some help on how to go green completely you can follow a guy from Los Angeles, Dave Chameides, at http://365daysoftrash.blogspot.com as he records his year long fight to be as green as possible. Yahoo also has a whole website devoted to living green which can be found at http://green.yahoo.com. Treehugger.com also has a wealth of ideas to help you go green.
No related posts.