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Tips for staying green without going into the red this holiday season The holiday season can get expensive quickly. On top of regular bills and buying groceries, there are the gifts, quality food that won’t break the bank, and lights on the tree and house … money, money, money. Here are some tips that are both environmentally and economically-friendly for the holiday season.
Gift wrapping ideas: Use reusable gift bags when possible; save bags from all occasions, which can mean buying fewer during the busy holiday season. Wrap gifts in paper made from recycled materials that can be recycled after use. When using gift boxes, buy pre-decorated boxes that can be re-used next year or throughout the year. For gifts wrapped in paper with a big bow, consider using boxes that come with a detached lid; wrap the lid and box separately and use a ribbon that can be slipped off easily to hold them together. Rather than buy gift tags, simply use scraps of gift wrap or colorful paper; fold them, or cut out a design to create a unique gift tag. It’s festive and saves money. Tissue paper is not recyclable, so limit the use of it by replacing it with shredded paper; buy shredded paper or shred your own. It’s reusable or recyclable if you don’t want to store it. Make room for new toys by packing up old items in leftover boxes. Since they are free, there is no need to spend extra money on plastic storage bins or on cardboard boxes from a store.
Food tips: Serve food in containers that double as storage. This creates tastier leftovers and smaller grocery bills, as well as fewer dirty dishes to wash, resulting in less water used. If serving pieces do not have lids, consider reusable, adjustable plastic-wrap lids with an elastic band -- fewer dishes, less water. Avoid plastic or Styrofoam disposable dinnerware as these will last a very long time in a landfill. If disposable dishes work best, use paper products. They cannot be recycled, but will biodegrade, meaning less time in a landfill. Plastic silverware can be washed and re-used at the next gathering. Ovens lose up to 20% of their heat each time the door opens, forcing them to re-heat every time. Instead, use a thermometer with a cooking probe. This allows checking food temperature without opening the door and a digital one can be programmed to the temperature desired to avoid overcooking dinner. Use that oven while it’s warm. Cook things simultaneously if there’s room. To avoid turning the oven on and off each time, make a cooking schedule with cooking times and temperatures for each item. This eliminates the need to pre-heat for each item separately, saving time and energy; simply adjust the temperature as needed. Use the leftover heat once the food is cooked to keep food warm before dinner. If family insists on the finest quality filtered water, invest in a filter for the tap, or a filtered pitcher. This keeps plastic bottles out of a landfill, is reusable, and is much cheaper than buying bottled water.
Remember, sometimes investing more money upfront means more money saved in the end. A filtered water pitcher can seem expensive, but add up the cost of buying bottled water every week and you’ll see the savings. Purchase items in bulk that will last a long time and can be used at any point. This means better value for you and less packaging used by the manufacturer which is more environmentally friendly. Being green doesn’t mean seeing red!
Check out these resources in the Government Documents section on other ways to be environmentally responsible: The high performance home EP 1.2:H 53 Healthy lawn, healthy environment EP 1.2:H 34/14 Live, learn, play EP 1.2:L 74
Check out Longview’s recycling program on the web at http://www.ci.longview.tx.us/services/recycling.html.
Rebekah Metcalf |
