| According to a very recent study conducted by the | | | | Go shopping carrying your own shopping bag. A few |
| Newsweek, this year, Americans will send nearly 2 | | | | retailers are happy to give you discounts if customers |
| billion holiday cards, use more than 38,000 miles of | | | | shop using their own shopping bag. It is also better than |
| ribbon and leave millions of Christmas trees on the | | | | returning with 15 different shopping bags made out of |
| curb! The advice of Zem Joaquin, founder of and | | | | plastic which is non-degradable and harmful to the |
| co-editor of House & Garden, being "eco-friendly | | | | environment. |
| and eco-wise" is the mantra to have a great time this | | | | Make a "To-Bake" list |
| Christmas without having to feel guilty for having done | | | | Christmas is a big time for baking. Prepare a list of all |
| so! Below mentioned are a few tips which will help you | | | | those dishes that you need to bake. Once the list is |
| enjoy an environmental friendly - but still festive - | | | | ready, then use the oven to bake all the dishes in one |
| Christmas and New Year vacation! | | | | go. Remember - it takes the same amount of energy |
| Christmas tree | | | | to heat a full oven as it does a nearly-empty one. |
| Pick your Christmas tree from an ecologically | | | | Turn all the appliances off |
| sustainable supplier, making sure that the roots are still | | | | Yes! Make it a point to turn all the lights and appliances |
| attached firmly to the tree. This would mean that once | | | | including the Television and those LED lightings |
| the Christmas festivities are over, you can re-plant | | | | illuminating the Christmas decorations off, before you |
| your Christmas tree in your garden and re-use it the | | | | go to bed and also during the day, when there is no |
| following year as well! In case you do not have a | | | | need for them to be on. In case the Christmas lights |
| garden or cannot afford to have a natural Christmas | | | | are on, then minimize the use of the other room lights. |
| tree, then pick an artificial tree which is made of natural | | | | Turn the heaters off when you are cooking the |
| and/or recycled materials | | | | Christmas dinner. Heat from the kitchen is good |
| Use LED (Light-Emitting-Diode) Lightings for decoration | | | | enough to keep the adjacent rooms warm! |
| Unlike traditional bulbs used for Christmas decoration, | | | | Use Technology |
| LED lights do not get hot! Moreover they are 90% | | | | Send e-cards and e-greetings rather than wasting |
| more energy efficient than the traditional bulbs and are | | | | money on printed greeting cards. While you will be |
| much more durable. However, the LED's are at least | | | | saving a good amount of money if you chose not to |
| twice as costlier as the normal incandescent bulbs. | | | | buy the printed greeting cards, you will also be known |
| You can buy the 300-Light LED Garland from for | | | | in your family and friends circle as being "tech-savvy" |
| $8.99! LED lights with in-built timers cost as little as | | | | too! |
| $9.99! | | | | Gifting |
| Use natural materials | | | | If you are planning to gift your family and friends |
| Try and use natural materials for decorations as much | | | | appliances and gadgets that require batteries to |
| as possible. Recycled paper stars, Dried and painted | | | | operate, make it a point to gift them recyclable |
| leaves, wool, waste dress materials, etc make an | | | | batteries along with the gadget. This will save your |
| amazing decoration material if used with a little bit of | | | | near and dear ones from spending additional money |
| creativity. The advantage with using these materials is | | | | on the batteries and since these are recyclable |
| that there is no additional cost involved as it comes | | | | batteries, it will also help save the environment. |
| from your own home and these can also be used the | | | | Gift-Wrapping |
| following year if kept properly. For those items which | | | | Instead of buying gift-wrapping paper, get creative and |
| need a bit of painting for decoration again use natural | | | | complete the job with materials within and around your |
| dyes. Turmeric for yellow, spinach pulp for green, | | | | own house! Pack a box of chocolates in a scarf and |
| beet-root for red all make up great vegetable and | | | | make the wrapping (the scarf) a part of the gift. You |
| natural dyes. | | | | can also use posters, old grocery bags or pages from |
| Candles | | | | a glossy fashion magazine for gift-wrapping. |
| Instead of using traditional paraffin candles which are | | | | Follow the above tips and enjoy a great, wonderful |
| made out of petroleum residues and cause smoke | | | | and greener Christmas! I am sure once you start |
| enough to harm your family as well as the | | | | following some of the above tips; you will be able to |
| environment, choose candles made out of beeswax, | | | | come-up with your own new ideas to save the |
| soy or natural vegetable bases. Candles made out of | | | | environment and cut down the expenses! If you do |
| natural substances are any time better as they | | | | please share it with everybody, as I did, so that we |
| bio-degrade, are smoke-free and are eco-friendly too! | | | | can all benefit from the same! |
| Shopping | | | | |