Eco-Friendly Holiday Planning
// December 23rd, 2009 // House and Home
The holidays grow ever closer, and you are probably starting to think of ways that you can make this season one that is more environmentally conscious. Some experts claim that Americans throw 25% more refuse away during the holiday season, which really adds up. If you’re working to reduce your personal consumption, think about reducing your waste this Christmas. If you think wisely about your consumption and implement the ideas right, you will probably end up saving money. Just as you can save a lot of money by tracking down Business coupon at the office, you can save money by reducing your consumption.
We’re always looking for ways to save money at the office, often by getting business software coupons. You can easily save money at home, by implementing several simple steps to limit your energy consumption. When you hang your Christmas lights this year, use an automatic timer to run them. Just run them for 4 – 5 hours, when visibility is most desirable. Once you reach a later hour, turn them off; not many will miss out! You’ll save money on your energy bill, and consume less. Replace your old, inefficient Christmas lights with new-fangled LED lights, which are much more earth friendly.
When you are shopping for out-of-towners, consider choosing smaller gifts that require minimal packaging. Consider also gift cards or cash gifts, which require even less packaging. If you are shipping something, be sure to avoid foam peanuts and Styrofoam; you probably have some kind of scrap paper or newspaper hanging around that you can shred for packaging purposes.
Bring your own shopping bag when going to the mall. So many people bring bags to the grocery store, but forget they can also be brought to the mall. You will save a lot of bag waste! Also, even if you get one bag at a store, you can always consolidate and put future purchases in the same bag. There is no rule that you have to carry items purchased at a store in their plastic bag!
So go ahead, “green up” your Christmas season. Try to get creative and think of some more great ideas.
