by Alex Russell
The Holiday Season is great. Who doesn't like to get a bunch of new stuff? But if you want to roll this whole green living thing into the new year, there's a lot you can do and still have a great time without feeling guilty in January over more than that special New Year's kind of fun.
According to Recycle Works, household waste increases during the holidays by more than 25 percent, and a lot of that is packaging. The first thing to think about is how much stuff you really want to give, and what kind. Earlier in the week Kade had some great suggestions on how to mulitply your giving by giving loved ones the gift of giving (right?). But Dave Chameides at Care2 has some ideas that might tighten that bond a little more, like hand-made crafts or experiences to share together.
Then there's wrapping paper. To be honest, wrapping paper has been kind of through for a while now. The difference today is that the store-bought kind is both lazy and wasteful. Jaymi Heinbuch at Planet Green has a list of 12 gift wrap alternatives that will make people wonder, now what's in that box. At a white elephant exchange a few years back, the gift I brought was the center of attention, much to my wife's surprise, since I had wrapped it in the newspaper's funny pages. My rep only got boosted when the paper came off and there was a robot inside--and batteries. You can imagine the scambling that ensued.
Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention the Eco Encore store, where you can still get books, music, movies and software sent to out-of-town relatives who already expect gifts to show up once the holidays are over. It's never too late for a good book and to do good for the environment.
About Eco Encore
Eco Encore raises finds for environmental causes around the Pacific Northwest through online reselling of donated used books, CDs, DVDs and software. Since 2002 Eco Encore has shipped over 26,000 items to 51 countries, diverting about 25 tons of paper and plastic from local landfills.
It's easy to join the Eco Encore mission by donating or buying used media through our online bookstore.
