Eco Friendly Christmas Ideas

Make it an Eco Friendly Christmas this Year!

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year (although I have to admit that, even after all these years in the Southern Hemisphere, I still haven’t got used to Christmas in the sun!). But it’s important to make it a green and eco friendly Christmas too – after all, with so many people around the globe buying up consumer goods in vast quantities, and flying all over the world to visit family and go on holiday, it’s a very, very tough time for the planet.

With this in mind, the wonderful people over at Clean Air Partners created a super infographic. The “Clean Air Partners’ Green Guide to the Holidays” highlights ways that we can all have holiday fun while saving energy, protecting our health and the environment, and saving  money (definitely a priority at this time of year!).

You may remember I’ve mentioned Clean Air Partners before. They do a huge amount of good, what with annual awards for people who improve their air quality, and providing a very important service – air quality forecasts and alerts in DC, MD and VA in the US. (You can get those alerts delivered to your inbox here).

But back  to  their infographic. They’ve got lots of great ideas and suggestions, and I’ve added a couple more below too. You can see the infographic on their site here, and there’s a smaller version below. Then scroll down to see my thoughts.

eco friendly Christmas guide to the holidays

• One tip from Clean Air Partners that can save you a lot of money is to install a programmable thermostat in your home. This will allow you to use less energy for heating at times when you don’t need it so much (like when you’re asleep, or out of the house).
• Christmas decorations are fun for the whole family, but don’t go overboard just to keep up with the neighbours! And of course you’ll want to use LED light strings – they’re very green for an eco friendly Christmas.
• If you’re buying electronics and appliances, make it an eco friendly Christmas with Energy Star products in the US, or A*** in Europe and elsewhere. In Australia and New Zealand, the more Stars on the energy label, the more energy you’ll save.
• Of course, it wouldn’t be an eco friendly Christmas if you didn’t recycle! These holidays are a time of huge waste, due to wrapping paper, cards, food waste and more. In the US for example, the EPA says Americans discard 25 million MORE tons of trash between Thanksgiving and New Year than at other times. In the UK, the amount of wrapping paper discarded over Christmas would stretch to the moon! (Luckily more is recycled than discarded, but still…). If you bought a live Christmas tree, don’t discard it – find waste pick-ups or nurseries to take it. 25 years ago I bought an artificial tree at what seemed like an exorbitant price – but it’s still with me today and looking as good as ever (despite all my moves), so it was a good investment.
• Car-pool or take public transport for eco friendly Christmas shopping trips.
• Don’t forget your pets this Christmas (it can be a stressful time for them too – here’s how to overcome it), and don’t buy pets as gifts unless you are sure of the commitment – and adopt, don’t buy.
• And finally, I would add: Don’t get sucked up into the consumerism of the festive season. Give eco friendly Christmas gifts (including the very precious gift of time – here’s how), and make it a time to remember fondly by re-capturing the true spirit of Christmas (here’s how).

It’s not the gifts you’ll remember – it’s the precious time spent with family and loved ones.

So, make sure you have an eco friendly Christmas this year!

Please spread the word about an eco friendly Christmas – the more the merrier! Sharing buttons below and right – thank you!