A Green Holiday and a Safe Holiday
See how many of the following sustainable ideas you can incorporate into your holidays this year.
Give sustainably by
Looking for organic, plastic-fee and free trade items. A few companies committed to sustainability:
Give a reusable gift of a stainless-steel or glass water bottle
A gift of an indoor plant can both help clean the air (like ivies) and brighten up short winter days
Correctly inflated tires can save 20% at the pump and all the accompanying emissions. Wrap up a tire pressure gauge or add one to a stocking
Know a new homeowner? Give a programmable thermostat so the temperature can be adjusted automatically when you are asleep or away
Purchase an experience as a gift for instance a gift card to a yoga studio (many offer online classes now), to an organization like REI that offers outdoor experiences throughout the year, or an online cooking class
Reuse and regift by pairing quality, gently used items from your own bookshelf or basement. For instance, combine a set of glass beer mugs you never use with a 6-pack of specialty local beer or plant flower pots with cuttings from your own house plants
Provide a service such as having someone’s treasured item repaired or a favorite wall-hanging framed
Use brightly covered scarves for gift wrapping— quick to wrap and quick to fold up and store away for next year. Jars and old maps also make great sustainable wrapping paper. Avoid glitter unless it’s biodegradable such as bioglitter
Purchase a membership for someone to an environmental organization such as Appalachian Mountain Club
Make a donation in someone’s honor to an organization the recipient values
Share the gift of your time by providing monthly baked goods during the winter, teaching someone to knit or up their computer skills via FaceTime or providing organic lawn care come spring
Gather together sustainably by:
Have the family watch an environmental show such as David Attenborough’s a Life on Our Planet
Work together on a calculation of the family’s Carbon Footprint
Take a walk together— enjoy the decorations in downtown Andover, check out a new or favorite AVIS trail, visit the Andover Center for History and Culture or the Addison Gallery of American Art.
Eat sustainably by:
Highlight non-meat meals. Check out Climate Reality’s Project for Climate Smart Cooking
Prepare food in smaller quantities to reduce food waste and eat your leftovers! Compost any parts of the veggies that you don’t use. Check out our composting blog for tips
If you are serving fish for holiday meals check out Seafood Watch for eco-friendly seafood choices
Plastic containers/wrap can leach toxic substances into food. Store holiday leftovers in stainless steel, glass or ceramic containers and never reheat in plastic containers in the microwave. Use paper towels to cover when reheating. Give the gift of glass or silicone storage containers and beeswax food covers to replace plastic items
When grocery shopping use reusable, drawstring bags for produce rather than plastic bags in the produce section
Can you get to all 20? What other ideas do you have for a sustainable holiday and every day
