#10. RECYCLE: After New Years sort out all the items that can be recycled then vent your festive frustration by crushing your cans before placing them in your recycling bin. Make a special drawer for used Gift Wrapping and Tissue paper that can used again next year. Try wrapping your own gifts in recycled paper including the funnies sections of the Sunday's paper.
#9. GO RETRO: While stuffing stockings, keep an eye out for recycled products. Try flea markets, antique jewelry and vintage clothing shops for gifts - you'll be giving a unique present, as well as recycling. If somebody gives you a present that you don't really want -- rather than throw it away, pass it on to your local hospital, play centre, charity shop or school.
#8. SAVE A SACK: Just Say "No" to unnecessary carrier bags.Take re-usable shopping bags with you to malls and markets when you do your Holiday shopping.
#7. PRE-PLAN: To save yourself cash when planning your holiday meals, plan menus based on the number of people attending and don't over-cook. The average family wastes around a third of the food they buy. If you're talented in the kitchen, you could make edible gifts. There are great recipes for organic: cakes, pies, brownies or truffles which don't end up filling our landfills.
#6. COMPOST: After preparing Christmas dinner, why not put your left over vegetable peels and other organics in your compost bin? If you don't have one, make Home Composting your New-years resolution.
#5. BE BRIGHT: If you want to cut back on high energy bills, swap your ordinary strings of light bulbs for energy saving L.E.D strings, which use a fraction of the energy and last on average 100 times longer.
#4. SHARE THE LOVE:Treat people to a special experience instead of an item - such as a movie date, theatre tickets, gallery or a weekend at a spa. These become very personal gifts and don’t come surrounded by stacks of packaging!
#3.GO 'NUDE': Buy produce at local seasonal food at farmers markets and co-ops. Buying your food from a local market or grocer helps the local economy and cuts down on `food miles', transportation gasses which contribute global warming. And buy loose rather than pre-packed vegetables - it'll help cut down on waste packaging. Be sure to buy large bottles of drink rather than lots of small ones to save on packaging waste.
#2. BOYCOTT: Fake Trees are made of PVC which is toxic to our health, our homes and our planet. Real Trees produce greenhouse gasses when cut and decomposing. If break down and buy a cut tree, (more than 30 million Americans do,) most of which were thrown out after December, creating hundreds of thousands of tons of waste, the least you can do is recycle it. Many local authorities grind the trees into wood chips and use them to mulch gardens or parks.
#1. ADOPT A CHRISTMAS TREE: Here's an affordable and Earth-friendly option to the big environmental tree debate. If you live in San Diego you can now order a live potted tree and have it special delivered to your door www.AdoptAChristmasTree.com is dedicated to reducing global warming, landfill waste and contributing to local environmental groups. AND the best part is that your tree will be delivered by singing and dancing elves (local San Diego Actors) who will pick up the potted tree after the holidays and either plant them in local parks or re-use them next year. You must place your order ASAP, larger trees are selling out. Call today: (858) 272-2007 or write papaelf@adoptachristmastree.com
For details call858-272-2254 orKamala@Blisscoach.comWe try to return calls within 72 hours. Because of the high volume of calls, if you don't hear from us in a timely manner, please try again. Kamala is the author of Don't Drink the Punch, Sacred Sexual Healing and a intimacy and creativity coach leading people Toward Success & Self Realization!Zendow, Inc. Copyright 2009
