Celebrate the environment: Your holiday shopping list can be eco-friendly
Posted on November 18th, 2008 - 10:30 AMAbout the author: Andrea Drinkard is Web Content Coordinator in EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.
If you’re like me, when you go shopping the environment isn’t always the first thing on your mind. I’m always worried whether they’ll have my size or if it’s going to be on sale, but not necessarily what the environmental impact of my purchases will be.
On my last shopping trip, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye-a sticker that asked me to shop smart. Smart shopping doesn’t just mean finding the best deals, taking the most efficient route, or finding what you’re looking for as soon as you walk in the store. But it also means keeping the environment in mind while you shop.
With the holidays coming up and lots of shopping in my near future, I started to think how easy it would be to put Mother Earth on my gift list. I mean, a lot of the things I’m already doing to be eco-friendly at home, at the office or on the road could be done while shopping for holiday gifts. I take public transit to work; why not take it to the mall? I use the energy-save mode on my computer; why not buy one that has earned the new ENERGY STAR? I reuse and recycle at home; why not make a gift out of reused or recycled materials instead of buying a new one?
These small, but important, choices also have a positive impact on your wallet. Planning ahead to reduce the number of trips you take saves gas and saves you money. Buying ENERGY STAR products reduces your energy bill year-round. And that all adds up to a gift that keeps on giving.
So, this holiday season, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the environment by traveling, shopping, decorating and cleaning up in an environmentally friendly way. Check back with us at www.epa.gov this week and throughout the season to find out how you can turn your holiday green.
To see how others are being green this holiday season and to let us know what you’re doing, check out EPA’s question of the week about greening your holiday.
Tags: cleaning, decorating, holidays, traveling
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Question of the Week
November 18th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Good tip on taking public transit to the mall; during the holiday season, you probably spend about as much time looking for a parking spot as you would waiting for the bus. Of course, buying everything online saves energy too :)
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November 18th, 2008 at 11:44 am
smart shopping is a great idea, i always look for stuff to help mother nature one thing i try to do is to make sure the packages i buy are recyclable,every little helps nice post with great points
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November 18th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Buying online certainly helps save hours of driving around to find the right gift for everyone on your list. It prevents congestion, pollution and saves gas and money!
However, buying American, or local, is as important to being green as any. If the products we are consuming are made in a far corner of the world, the carbon footprint left behind when shipped across the globe is enormous. By buying local we not only help our economy, we also help the environment!
:-)
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November 18th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
This year, I’m going to be more GREEN while decorating my GREEN (green tree, get it?) by using popcorn strings instead of garland. This way, I can use them in my compost pile afterwards! :)
I was thinking of boxing the compost and giving it to Mother Earth as a present, but she’s not as easy to find as Santa is at the mall! Haha, get it???
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November 18th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I COMPOST!
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November 18th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Remember: even if you shop 10% greener, the world is 10% better off. So don’t frustrate yourself in wanting to do it 100% green (like I used to do), because that is almost impossible. Set achieveable goals and also enjoy your shopping.
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November 19th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Give gifts of memorable experiences (game/concert tickets, gift certificate for a night on the town, etc.) instead of stuff.
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November 25th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Make decorations or place markers out of pinecones. Paint and decorate like a tree and use a painted bottle cap for the trunk. If you have ever beaded I am sure you have mismatched beads around for the decorations. Embroidery floss for garland…
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December 4th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Several tips from an environmental professional:
1. Don’t flock your tree. Flocking prevents recycling of the tree.
2. Use gift bags instead of wrapping. Bags are reusable.
3. Wear your clothes instead of wearing the house. Turn down the temp some in the house.
4. Make a commitment to recycled products including TP and paper towels for the new year.
5. Don’t leave your tree on the street after Christmas. Put it in the recycle bin. Yard waste in the storm drain causes pollution.
6. Consolidate shopping trips and use the smallest vehicle possible or take public transit… put the family on the train this Christmas…
7. Get rid of your newspaper habit. Start using online news this year.
8. Plan a new environmental project this coming year: Insulate, install solar, change to double glazed windows, get a new computerized thermostat, replace that old water heater with a tankless unit, replace that SUV with a hybrid/electric vehicle… I assume that all your light bulbs are compact florescent …
9. Completely eliminate your use of plastic bags while shopping. Visit your local creek to see what plastic bags have done for us. Use cloth bags when ever possible.
10. Clean up your yard/storage areas. Anything outside that can flow to storm drain or contaminate rainwater will pollute your local creek directly. Oil stains, leaves, dirt, chemical containers, gasoline containers, greasy equipment (lawn mowers, etc.) need to be cleaned up and/or covered and stored off the ground when outside.
11. Discharge your pool/spa to the sanitary sewer when changing the water. Pool/spa water must not be drained to the storm sewer system!
12. Wash your car at the CAR WASH. Soap makes fish sick.
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December 18th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
We always re-use wrapping paper and boxes at my house. It’s always fun to see who else actually got the present that was wrapped in the same paper last year. It also makes the surprises in the boxes a lot more fun…otherwise I would have gotten an alarm clock 5 years in a row! We also sort of re-gift…there’s no sense in the books you’ve already read or the cook book you don’t use sit on the shelf collecting dust. Let someone else read and enjoy them, and I’m sure they won’t feel slighted, especially if it’s a good one! I also re-use containers from old gifts. For example, the empty lip balm tub makes a perfect container for medications when you travel or for in your purse.
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March 20th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Good opinion, smart shopping mean ecological shopping.
If we keep the nature clean the future will be good for us.
Also the cleaning services should be done well everywhere.
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