With the holiday season close at hand, it is difficult to miss the air of festivity and celebration that fills the environment. If you’re a green living enthusiast, you may be concerned about the amount of waste that every holiday generates. According to authors of Celebrate Green, a wonderful book on eco holidays, “ From Thanksgiving through the December holidays, for example, landfills see an increase of 25% more litter, which not only takes up room but furthers global warming through off-gassing.”

Having a green holiday season this year can help to make a difference and enjoy the festivity while going green.

Here are some simple ways on how to have eco-friendly holidays easily.

Go Green With the Food

Food is an important part of every celebration and Christmas and Thanksgiving are no different. This year, give some thought to buying organic or fresh produce instead of canned and imported foodstuff. According to Celebrate Green, “Each ingredient in an average Thanksgiving dinner, for example, travels about 1500 miles to arrive on your plate. A 2007 study determined that one Christmas dinner for eight in the United Kingdom generates an equivalent to 44 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.” Choosing local produce will help you save money and go green at the same time. Also, spend some time in menu planning so that you don’t end up with uneaten bakes and cakes.

Green Gift Ideas

Gifting makes Christmas a very Merry Christmas indeed. However, it is easy to get caught up in the mad rush of shopping and the marketing gimmicks that most companies bring into play during the festive season. This year, decide to spend less, reduce and reuse more. You don’t have to be a Scrooge, though. Green gifts can be just as meaningful and beautiful.

Think of homemade cakes or jellies, personalized stationery made of handmade paper, warm, hand knitted sweaters or scarves, or even, a basket of organic skin care and beauty products. Authors of Celebrate Green have a host of green gift ideas, including gifts of time, talent and energy, poems, photo collages, experience gifts and more.

If you’re not a DIY-type, you can look for organic and natural gifts such as organic fabric or sustainably harvested wooden toys for kids, tree-free journals, solar-powered lamps and Bluetooth headsets or a set of rechargeable batteries for the grown-ups.

Go green with wrapping paper and be creative. Reuse sheets of newspaper and twine to pack gifts. Use handmade labels or simply use a crayon to write names.

Eco Holidays, Decorating and Organizing the Home

Let the holiday season be a reason for you to declutter, donate and do away with. Start early and simple. Go through your belongings to see what needs to be thrown, repaired or given away. Spread the festive cheer by donating old but in good condition clothes, books, toys and kitchen appliances to charity. Decorate with what you have or use Nature’s bounty to create stunning centerpieces and table decorations for Thanksgiving . See if you can avoid buying new clothes and instead, reuse what you have with a few minor additions. Organizing the home for the holidays will help you plan menus, gift lists, decorating and more easily.

Eco holidays can be just as fun while being easy on the environment as well as your budget. The simple principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle can help you to have the maximum amount of fun with the minimum amount of environmental impact. So, go ahead and have a green and eco-friendly celebration this year.

Photo Credit: Russell James Smith