Worst Environmental Offenses of the Holidays (PHOTOS)
In this gallery
We’ve all encountered the house that goes the extra mile to outshine all the neighbors. Don’t be that house. A well-placed string of lights is far more tasteful, and it will help keep your electric bill at a reasonable rate. If you’re really into lights, try LEDs, which use far less energy. (photo by Flickr user shannonpareil)
The wastefulness of gift wrap is pretty self-evident. More household waste is produced during the holidays than any other time of year, due largely to the millions of pounds of gift wrap and ribbons that are used and discarded. Instead of using normal wrapping paper, try wrapping gifts in other household items, like an old plaid shirt or old National Geographic covers. If you must use wrapping paper, be sure to recycle it. (Photo by Flickr user mrskyce)
Think that menorah is innocent? It depends what sort of candles you’re burning. Most paraffin wax candles are made from toxic chemicals that are released into the air you breathe when they’re burned. The safer (and more expensive) option is real beeswax or soy candles, which burn longer and cleaner. (Photo by Flickr user Skpy)
If we consider the carbon footprint of all of our holiday actions, travel is probably near the top of the list. Air travel is one of the most gas-guzzling forms of travel, and depending on how far you’re going, it’s generally about as bad as driving alone in a passenger car. If you really want to green your holiday plans, try to limit the miles you log. (Photo by Flickr user Jim Frazier)
It’s completely avoidable, but most families are guilty of wasting a lot of food during the holidays. Careful budgeting of how much food everyone will eat is important, but diverting the leftovers from the landfill is just as crucial. The best option is to save and eat holiday leftovers, but if you can't finish it all, put food waste in the compost bin. (Photo by Flickr user grand grrl)
An estimated 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold each year in the US, according to the American Greeting Card Association, many of which go straight to the waste basket on Christmas day. Instead of adding to that figure, try making a card from recycled paper, and be sure to recycle the ones you receive. (Photo by Flickr user penguincakes)
Not only is snow spray unnecessary, but it’s also known to trigger asthma in many people, and when sprayed on trees and wreathes, it can make it more difficult to compost them. If you can't live without it, at least remember to recycle the can when you're finished with it. (Photo by Flickr user Mykl Roventine)
We’ve detailed the environmental impacts of Christmas tree farming in recent Dirt on Green posts. If you do get a real tree, try getting one with the roots intact, and plant it back in the ground when you’re done with it. If you prefer artificial trees, stay away from the ones that are made from big polluters, like PVC. (Photo by Flickr user wetwebwork)
Included in this category is any gift that will end up in the landfill within the next 5 years. (Yes, that’s a Play-Doh George Foreman Grill.) Because many of us feel an obligation to give holiday gifts to friends and family, we often end up buying things that aren’t very useful. Instead, consider gift cards, because the recipient will be less likely to throw out things they’ve bought for themselves. (Photo by Flickr user Clint M Chilcott)
The holiday season is catalog time, and according to Earth911.com, about 19 billion catalogs are mailed to Americans every year, many of them at the holidays. You can help cut that number down by unsubscribing to all catalogs and making your purchases online. (Photo by Flickr user C4Chaos)
Christmas Lights
We’ve all encountered the house that goes the extra mile to outshine all the neighbors. Don’t be that house. A well-placed string of lights is far more tasteful, and it will help keep your electric bill at a reasonable rate. If you’re really into lights, try LEDs, which use far less energy. (photo by Flickr user shannonpareil)
Weird and fun stuff from all over:
More from around the web
1 Comment
DorotheeRoyal said:
Yikes - I'm totally guilty of a few of those...but seriously, spray-on snow?! Does anyone really use that?
Leave a Comment?
What your comment will look like:
said: