‘Tis the season for gifts, lights, trees, and delicious dinners! Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Festivus this holiday season, the Recycling Council of BC (RCBC) has come up with ideas to turn your celebration green and make both Santa Clause and Mother Nature happy!
“You can still celebrate in style over the holidays, but it takes a little planning, so start early!” said Brock Macdonald RCBC’s chief executive officer. “We’re asking British Columbians to rethink how they celebrate, and explore some new, greener traditions.”
Among Macdonald’s suggestions were opting for personal gift certificates for canning, cooking, baby-sitting, a car wash or a doggie bath; these come with the added bonus of giving the gift of time as well! Giving experiences as gifts is another great option; instead of a cookbook, give a certificate for a cooking class or a foodie tour. He also suggested switching to LED light strings, which use 90% less energy than incandescent lights, without the fire risk. Another simple choice is wrapping gifts in reusable or cloth gift bags that you can repurpose as shopping or lunch bags; skip the cellophane and metallic foil wraps, since they end up in landfill.
To avoid disposable plastics, use reusable cutlery and tableware for Christmas dinner; don’t have enough place settings? Borrow from your neighbours or guests! Opt for zero waste décor by bringing nature inside! Cedar and pine tree branches, acorns and potted plants can bring color and life into a room; they are compostable at the end of their use, so no branch or leaf has to go to waste. “Canadians already understand the importance of a healthy environment, but sometimes we forget that our everyday actions add to the impact,” said Macdonald. “Small changes add up to big results. If everyone in Canada wrapped just 3 gifts in reused paper or reusable gift bags, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 hockey rinks!”