green is universal

Merry Greenmas

Posted at 10:30 AM on December 14, 2007 comments (2)

By Lisa Blau, VitalJuiceDaily.com

With Christmas celebrations upon us, we're surrounded by red and green -- but make sure your holiday festivities stay true to their colors. Here are VitalJuiceDaily.com's tips on how to have a truly green holiday:

Don't go overboard with decorations: pare down the Christmas lights and keep your lawn reindeer-free and you'll save on the electricity it takes to light it all up (and your neighbors might be relieved). Skip over the mass produced ornaments and instead find handmade, fair trade holiday decor to spruce up the house. Or better yet, try making some yourself! Make a homemade wreath from your own garden pruning or pluck decorations from nature, like pine cones and ivy. You can compost them at the end of the holiday season. If DIY isn't your thing, then shop vintage: surf eBay for classic decorations from yester-year (chic recycling!). When it comes to your tree, you might think you're doing the environment a favor with an artificial tree, that's not actually the case. They're usually made of PVC and your local recycling center typically doesn't have a bin for old PVC trees. Instead, buy from a local, organic farm -- that way you'll know your tree hasn't traveled across the country emitting CO2. Plus, an organic farm will skip the harmful pesticides and chemicals. When the holiday has come and gone, remember to recycle your tree.

Now that the decorations are in place, you'll need to go shopping for supplies and food. When prepping for a house full of family, remember to buy in bulk -- whether you need napkins, brown sugar, paper towels or toilet paper go for the super-sized options. It'll save on packaging, cost less and last well into the New Year! While you're out, be sure to stop by your local farmer's market to find ingredients for your holiday meal. Your food will be fresher, cheaper and less taxing on the environment. And when dinner's over, take leftovers to a local homeless shelter to make sure nothing gets wasted.

And for those family members who travel to you -- consider purchasing carbon offsets to help offset the carbon emissions generated on their way to all the festivities.

Have other ideas on how to green your holiday? We'd love to hear about them.

Lisa Blau
Editor, Vital Juice Daily
www.vitaljuicedaily.com