Greenies Reduce Holiday Waste
Posted by terrepruitt on December 23, 2010
People that are interested in being “green”, remember this is the season of tremendous waste, so if you can reuse, recycle, and don’t waste.
In the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, American households generate 25% more waste. That’s about 1 million extra tons of trash each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That includes everything from food to wrapping paper, holiday decorations, packaging, and old cellphones and laptops that are unceremoniously dumped . . . .(copied directly from CNNMoney.com)
Be creative with your wrapping.
-Use newspaper
-Use the packing paper that came with the shipped gift.
Have the kids draw on it to make it special.
-Use some of the kids drawings.
From what I understand kids come home with a least ONE drawing everyday. Take a picture of it so you will have it forever, then pass it on to someone special. Use it to wrap gifts, or use it to cushion a gift.
You know I am a fan of shredding used gift wrapping paper to use as pretty packing in gift bags or boxes. Well this year I in additions to shredding that already used paper I just used it as packing paper. I just crumpled it and put it around the gift and cushioned the item with it. I thought of taking a picture to use in this post, but I didn’t want to take a chance the receiver (of the gift) would see.
One of my friends on FB said that when she sold the wrapping paper for the school fundraiser she actually used the swatched to wrap little gifts. I think that is an awesome reuse method.
My mother and I have a few cloth bags that we give back and forth. I laughed this year when I opened the box that holds my gift bags and found a note in one that said, “Give back to mom.” We will just keep it going back and forth until it can not long hold anything.
That can be both a fun and silly tradition as well as a “green” thing to do!
Then remember to save that wrapping paper and the bows you get this year to use for next year. If you are just going to shred the paper or use it for packing it doesn’t take up that much room. It can be folded.
Or use that wrapping paper to wrap some of those precious ornaments you just received.
Give a gift in a reusable shopping bag/tote. That is THREE gifts in one. You are giving a gift in a bag the receiver can use PLUS you are helping the environment. I count that as at least three.
What else? What do you do to help reduce the waste over this season? C’mon, share your ideas . . . we can always use more ideas on how to reuse!
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
suzicate said
I never thought of shedding the used paper…great idea! At least I recycled it!
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terrepruitt said
It makes a really pretty way to wrap. I think. Plus it is a really nice cushion for gifts in the gift bag. You don’t have to just do it at Christmas time either. Any wrapping paper can be shredded and used as “tissue” paper.
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