The holiday season is upon us. That means warm hot chocolates, winter tunes, and all the consumerist habits environmentalists try to avoid all year. Behaving in an environmentally sound way is tough this time of year. I mean, wrapping paper is so cute—and Beyoncé always sells her own.
But all the things we buy during the holidays, including wrapping paper, are doing our planet no good. Tens of thousands of miles of ribbon are thrown out each year. Presents can look cute without the bow (or Beyoncé’s wrapping paper). Why not opt for a colorful newspaper instead?
And then there are gifts, which usually involve a lot of trash, too, especially in their packaging. The gift of experience (think a concert or spa date) is much more green. Maybe it’s exactly what your friend needs.
And when deciding what Christmas tree to adorn your living room with, make sure to buy an actual tree. The treehugger in you might think, “But wait! Kill a tree?!” Yes, kill it. This is a much better alternative than fake trees.
Fake trees are often made from compressed sheets of polyvinyl chloride. The burning and manufacturing of it, which usually takes place in China, is dangerous to human health. Plus, some of those trees can give off a lead dust. You don’t want the children in your life breathing that toxic junk in.
So this holiday season, do more than look out for your wallet. Look out for your planet and health, too.