The holidays are wonderful in many ways, but they have an environmental cost. Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. The waste from each of those weeks adds up to one million extra tons of discards going into landfills. These Tips can help you and your family enjoy the season and care for God’s good creation.
With COVID more of us will be doing our Christmas shopping online. Turn your shopping green by exploring companies that are environmentally focused, that give back a percentage of profits to environmental organizations, and that have ethical practices, as well as great products that won’t quickly end up in a landfill. For ideas, visit westendumc.org/green-giving-guide. Bonus: Shipping boxes easily recycle, and every ton of it that’s reclaimed saves 17 trees. Simply break the boxes down flat so that they don’t take up so much room in the recycling trucks.
Invest in a young person’s future. Purchase stock in renewable energy (solar or wind, for example) and give it to your teenager or young adult. Take the opportunity to talk about the hopes you have for their future that they live securely in a sustainable world. Throughout the year, as the stock reports come, the two of you will have opportunity to talk about what you value both in terms of money management and care for the Earth.
Give Fair Trade presents this Christmas. Buying Fair Trade provides the creators—farmers, laborers, and artisans—fair prices and stable incomes, reduces poverty, betters working conditions, and promotes environmentally sustainable practices. It’s a just and good deal for all! If you like coffee, explore the Velasquez Family Coffee website (vfamilycoffee.com). There is a United Methodist connection there! 😉
Use and reuse gift bags rather than wrapping paper.
Reuse shiny Christmas bows and ribbons.