Christmas is definitely a joyous time to celebrate with family and friends. Traditions are honored and memories are made. But as soon as the holidays are over, the amount of trash going out the door is a horrible waste. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans throw away a million extra tons of garbage a week (source: Robert Lilienfeld, co-author of the book “Use Less Stuff”). Here are a few simple things we all can do this year to have a greener Christmas for years to come.
1. Refrain from buying a commercially grown Christmas tree which takes an average of 10 years to grow while lasting only a month in your living room. Every year, 50 million Christmas trees are sold of which 30 million end up in our over-stuffed landfills (source: recycleworks.org). Instead, choose a live potted tree that can be replanted or moved outdoors after the season.