I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Over the last few years, social consciousness has increased about our own personal environmental impact and responsibility. This year, my husband and I decided to try to step up our awareness during the holiday season and have a “Low Carbon Footprint” Christmas. Some friends of ours are having a “No Carbon Footprint Christmas” which I found inspiring but a little daunting right out of the box! I thought I would share with you some simple changes we’re making that might even inspire you, too.

Carbon footprints, if you’re not familiar with the term, are how you impact the Earth based on how much carbon dioxide you put out into the world. It refers to how many resources you’re using, such as gasoline, oil, wood and water, and how that and the resulting greenhouse gases directly affect the planet. When you start thinking about these, you realize that shipping products uses airplane fuel, buying plastic toys means increasing our foreign dependence on oil (plastic is made with oil), and even buying out-of-season produce that’s been trucked into the area for your holiday meal all produce an unsustainable carbon footprint.

Gifts are always a challenge in our family. Some of our family members buy themselves whatever they want all year and therefore are really hard to shop for. Others always say “I don’t know what I want” or “I don’t want anything” and we end up making a bunch of guesses that may or may not be something they end up liking. Either way, when we started this low carbon thing I was really concerned about limiting our choices even more than usual. At first. But I found that when I was forced to think harder about the gifts, in a weird way it opened up some creativity. It’s become a challenge: how many gifts can I come up with that are low carbon?

One way to go about it is by making your own gifts. Of course, if you are going to do any crafts, you also have to think about your crafting supplies. For example, I’m planning to knit several projects, but I’m taking into consideration the yarn. Is it locally spun and dyed? Is it natural, renewable fibers, like cotton, soy, bamboo, hemp, silk or wool? Can I buy it used—either buy the balls of yarn from someone (for example, from craigslist, a local eBayer, or a secondhand store) or find a handmade sweater at a thrift shop and unravel it to reuse the yarn? The more you think about it, the more creative your ideas can get, and you start realizing that there are more possibilities than there seemed at first.

We’ve also got a toddler to buy toys for. As anyone who has walked into a Toy R Us lately knows, the majority of the toys are plastic, from Asia, and require batteries. A triple no-no! With a little searching, I’ve found that there are smaller toy shops and boutiques that carry toys made from natural materials, like wood, and are made by local artisans. If that’s not in your budget, try exploring the recycling idea and check out a secondhand or consignment store. Shopping at one just last week I found a bag of matchbox cars, two enormous containers of Tyco building blocks, and large plastic dump truck for the sandbox, and a barely worn shirt and pants set from the Children’s Place—all for under $10! One of the great things about green gifts is a low carbon impact also can mean a low wallet impact as well.

I am also considering what people are asking for and what the choices are. My husband wanted some tupperware to bring lunch in to work, so I opted for Pyrex containers instead. They’re made out of glass, so not only are they avoiding usage of plastic and oil, but they are recyclable and won’t end up one day in a landfill. Another way to go about your shopping is by buying gifts that help neutralize the recipient’s carbon footprint. There are a number of companies that accept donations and use the money to plant trees. If you have a commuter on your list for example, you might consider making a donation to plant several trees in their name and help offset the effects of their daily car trips.

Don’t forget about the day of celebration, either. My mom has been ahead of her time because for years she’s had us save all of the wrapping paper, ribbons, and tags. Yes, it’s true, we reuse all of it! When we open presents, we take a few extra seconds to undo the tape, which leaves big sheets of paper. After the gifts are unwrapped, we take a few minutes to all pitch in, piling the ribbons and bows together, gathering the tags, smoothing and folding the paper, and nesting or flattening the boxes. It all gets put away for the next year. Some gift tags are cardboard, but many are stickers. I put the stickers onto a piece of cardboard (such as a cereal box or other scraps), cut them out, and then punch a hole through one end. Voila, a disposable item becomes something that can be reused year after year. We also use gift bags, especially for larger items, because both the bags and tissue paper can easily be stored and reused.

For more information on carbon neutral living and to try out some calculators to figure out your own carbon imprint, try Carbonfootprint.com or Climatecrisis.net.

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