Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – Consider giving the environment a holiday gift this by helping to reduce some of the 25 percent extra trash that Americans create every year, Environmental Protection Agency officials suggest.

Every year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day Americans throw out an additional 1 million tons of trash. EPA officials say that figure comes from a recent report that found the amount of trash that Americans throw out during those weeks increases by 25 percent from 4 million tons to 5 million tons over a similar non-holiday time period.

However, EPA officials say there are ways to celebrate holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwaanza and New Years without generating an extra million tons of trash.

Cards

• Buy cards made from recycled paper (look for “post-consumer” content) and printed in non-toxic inks.
• Buy cards and envelopes that can be recycled in your town. Choose cards printed on white stock without metallic or plastic coatings.
• Buy cards wrapped in the least bulky or most recyclable packaging.
• Consider substituting postcards for cards that require envelopes.
• Reuse the fronts of old holiday cards as gift tags.

Decorating

• Decorate with more energy efficient LEDs (light emitting diodes) strings rather than the larger, old fashioned lights. LEDs are exceptionally energy efficient when producing individual colors, many using up to 90 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light. And be sure to turn them on only when someone’s around to appreciate them.
• Have a create-your-own-decorations party! Invite family and friends to create and use holiday decorations such as ornaments made from old greeting cards or cookie dough, garlands made from strung popcorn or cranberries, wreaths made from artificial greens and flowers, and potpourri made from kitchen spices such as cinnamon and cloves.
• Wrap gifts using old newspapers, especially the Sunday comic section, or paper bags.
• Avoid foil and plastic-embossed paper because it uses more resources in its manufacturing process.
• When you’re not enjoying a fire in your fireplace, close the flue and block the hearth to prevent heat loss.

Food

• Store leftovers in reusable containers.
• Buy food gifts with as little packaging and processing involved as possible.

Recycling

• Review the list of recyclables that your town or city accepts and be sure to send all the applicable paper, plastic, glass bottles and aluminum cans to the recycling center.

Shopping

• Bring your own bags on shopping trips so shops won’t have to give you new ones with your purchases.
• Don’t accept a new gift box with your purchase if you have a supply of old ones, or try to wrap it without a box.
• Use your legs or mass transit when shopping or buy your gifts by phone or on the web.
• Make a decision to patronize shops in areas you can walk or bike to, rather than the ones you have to drive to. When you need to drive, combine several errands into one trip or travel with friends.

Gifts

• About 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Buy rechargeable batteries to accompany your electronic gifts, and consider giving a battery charger as well. Rechargeable batteries reduce the amount of potentially harmful materials thrown away, and can save money in the long run.
• Consider the durability of a product before you buy it as a gift. Cheaper less durable items often wear out quickly, creating waste and costing you money.

Transportation

• If you are traveling during the holidays consider taking public transportation or car pooling with friends or relatives.

Trees

• Buy a living tree you can plant outside or keep as a house plant after the holidays.
• Buy a tree grown locally to save energy associated with transportation.
• Buy a smaller tree. There’s less to dispose of when you take it down, and shorter growing time translates into less land required.
• If your town doesn’t have a tree chipping/reuse system, ask why.

Memories

• Use your own camera instead of a disposable one to reduce waste while capturing holiday memories.
• Consider buying a digital camera so that you don’t have to use film and only print the pictures you want to keep.

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