By: Patrick Troyer, Paulding SWCD
I don’t have to tell you that Christmas is quickly approaching! Do you have your shopping done and gifts wrapped? If not, better hurry as it will sneak up on you before you know it! The Christmas season is upon us with Christmas music playing in all the stores, gifts being wrapped, Christmas trees lit up across the land. As we enjoy many of the traditions of the holiday season, it is important to understand the many ways we can be friendly to the environment and preserving our natural resources. The holiday season does not have to put a burden on our natural resources, but with a little effort put forward along with some creativity, the holiday season will have minimal impact on the environment.
One simple way we can think green during the holiday season is to buy smart. There are several ways that we can keep then environment in mind as we finish our Christmas shopping. One of the most common things that you can do is look for gifts that are produced locally. Not only is it a good thing for local businesses, but the environment also benefits. Think about how items purchased at larger chain store impact the environment, particularly during transportation. The transportation of these items to the larger stores burns up a non-renewable resource, fossil fuels, such as gasoline or diesel fuel.
Battery free gifts are another option to consider. According the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), on average, about 40% of battery sales throughout the United States take place during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Dead batteries that are discarded pose a hazard to the environment as the acid in the batteries can be toxic to many wildlife who may encounter them. To help that situation, try a battery-free gift this holiday season.
Now it’s time to talk about the holiday light displays that decorate the yards of many people throughout the area. Many of us know by watching many familiar holiday comedies that the house with the most decorations in the neighborhood wins the competition among the neighbors like Clark Griswold. It is all fun and games until we receive the electric bill the following month with the fun quickly coming to an end. Excess use of electricity puts a strain on our natural resources considering where electricity comes from such as coal-fired power plants. Although it may not be as fun, consider downsizing the holiday light display which will help conserve electricity and thus the natural resources used to generate the electricity that powers your light display.
Another option you may consider is using LED Christmas lights. According to Earth Easy, LED lights will use up to 95% less energy than the larger, traditional bulbs commonly used in traditional Christmas lights.
Another awesome thing about the LED bulbs is that even though one bulb goes out, the rest of the string will remain lit! We all know how frustrating it is to plug in the lights after we dig them out only to find they do not work. One last tip is to shut down the light display during the nighttime hours. Let your light display shine while everyone is awake to see the hard work you put in to creating such a nice setup.
Would you believe that choosing a live tree is a sustainable choice during the holiday? While it is nice to have a tree that can be used over multiple years and minimal mess, take into consideration what your artificial tree is made from. According to Earth Easy, artificial Christmas trees are made from petroleum products (a nonrenewable resource), while also using up manufacturing and shipping resources. Furthermore, it appears that the artificial trees tend to be thrown out after a few years when repeated use causes a decline in quality. The artificial trees end up in the landfill where they will not degrade due to their plastic makeup.
While it might be hard to understand given the mess that live trees can bring with them, it can prove to be quite a sustainable alternative. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, there are about 25-30 million real Christmas trees sold in the United States each year with about 350 million real Christmas trees actively growing on tree farms throughout the U.S. Live Christmas trees are planted on a regular basis making them a renewable resource. The trees help improve air quality while they are actively growing with nearly 90% of trees recycled into mulch, according to Earth Easy. There are Christmas tree farms around the area with locally grown trees that help save costs and air emissions from transportation. When the holiday season comes to pass, the live tree will easily break down into compost that can prove valuable to the soil while the artificial tree will not when the time comes that it is disposed.
Recycling is a good practice to do at any time of the year and the holiday season is no exception. Have you ever considered that many of your packing materials included in your holiday presents can be reused or recycled? According to Earth Easy, items such as bubble wrap, foam packing materials, and cardboard boxes are easily able to be recycled. Get a new TV or other electronic device as a gift? Electronic devices contain hazardous materials that can prove to be toxic to the environment so let us do our part and recycle these items rather than sending them to the landfill. Not sure where to take your electronic devices to recycle? Visit http://www.eiae.org/ and search a recycling center near you.
Consideration towards the environment is something to keep in mind not only during the holiday season but all throughout the year. The Paulding Soil & Water Conservation District Staff and Board of Supervisors wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!
