We, seniors, are all for restoring our once-green environment and as much as possible, we adapt certain lifestyle adjustments just to keep up with the advocacy. In doing so, we believe that somehow we are alleviating the stress of the human impact which apparently, Mother Nature is not taking it anymore. I say, we can’t blame her!
Holidays are one of the occasions when we tend to forget our green ways and just do what pleases us. To celebrate a joyful occasion without making the environment pay for it IS indeed possible, if we just act consciously. In time, it will be like an instinct deeply instilled within us.
The idea behind green holidays is to reduce waste as much as possible. The problem however, is that the notion of a festive holiday always involves all things new and shiny. This even includes gifts and the box they should be packaged in. Here are some suggestions to make your holidays as green as possible!
· Seniors should invest in a sturdy, fashionable eco bag, weeks before your scheduled holiday shopping. This will come in handy during Christmas rush when you just have to put everything in one place and not worry about misplacing any. Eco bags are usually big to accommodate your shopping needs with a small pocket for receipts. Eco bags will eliminate the need for several plastic bags and unnecessary, nonreusable packaging that come with each and every purchase you make.
· Seniors should make sure that their gifts are something that can be used by the recipient and not something that will be considered as a white elephant! If you don’t know the recipient very well, then go for gifts that you know they will eventually use, such as organic soaps, wines or even a fruit basket!
· Break the real-or-fake-Christmas-tree debate by adorning your pretty and very much alive tree firmly planted in your own front yard! If there’s no suitable tree in sight then it’s about time for you to plant and care for one! Inside your home, you can choose a right sized plant together with its pretty pot, to stand as your Christmas tree.
· If seniors need to ship their gifts to their loved-ones living faraway, go for shipping companies that practice environment-safety precautions like measuring their carbon footprints and such. Information about their practices can usually be found in their websites.
· I’m not a huge fan of reused gift wraps since they tend to be a not-so pretty sight to look at. My suggestion is to buy a 100% recycled gift wraps or better yet, put your gifts inside an eco bag. While you’re at it, encourage the recipient to use the eco bag when shopping!
