MassDEP Offers Tips to Better 'Green' the Holidays

Each year, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) offers some suggestions for those looking to shop or celebrate in a more environmentally conscious, or "green" manner. This is especially important at the end of the year, because statistics show that during the holiday season, Bay State residents, on average, produce 25 percent more trash compared to the rest of the year. Also, the amount of energy used, on average, rises about 5 percent during the holiday season.  

If you're looking for ideas on how to trim that down, or wondering where waste can be found - and in the process save some money and energy - MassDEP offers the following tips:  

Shop Green    

• Give a consumable gift. Whether its organic coffee or tea, fresh or dried nuts, or another consumable gift, you can be assured that your gift doesn't collect dust sitting in the corner.     
• Give a gift made of recycled content. Whether you make it yourself or purchase it from a local or online retailer, a recycled content gift uses fewer resources than something made from new material. It's easier than ever to find beautiful home furnishings, accessories, clothing, and other imaginative gifts made of recycled content.
• Buy rechargeable batteries. Many stores have drop-off bins for the safe recycling of old batteries. About 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. To recycle old rechargeable batteries and cell phones, the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, a non-profit organization, has a locator to find drop-off locations at: www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/dropoff/index.php
• Reduce waste by remembering to bring your reusable tote bag while shopping.  Help to prevent the thousands of paper and plastic shopping bags that end up in our landfills every year.    

Decorate Green

• Did you know that 38,000 miles of ribbon alone is thrown out each year - that's enough to tie a bow around the Earth! Try accenting gifts with reusable festive items, like seasonal cookie cutters, a handmade ornament, or even fresh herbs, which can be included in holiday recipes.
• Use reusable boxes, fun tote bags and/or colored pillowcases, instead of purchasing reams of expensive wrapping paper.
• Check stores for recycled-content holiday cards and envelopes or make them yourself. Gift tags can be made from last year's recycled holiday cards.

• Save energy and money: purchase LED (Light Emitting Diode) holiday lights, which are 90 percent more efficient than incandescent lighting. Consider this example: a household with 10 strands of lights plugged in for six hours a day for one month would spend about $56.70 on large, incandescent bulbs; $12.96 for traditional mini-lights; and, just 65 cents for LEDs. (Depending on usage, LEDs will initially cost you more, but will pay for themselves after a season. LED lights will also continue to save you money over the long haul as they have an expected 20-year lifespan. For more information see: www.mass.gov/doer/)
• Recycling saves money, and there are more ways to recycle than ever. Over 300 communities in Massachusetts provide access to the means for recycling common items like paper, cans, bottles, and cardboard, but don't forget to recycle aluminum foil, which is used so much at this time of year. More paper recycling, alone, would make a huge difference. Did you know Massachusetts' residents and businesses throw away approximately 1.5 million tons of paper a year, with an estimated value of more than $100 million. That's enough paper to fill Fenway Park to a height as tall as the Prudential Center. Keep in mind, before purchasing, that some holiday wrapping has a metallic sheen (plastic content) and is not recyclable. (To learn more about the benefits of recycling paper see: www.massrecyclespaper.org.)
• Tree-cycle after the holidays: more than 200 Massachusetts towns and cities provide venues for the collection of cut Christmas trees, which are then recycled into compost or mulch.
  
  • Visit your community's web site for local tree recycling options.
  • Wondering what happens to those trees? They get chipped and used for everything from mulch to hiking trails. They're also used for beachfront erosion prevention, lake and river shoreline stabilization, fish habitat, and river delta sedimentation management.  

Learn more about "greening" the holidays, by visiting www.earth911.org or MassDEP's web site at: www.mass.gov/dep/recycle

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