Now that the turkey has been recycled into leftovers, we turn our attention to the gift giving frenzy on the horizon. Real Simple magazine reports, "Household waste increases 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. In the United States, trash from wrapping paper and shopping bags totals 4 million tons."
Cindy in Minneapolis suggests: “For holiday gift giving, we make cloth re-usable gift bags from festive material. Most of it is recycled — the non-stained part of a holiday table cloth, mismatched cloth napkins, etc. Some of the fabric we got at a thrift shop, which makes for some great retro gift bags. I make them in all sizes and sew in a drawstring so they can be tied tightly until it’s time to open them. If you’re not a sewer, you could make them with no-sew fabric glue or iron-on hem tape. No paper is wasted and gift wrapping is FAST! Even faster because my young kids can help wrap too.”
What steps will you be taking to green your gift giving this holiday season? Get those creative juices flowing by checking out Environmental Defense’s Annual Roundup of Earth-Friendly Gifts opens in a new tab.
