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Go Green, Give Green, Save Green For The Holidays
Content Provided By Sodastream
Sodastream (ARA) - There's no question that these days we are all more focused on green - both in terms of the environment and our pocketbooks. However, the holidays can often be a challenge for both with the abundance of parties, shopping and overall excess that accompanies this time of year. It is estimated that between Thanksgiving and the New Year, an extra million tons of waste are generated nationwide each week. According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, 38,000 miles of ribbon alone is thrown out each year -- enough to tie a bow around the Earth!
Rather than waiting for the New Year to get your green efforts back on track, try following these tips and ideas to live, give and save green this holiday season.
Go with the Glow
The holidays wouldn't be the same without the bright, twinkly glow that comes with strings of lights adorning rooftops, eaves and trees. But beautiful holiday lights can be a real drain on your energy bill. Want an easy fix? LED lights use less than 10 percent of the electricity consumed by filament bulbs and can save you close to 95 percent on your electricity bill, according to www.ChristmasLightsandDecorations.com.
Home for the Holidays
Save time, money and stress -- plan to stay home for the holidays this year. The money and gas you will save adds up. In fact, www.use-less-stuff.com reports that if every American family reduced holiday gas consumption by just one gallon -- about 20 miles -- we would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons. So sit back, relax and enjoy the holidays -- at home.
That's a Wrap
Most mass-produced wrapping paper you find in stores is not recyclable and ends up in landfills. Instead, here's a great chance to get creative. Wrap presents with old maps, the comics section of a newspaper, or children's artwork. According to the Sierra Club, if every family wrapped just three gifts this way, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.
The Gift of Giving
Planning to upgrade your electronics this holiday? Have toys and clothes that you and your family no longer use? Donate unwanted items to a local charity. In addition to ridding yourself of unwanted clutter and keeping extra waste out of landfills - you have the opportunity to make someone else's holiday bright. Tighter budgets are sure to impact holiday spending this year and local thrift stores offer gently used goods at great prices. And, your donation is tax deductable, which means more green for you in the coming year.
Give Green, Save Green
Eco-friendly gifts are sure to be a hit this holiday season. Take, for example, the Sodastream home soda maker. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, the average family of four will go through 200 soda bottles and cans -- most of which end up in our landfills. The Sodastream system creates fresh sparkling water and over 20 flavors of sodapop in seconds -- at a fraction of the price of store-bought soft drinks -- all while eliminating the need for individual bottles and cans. An added bonus? A home soda maker is a great family gift that cuts down on numerous individual gifts - as well as all of the extra wrapping that comes with it. To learn more, visit www.sodastreamusa.com.
So whether you are already a green guru or just joining the movement, these simple steps make it easy to bring a little more green -- to the Earth and your wallet -- this holiday season.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Rather than waiting for the New Year to get your green efforts back on track, try following these tips and ideas to live, give and save green this holiday season.
Go with the Glow
The holidays wouldn't be the same without the bright, twinkly glow that comes with strings of lights adorning rooftops, eaves and trees. But beautiful holiday lights can be a real drain on your energy bill. Want an easy fix? LED lights use less than 10 percent of the electricity consumed by filament bulbs and can save you close to 95 percent on your electricity bill, according to www.ChristmasLightsandDecorations.com.
Home for the Holidays
Save time, money and stress -- plan to stay home for the holidays this year. The money and gas you will save adds up. In fact, www.use-less-stuff.com reports that if every American family reduced holiday gas consumption by just one gallon -- about 20 miles -- we would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons. So sit back, relax and enjoy the holidays -- at home.
That's a Wrap
Most mass-produced wrapping paper you find in stores is not recyclable and ends up in landfills. Instead, here's a great chance to get creative. Wrap presents with old maps, the comics section of a newspaper, or children's artwork. According to the Sierra Club, if every family wrapped just three gifts this way, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.
The Gift of Giving
Planning to upgrade your electronics this holiday? Have toys and clothes that you and your family no longer use? Donate unwanted items to a local charity. In addition to ridding yourself of unwanted clutter and keeping extra waste out of landfills - you have the opportunity to make someone else's holiday bright. Tighter budgets are sure to impact holiday spending this year and local thrift stores offer gently used goods at great prices. And, your donation is tax deductable, which means more green for you in the coming year.
Give Green, Save Green
Eco-friendly gifts are sure to be a hit this holiday season. Take, for example, the Sodastream home soda maker. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, the average family of four will go through 200 soda bottles and cans -- most of which end up in our landfills. The Sodastream system creates fresh sparkling water and over 20 flavors of sodapop in seconds -- at a fraction of the price of store-bought soft drinks -- all while eliminating the need for individual bottles and cans. An added bonus? A home soda maker is a great family gift that cuts down on numerous individual gifts - as well as all of the extra wrapping that comes with it. To learn more, visit www.sodastreamusa.com.
So whether you are already a green guru or just joining the movement, these simple steps make it easy to bring a little more green -- to the Earth and your wallet -- this holiday season.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
