5 Eco-Tips to Help You Transition After the Holidays
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Sometimes we all get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we forget to plan past the holidays. Yes, the holidays are important, but before you know it they will have come and gone. It’s what remains AFTER the holidays that you will then have to concern yourself with. Therefore, I’m going to offer a few post-holiday eco-tips that will help you transition from holiday cheer straight into the New Year.
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1) Recycle/Reuse throughout the holidays: There are many different ways you can recycle and/or reuse materials throughout the holidays. All of them help prevent excess waste and some of them can be quite creative too. Take for example these 4 Creative Ways to Wrap a Present. They are not only fun, but rather than wasting a whole lot of wrapping paper you can reuse materials you already have laying around. Less waste.
If you are looking for that “new” holiday outfit to wear, check out local consignment and vintage stores. They have some great Recycled Clothing for Holiday Apparel and many of those old styles are popular again today.
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And for goodness sakes…save the leftovers! I don’t think I’ve ever been to a holiday meal where there weren’t leftovers. Save them, reuse them for meals during the week or send them home with guests. No reason to waste good food, right?!
2) Don’t be afraid to return: Let’s face it, we don’t always get everything on our wish list. Many times there are items we get that we won’t have much use for, but this year instead of putting them in storage, return them.
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Why have useless items laying around when you can return them and get something you can actually use? Besides, maybe there is someone out there hoping to get exactly what you have. It’s simple, smart and less wasteful all around.
3) Curb emissions and your waistline: After the holidays (or even during the holidays) you may find you’ve put on a few pounds either from eating a little more or from sitting around visiting with family and friends.
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This year why don’t you make a few simple changes that can help you keep off the extra pounds and curb emissions while you’re at it. Limit your driving around. Stay on your feet more: cook, clean, walk, ride your bike, dance, etc. Enjoy all your favorite holiday foods…in moderation.
4) Make some early New Year’s resolutions: Why wait until the New Year when you can get a head start on your New Year’s resolutions now. You can take a look at these 10 Environmental New Year’s Resolutions to get some great green ideas.
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But please keep this in mind when making New Year’s resolutions: whether or not you believe in global warming, you’ll probably agree that this planet could stand a little clean up. Maybe the real issue is how do we intend to leave this planet to our children and grandchildren? Maybe a little global cleaning is in order.
5) Tighten the purse strings without being a Scrooge: The holidays can be an expensive time of year. If you aren’t careful you could bust the bank in no time and head into the new year in the red instead of in the black.
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Thankfully, like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, you still have time. You still have a chance to spread a little holiday cheer to others a little less fortunate than you, without hurting your bottom line. So while you keep those purse strings tight, spread some holiday cheer by checking out these 5 Ways to Give Help Without Giving Cash.
Hopefully those eco-tips will help in your transition from holiday to New Year. There’s no time like the present when it comes to making a positive change in your life. I hope each of you has a biofriendly holiday and a joyous New Year!
Steven Earl Salmony
The “eco-tips” remind us of the work we have to do…..and do fast. Thanks for these tips.
Many too many so-called experts have consciously and willfully chosen NOT to openly discuss the root cause(s) of the global predicament resulting from human overpopulation of the Earth because they did not think it would be helpful, I suppose. But look at what silence during the last 60 years has wrought. Elective mutism by so many experts regarding outstanding empirical research of certain human population issues, particularly human population dynamics, has effectively and perniciously vanquished science. This outcome could be the most colossal failure of nerve in human history. The consequences of this incredible mistake do not simply threaten a civilization with collapse. The collapse of civilizations has occurred before. Sometimes on a smaller scale and other times on a larger one. But at no time in history can I find records of the precipitation of a human-driven collapse with such profound implications not only for a civilization, but also for life as we know it and the integrity of Earth as a fit place for human habitation. The ‘brightest and best’, most knowledgeable people, those in positions of much influence and great power, have not spoken out loudly, clearly and often enough.
When scientific knowledge is deludedly regarded as a threat to human wellbeing, and intellectual honesty, moral courage and personal accountability are everywhere eschewed, how on Earth do we ever give ourselves so much as a chance of mitigating damages, much less “solving” problems for which we bear a large share of responsibility?
I do not know what the future holds for the children. I am hoping they will find ways to muddle through. If they manage to do so, it will likely not be the result of the efforts of those in my not-so-great generation of elders. We have failed them so far “on our watch” and will continue to do so as long as we continuously choose to keep doing the same unsustainable overconsumption, overproduction and overpopulation activities we adamantly advocate and relentlessly pursue in our time, I suppose.
Silence will not save anyone from anything, and surely will not save humanity from itself. Perhaps we can agree that the Earth will go on, with or without the human species.