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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Green Tip of the Week: Green Your Holidays


Did you know that Americans throw away 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday season than any other time of year? This extra garbage amounts to 25 million tons of trash, or about one million extra tons of garbage per week. (Bob Lilienfeld/The Use Less Stuff Report)

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many of us will be planning soon for holiday food, decorations, and gifts.  There are ways to reduce our impact at this time of the year.  Here are some thoughts for a sustainable holiday season.

1—November is harvest season in our area.  All kinds of food is available from local farmers right now, such as squash, onions, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, kale, apples, pumpkins, and much more!  Check out MCC’s own Agriculture and Life Sciences Institute “Buy Local” page (https://www.monroecc.edu/depts/agriculture/maps.htm)  for more information.

2—If your holiday traditions include gift-giving, discuss with your family some alternative gift ideas.  Gifts of time or services, such as baby-sitting, cleaning, or dog-walking, are often appreciated as much as material objects.  You could also consider giving a charitable donation on behalf of one of your gift recipients.  Another option is to give consumable goods, such as home-baked cookies, specialty jams, or Finger Lakes wine, which have less impact on the environment and bring pleasure to the senses! 

If you do give material objects, consider any of the following options for gift-wrapping:  buying recycled gift-wrap, re-using gift wrap from previous years, or wrapping in a re-usable scarf or cloth bag.  (Here’s a link to a web site on stylish fabric gift-wrap, based on a Japanese fabric-folding technique: https://www.craftzine-digital.com/craft/vol09/?pg=78).

3—Consider natural decorations and homemade ornaments to decorate your home.  The internet is full of craft sites with ideas, such as https://www.craftster.com and https://www.craftzine.com.  Several local business and organizations offer workshops and/or products to help you out, such as Hurd Orchards (https://www.hurdorchards.com), and the Rochester Civic Garden Center (https://www.rcgc.org/). 

For more tips, check out the Simplify Your Holidays free brochure at https://www.newdream.org/holiday/brochure.php. 

Julie White
Student Services, DCC
11/13/2008