The holidays will be here before you know it, and you definitely want to celebrate the season in an eco-friendly manner.  The season is a time to give and each year there are many cards and gifts that are given to celebrate this wonderful time.  You don’t want to be excessive during the season and end up damaging the environment.  The good news is that there are some great practices you can use this holiday season for eco-friendly holiday greetings and gift giving.

Use Wrappers that are Recycled

If you are sending out Christmas packages or just giving gifts to those in your home, use wrappers that are recycled.  Instead of purchasing brand new wrapping paper, use some things you have around your home.  Consider using some of those old newspapers you have around or use wrapping paper from the last holiday season if you have it saved up.  This way you don’t go out and purchase new paper.  You’ll be recycling while giving your gifts and it saves money too!

Recycled Cards or Going with Electronic Greetings

Hundreds of thousands of cards are sent out during the holiday season each year.  That’s a whole lot of paper being wasted.  After all, many of those cards just end up in the trash at the end of the season anyway.  Instead of sending out regular holiday greeting cards, think about purchasing recycle cards - cards that are made out of recycled paper.  An even better option is to go with electronic greetings when you can.  You can save a whole lot of paper if you send holiday greetings online and you’ll save money on postage too.  You can also create your own greeting cards.  This is a great activity for the whole family, and a great way to be creative.

Cut Off the Lights

One way to share the spirit of the holiday season is with Christmas lights.  It’s wonderful to show off your holiday spirit in lights.  Of course, leaving those lights on all night every night is a bad idea.  It can raise your electric bills and can overtax your electric circuits as well.  You can still share your holiday greetings in the form of lights, but once the guests go home and you’re going to bed, turn off those lights.  It’s much better for the environment to only have them on a few hours instead of all night long.

Check Out Printers that are Eco Friendly

If you still want to send out paper greeting cards, check to find printers that are eco friendly.  Many will print greeting cards with eco friendly practices.  Some companies use recycled inks and paper scraps to print greeting cards.  It may cost you a bit more, but you are working to save the environment.

You don’t have to give up your holiday spirit for the environment.  You can have an eco-friendly holiday and send out plenty of greetings with these great eco-friendly tips for the holiday season.