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Lilly Holding

Earthbeat Tips for an Environmentally Conscious Holiday

Here are some helpful environmentally conscious tips and tricks for the holiday season provided by Earthbeat, our school’s environmental club focused on reducing the school’s carbon footprint. Americans typically increase their waste by one ton over the month of December. Try these tricks to reduce your waste this holiday season!

  • Buy locally (avoid excess amounts of plastic packaging)

  • Buy in season foods at local places

  • Buy real, local trees, and recycle them after use; feed them to goats, use them as mulch, use them to prevent erosion, or use them to create fish habitats! Contact your waste hauler or Hanover Public Works Department to dispose of your Christmas tree up until January 13th.

  • Make or purchase reusable decorations

  • Use wrapping paper alternatives such as newspaper, old magazines, cloth bags, thrifted scarves, or children’s artwork

  • Buy second-hand or lightly used items

  • Use LED lights to reduce energy usage

  • Turn off lights when you’re not using them, or put them on a timer

  • Choose ornaments made with materials such as wood, glass, felt, cotton or linen

  • Bring your own bags or jars when shopping for foods or gifts

  • Buy in bulk to reduce packaging

Which is most environmentally friendly: a fake or real tree?

You may have heard a lot of debate about real versus fake trees, so here is the truth: a real tree is best. Although prices for real trees are a little more, they reduce the use of plastic, PVC and steel shipped from foreign countries. Also, buying local trees supports the local economy. Real trees purify the air! If you are thinking about what tree to buy this holiday season, keep in mind your environmental footprint when making your decision.

To learn more read this article by the New York Times on real vs fake trees.


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