Walking through our living room the other day I heard “five golden rings!” on the radio then part of another verse passing through again a couple minutes later. The classic carol “Twelve Days of Christmas” reminded me that this will be the 12th Christmas together for my wife and I. We have each infused traditions from our families growing up, and introduced new ones, in our home over the years.
How we celebrate Christmas reflects our beliefs, whether you look forward to the arrival of Santa or the Savior. In general, I believe holidays are an opportunity to try something different. Though we are well into Advent this year, there is still plenty of time to adopt more environmentally friendly practices while celebrating Christmas, New Year’s and other holidays. Even small changes may stick around in the days and months to come as part of a new routine.
At Keep Alliance Beautiful we encourage the public to reduce-reuse-recycle. This green mantra applies to the Christmas season too.
Procuring a Christmas tree is an aspect where, arguably, I could be more environmentally friendly. My family enjoys hunting for a Black Hills spruce most years in the forest west of Hill City. I’d argue that harvesting a young tree helps the forest’s health if taken from a location where thinning is needed. However, I am mindful of the carbon footprint created by driving more than 300 miles for the occasion. This year I am thinking about how practical it would be to grow a potted evergreen to move into the living room. Reusing an artificial tree for multiple years (or in some cases decades) or cutting down a tree from a local, sustainable tree farm are good options.
By now, people have decorated inside their homes and lit up outside if they plan to this season. Decorations and lighting are great opportunities to reuse from year to year. When expanding or replacing part of the Yuletide scheme, buy and sell at garage sales and thrift stores first to get the most life out of that wreath or string of lights. Pinterest and other websites show how to make holiday crafts from materials on hand or even items in the recycling bin. New products, many with energy-saving features such as LEDs, may save electricity. Reduce power use further by putting the display on a timer.
Gifts are another major hallmark of the Christmas season. Though online shopping has seen a significant increase on any given day in recent years, November and December still bring a flood of packages to doorsteps through the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and UPS. I believe shopping local is the best option if a potential present can be found in town. Made in the USA products help support our nation’s jobs and use less energy in shipping than products from China or elsewhere overseas even though finding a quality domestic choice may take a little more time.
Packaging is the best introduction to recycling Christmas offers. KAB will take your piles of cardboard and paperboard boxes to be baled and live again in a delivery truck or on a store shelf. Wrapping paper, plastic holding toys in place and styrofoam and bubble wrap can all be recycled.
Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day KAB also takes a few days off with the holidays, and we often handle a greater volume. Please visit the recycling center (107 ½ Cheyenne Ave.) during business hours, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, if our trailers are full.