Deck the Halls with Greener Garlands

• Dig out last year’s decorations. Luckily, holiday ornaments never go out of style!
• Pick up decorations at your local thrift store.
• Get crafty and make your own! What better way to spend a snowy afternoon than stringing popcorn and cranberries together on a thread, old-school style.
• Choose LEDs instead of regular festive lights to decorate your tree and home. They use a whopping 90% less energy!
• Now for the question that’s on everybody’s minds… What’s better, a real tree or a fake one? Answer: Real! Fake trees are made up of nasty chemical-containing plastics that take lifetimes to break down and they usually travel all the way from China.
• Just make sure to visit a local tree farm for the real thing, and ask around to find one that wasn’t raised on pesticides.
• Once the holidays are over, don’t banish your tree to the landfill. Check your city’s website to find out when they offer free tree pickup.

Getting Festive without the Footprint

• Opt for an organic, free-range turkey this year (check out your local farmers’ markets, or other natural food stores for a “greener” gobbler).
• Baking up a storm? Stock up on organic and fair trade sugar and chocolate ingredients.
• Make sure your holiday spread includes lots of seasonal samplings (hint: check out your local farmers’ markets).
• Embrace your inner vegetarian and encourage your family to do the same. Meat doesn’t always have to be the main dish.
• Keep it organic as much as possible.
• Your guests will probably be happy to take home some extra treats; leftover turkey bits make great stock for soups; and what’s no longer edible can always go in the compost.

It’s Better to Give Green, than to Receive

• Summon your inner artiste and make your own unique Christmas cards and gift tags! There are loads of things you can use like: old magazines, tissue paper, buttons, beads, bits of paper and scraps of cloth and paper, recycled paper, and cardboard from cereal or snack boxes.
• Suggest your family draw names and each person buys for one family member only.
• Give a gift certificate for your own skills or services (e.g. cleaning, cooking, baby sitting).
• Write a letter, poem, song or short story, or make another creative/artistic gift. Here’s a little inspiration: Santa Goes Green.
• Look for stores near you that sell eco-friendly products.

Earth Rangers is a non-profit organization that works to inspire and educate children about the environment. At EarthRangers.com kids can play games, discover amazing facts, meet animal ambassadors and fundraise to protect biodiversity.