I'm Dreaming of A Green Christmas?

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Some GREEN Suggestions This Christmas

BC Minister of the Environment Terry Lake offers the following: “People are becoming more conscious about the choices they make over the Christmas holidays and there are lots of creative ways to help the planet and to bring some joy to others who might need a helping hand during the holiday season.” 

 12 days and ways to a greener Christmas

Want to inspire your true love with earth-friendly gift ideas? Do you already have a partridge in a pear tree or seven swans a swimming? This holiday season – try giving the gift of green:

• If you get a small appliance for the holidays, don’t forget to recycle the old one because as of Oct. 1, 2011, that’s now an option in B.C.
• Take time over the holidays to send clothing, toys, footwear and furniture to a local thrift shop or food bank where it will be reused.
• Donate beverage container-recycling refunds to the charity of a loved one’s choice.
• Buy gifts with little or no excessive packaging and carry gifts home in reusable canvas bags.
• Wrap your gifts in recyclable wrapping paper and recycle all packaging and paper after Christmas – either reuse or put in your bin for collection.
• Consider joining other family members or perhaps work with a community group to sponsor a BC Parks' limited-edition bench as part of its 100 park benches for 100 years of provincial parks program – a lasting legacy for Christmas
• If you burn firewood, make sure you burn properly. Burn only clean, dry wood and never burn green, wet, painted or treated wood – including plywood. Check to see of your community has a wood stove exchange program.
• If a new car is on your list for Santa – consider a clean energy vehicle (CEV) – rebates are now available.
• Now’s the time to trade in that tired old gas-guzzler for a transit pass, a new bike or even a new CEV and give a gift to the environment of fewer GHG emissions. New funding from the Province for the BC SCRAP-IT Program means you can part with your costly clunker in favour of greener and cleaner transportation.
• Try leaving the car at home as much as possible and use public transit over the holidays – your gift to the environment.
• Use LED lights on your tree and house to reduce your energy consumption and turn them off during the day.
• Are you wondering what to do with your Christmas tree after holidays? Recycle it by taking it to a tree-chipping event in your community.