Green tip #16
DOLLY Goes Green Christmas Special!:
It's Christmas time, people! There are green trees miraculously springing up in lounge rooms everywhere, and everyone seems to have a smile on their face and a spring in their step (except inside shopping centres; that's a whole other story!) There can often be a lot of wastage that affects the environment this time of year though. Don't worry, we're not here to get all Grinch on you. Just take note of these handy tips so the planet has a merry Christmas, too!
Christmas cards
Did you know Planet Ark reported last year that about 20,000 trees were cut down to make Christmas cards in Australia? You should buy Christmas cards and wrapping paper made of 100 percent recycled materials, such as those available from AtomikGreen.com.au. Or, you could scrap sending a card in the mail altogether and send an e-card!
Fairy lights
When buying Christmas lights, make sure they're LED lights. LEDs use waaay less energy than normal globes, and last a lot longer, too. According to AtomikGreen.com.au, LED lights last up to 50,000 hours, where normal ones only last a couple-thousand. You'll save Mum and Dad heaps on their electricity bill too! Maybe you'll get an extra pressie or two under the tree, thanks to your thriftiness?!
Bring your own bags
Don't forget to take your own shopping bags when you hit the shops! The amount of plastic bags that are used during the Christmas period is frightening.
Put in some thought
You don't want the gift you buy someone to end up in the bin, it's such a waste! A(Of your precious cash, particularly). If you've got no idea what to get your boyfriend's aunt and uncle, why not get them a gift voucher for somewhere like JB Hi-Fi? If they can't find something they want there, then they're impossible to please! Or if you don't want to give a voucher, a packet of nice biscuits or chocolates is unlikely to be wasted.
Embrace re-gifting!
It's super wasteful to chuck out a present if you don't like it, so you might as well pass it on to someone else. Cosmo mag has a handy hint to ensure you're not caught out with your thrifty gifting: only re-gift pressies from and to people you're not close to. You could really hurt your parents', boyfriend's or best friend's feelings if they find out. And it sounds obvious, but don't give the gift to someone who knows the person who gave it to you in the first placeé that's just asking for trouble! And if that all sounds a bit complicated, you could just give it to charity.
Read last week's green tip.
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