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Holidays & Vacations


Bike n' Hike: Next time you have the urge for a day trip, get the bikes out and explore your local neighborhoods and parks instead of going by car.
Green Your Trip: Investigate your destination for locations that take extra care of the environment. Most will offer information about their efforts to help spare the local environment.

Staycation:Choose holiday and vacation spots closer to home. Search out all the interesting places you've never had time to explore. Instead of taking the family car, learn to get around on public transportation wherever possible.
Take the A Train:As the opportunity arises, opt for a ride on a high-speed or commuter train rather than taking a plane. You'll have time to enjoy the scenery, read a book and spend quality time with the family.
Rechargeable Batteries: Buy and use only rechargeable batteries. Despite the intital cost of a battery charger, you will more than save your outlays over the long run.
Wrapping Paper: Cut back on your use of printed wrapping paper. Save your decorated wine and gift bags for multiple reuses throughout the year. If you must, use plain tissue paper and decorate with soy ink stamps.
Soy & Beeswax Candles: Make the extra investment in soy or beeswax candles. They smell just as good, are easier on the environment and last significantly longer.
Body Heat: Larger groups of people tend to generate body heat. As guests arrive, turn down your thermostat a few degrees to compensate accordingly.
Holiday Fragrances: Replace your chemically based air fresheners and paraffin candles by simmering cinnamon sticks or adding a few drops of aromatic oils on warm stones or strategically located pine cones.
Make Love Not Waste: Learn to enjoy music, games, movies and good cooking with family and friends to create fond memories rather than spending money on items that will later create waste. If you have to always be going somewhere or spending money on more items, perhaps take some time to review and renew your relationships.
Christmas Time: Be sure to replace all your old Christmas Tree lights with LED stingers. They use much less electricity and last much longer. Avoid buying your lights and extension cords at questionable cut rate import stores. Cheap imitations containing insufficient copper have been proven to cause fires. To be safe, put all lights on a timer so they automatically go off after a few hours. Check to be sure any outdoor cords you use are grounded.
Artificial Trees: Avoid purchasing plastic or PVC Christmas Trees. They're known to emit toxic odors especially if exposed to flame. Instead, check out pesticide free trees grown at a local organic tree farm. If possible, purchase your tree in a pot so you can water and care for it, then release it again back into the wild with your New Years traditions.
Snow Globe Art: Encourage children to make snow globes in watertight recycled jars. Instructions are easy to find online and several snow globes displayed together on a table or mantel make a wonderful winter wonderland. When grocery shopping, look for round glass containers that can be re-used specifcally for this purpose.
Cloth vs. Paper: Get used to using cloth instead of paper napkins. Reusing is always better than recycling and napkins won’t take any more energy, soap, or water to wash because you can always throw them in with your regular laundry.
Party Time: Always make sure you have ample "RECYCLE" containers located around your party place. Having a regular garbage can scraping plates right next to it always helps people to do the right thing.
E-Mail vs. Snail Mail: Instead of printing formal invitations, find pictures of parties past and create a collage. Insert your photo evidence in the center of your electronic invitation and send it out to everyone on your guest list. Include an Outlook event invitation. Ask for RSVPs as they are very important to insure everyone you intend to invite, sees your special e-mail.
Greeting Cards: If you must send cards, always buy greetings cards made from 100% recycled paper. There are even options that offer flower seeds embedded in the fibers. Your recipients can plant the cards and the resulting flowers will remind them of how much you care.
Give Experiences Instead of Presents: Consider giving gift certificates for restaurants, movies, plays, concerts, yoga classes, spa services, or even weekend getaways. Or give nature lovers a national parks pass or membership to a botanical garden or aquarium. They’re great gifts, easy to buy, and don’t require shipping or wasteful packaging.
Protect the Children: Before buying soft plastic toys and books designed for the bath tub, check the purchasing guidelines in the annual toy safety survey "Trouble in Toyland”. The toy section of healthystuff.org also has a database of 1,200 toys that have been tested for health and safety hazards. Download the Healthy Child Healthy World Pocket Toy Shopping Guide to your tablet or smart phone so you always have the information you need on hand.
Department Store vs. Grocery Store: Consider heading to your grocery store next time you need decorations. Popcorn, berries, fruits and flowers can be strung together to create any number of creative and edible designs.

Christmas Wrap: Wrapping paper is not typically made from recycled paper. If it has metal fibers or bright foil colors, it can’t be recycled either. Before you purchase, insure it’s both recycled and recyclable. Better yet, use old maps, newspaper comics pages and even children’s artwork to add that personal touch.


Travel Non-Stop: When you must travel, try to choose non-stop flights. Planes produce most of their carbon emissions when taking off and landing. You might save a few bucks by breaking up your travel but you'll lessen your impact on the environment by booking direct flights rather than changing planes.
Green Lodging: Hotels and motels are taking strides to become more environmentally friendly. Chances are, if they care more about the environment, they'll care more about your stay. Be sure to compare your prospects for more than just price and when checking in, be sure to let them know why you made the choice you did.


Travel Toiletries: Miniature shampoos and soaps are energy-intensive to produce and are often thrown away after a single use. When not flying you can reduce your impact on the environment by bringing your own toiletries and use them instead of relying on hotel supplies.

Take your practices on the road: When traveling, turn off light switches, unplug coffee pots, phone chargers and other electrical appliances when not in use.

Mini Fridges: If you're not storing food and drinks in your hotel room, unplug it. You'll save on both noise and energy.
Eco-Friendly Exploration: Plan to explore the area by bike or on foot. Bus tours are typically fun and a reasonably priced environmentally friendly alternative.

Souvenirs: When shopping for souvenirs, seek out traditional handicrafts and insure they are made by local artistsans and not imported from elsewhere. There's no point in traveling to exotic destinations only to find you've brought home momentos that were "Made in China".

Provide Feedback: Write your hotel a letter to express your appreciation for their efforts on behalf of the environment. Be sure to encourage them to keep up the good work and do even more to increase their green efforts in the future.