Holiday gift giving may warm hearts, but it generates a million tons of waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.
To offset some of it:
- Stuff those stockings with energy-efficient small appliances like kitchen aids and grooming devices?
- Look for the Energy Star label—it guarantees that the appliance you’re buying is energy-efficient—on TVs, DVD players, cordless phones and computers.
- The newest compact fluorescent light bulbs are small enough to slip into a holiday stocking. The bulbs outperform fluorescent lamps of the past, and they save tons of energy over their long lifetime.
- If you’re buying a battery-powered present, include rechargeable batteries. If the gift requires standard batteries, let the recipient know where to recycle them.
- Give your time instead of a department store item. Offer to baby-sit, work in the yard or cook dinner. Loved ones will be touched by your consideration, and the gift could save you money and energy.
- Wrap your gifts in reusable bags and yesterday’s newspaper. Glam them up a bit with hand-drawn greetings. The paper can later be used as packing material.
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