How did you green your holidays?

[Treehugging_family]

I am interested to hear about how everyone spent their holidays!

We haven't had a pvc made christmas tree or cut down tree for a few years now. This year we decided to get a beautiful rosemary bush. We made ornaments from recycled materials for it. I think it took a little bit of time for the family to adjust to the miniature tree. Everyone is coming around to the idea that less is more, and that our tree is so very special because we can plant it and watch it grow!

The town we live in is obsessed with lighting the place up.... they even have a competition to see who's display of lights is the most glorious! In the past I have posted a few informative flyers around town - sharing that we are in the middle of an energy crisis, and comparisons between LED lights and traditional christmas lights.... we hang home made decorations round the house, but we aren't climbing ladders to staple lights to our roof. We let people know that if they feel the lights are necessary, that they should invest in timers, and LED lights... even better would be to snag <these! I love them. They're so beautiful!

For our presents we tried to buy from local artists, and we were very careful about the products we did purchase. Making an effort to inform our extended family to avoid purchasing mass produced, tiny plastic, battery operated crap. We even gave a few 'memberships' as a present to a variety of organizations that are working to make a better earth. The gifts that we did aquire were wrapped mostly in newspapers and magazines that were tossed out by neighbors. We reuse as much as possible in my house, so those sorts of things don't wind up as refuse often. They were all so beautiful you would think we paid some professional service. It amazes me that gift wrap is so expensive, so wasteful, and so present.. in today's society! I even posted on my livejournal some interesting ways to wrap things.....

Im eager to hear about interesting ways that like minded families spent their holidays a little Greener this year... and any ideas for an even Greener one next year?

[Simon]

It seems our christmas holiday gets smaller and smaller for every year that goes.

It was years ago since we had a real christmas tree, usually we just buy some spruce branches, but this year we had none of that.

No extreme airport-style holiday decorating lightning either. Mostly because we live in an apartment, but also because it's rare to decorate your house with lights over here. It seems only Americans are fixed to insane levels with this whole lighting idea..

When it comes to presents we just had one each on Christmas eve. A book and some spa products and such... We usually focus everything on having a pleasant time and eating good organic food instead.

[mountainhiker]

We went with LED lights in order to reduce consumption and minimum lights at that. Living in the mountains like we do, you hardly can justify any need for outdoor light displays, the deer and other wildlife never seem impressed! Most of my neighbors did have candles in the windows, LED of course. For some reason the people in the big cities do get obsessed with lights! <_<

[Steve_Barker]

I went to work as usual

and then we've been away to see family

No more or less green than usual

[EnviroGadget]

I used public transport where possible when visiting friends and family. This was to reduce reliance on a car. My Dad also replanted the Christmas tree we had.

Dan

[Simon]

I used public transport where possible when visiting friends and family. This was to reduce reliance on a car. My Dad also replanted the Christmas tree we had.

Dan

Can you really replant a christmas tree? I had no idea... :huh:

[EnviroGadget]

Can you really replant a christmas tree? I had no idea...

Yeah, assuming the tree was planted in a pot with soil and it hasn't died. There's an initiative in teh UK where someone is renting out Christmas trees, who then collects it again to re-plant it.

[armadillo]

Yeah, assuming the tree was planted in a pot with soil and it hasn't died. There's an initiative in teh UK where someone is renting out Christmas trees, who then collects it again to re-plant it.

Wow,that's cool! It doesnt happen here at all though.

There should be advertisements of having an alive Christmas tree that can be replant later on.

Here there are many cases of people decorating the trees of their garden and dont have a Christmas tree inside the house. Though many people argue that this reduces the Christmas feeling.

[EnviroGadget]

Here there are many cases of people decorating the trees of their garden and dont have a Christmas tree inside the house. Though many people argue that this reduces the Christmas feeling.

A tree outside shares the christmas cheer with everyone surely?

Dan

[armadillo]

A tree outside shares the christmas cheer with everyone surely?

Dan

Yeah of course,but people tend to think that's not enough...they want xmas trees inside the house as well. And since alive xmas trees are not popular here,their wanting them inside the house is a bad thing..

[brettbh]

There's an initiative in the UK where someone is renting out Christmas trees, who then collects it again to re-plant it.

Is this really a greener option? What's the benefit of replanting "used" trees as opposed to composting them and planting new ones instead?

[mountainhiker]

Is this really a greener option? What's the benefit of replanting "used" trees as opposed to composting them and planting new ones instead?

Somehow that sounds a little odd, considering how long the tree would have been out of the ground, I suspect the survival rate for the trees would not be very high? brettbh's composting sounds more productive.

[EnviroGadget]

If the tree is planted in a pot of soil, it survives. You just need to water it.

[brettbh]

If the tree is planted in a pot of soil, it survives. You just need to water it.

But how's it any greener than composting the old tree and planting a new tree? The petrol used by the truck in which he collects them (I assume that he doesn't transport them in a wheelbarrow or carry them on his back like a sherpa) probably makes this a much less green option than composting!

[EnviroGadget]

Yeah, but the tree renting is just one way of doing it. My family has re-planted the Christmas tree for years.

[Simon]

But how's it any greener than composting the old tree and planting a new tree? The petrol used by the truck in which he collects them (I assume that he doesn't transport them in a wheelbarrow or carry them on his back like a sherpa) probably makes this a much less green option than composting!

Here in Sweden you are encouraged to throw your old tree in the dumpster with the garbages that will be burned. That way you will get energy for four whole laundry machines for every tree burned.

[EnviroGadget]

Here in Sweden you are encouraged to throw your old tree in the dumpster with the garbages that will be burned. That way you will get energy for four whole laundry machines for every tree burned.

That's an interesting idea. Much cheaper than re-planting the tree.

In the UK, I think there are some councils experimenting with shredding all plant and tree material, composting it, and then selling it back to homeowners as compost (to cover costs).