Green Cleaning Tip for December 2017 is contributed thanks to Going Green House Cleaning. We use their services for our listing and recommend them for our clients.

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I’m dreaming of a GREEN Christmas…

The holiday season is upon us! Holiday parties have commenced, baking is in order, shoppers are shopping, and our agendas are filling up quickly. Last month we discussed how to get our homes holiday-ready and what better way to embrace the holiday hullabaloo than to discuss the topic of resourcefulness.

It is a season of abundance. An abundance of savory dishes and delectable treats. An abundance of tree lots lining the streets. An abundance of wrapping paper, ribbons, and boxes. An abundance of family and friends. Joy and cheer abound. These are all things to embrace and for which to be thankful.

Now think a little bigger. Pull back the curtains, if you will, on the topic of resourcefulness. Take a moment to think of all the boxes, bags, wrapping paper, tissue, and paper products in general that we consume during the holidays. According to a Stanford University study, Americans create an extra 1 million tons of garbage each week from thanksgiving to New Years. It is hard to fathom, isn’t it? This month we are going to step away from the cleaning side of “going green” and instead focus on what it can look like to conserve, because ‘Tis the season…right?

Wrapping paper.

We are all guilty of tearing open holiday gifts without thinking twice. I remember, as a child, watching my mother carefully popping off the tape from gifts and slowly unwrapping. At the time, the anticipation of seeing what was inside had me beside myself. Hurry, hurry, open it! Then I would watch as she carefully folded the paper and set it aside. How obserd. Or is it? You see, what she was doing was saving the paper to reuse down the road. How many rolls of half-used of wrapping paper do you have in your home? Consider this. What if we all made a point of reusing boxes, saving ribbons, and saving wrapping paper? Another way to be environmentally conscious is to purchase recycled wrapping paper or use old newspapers, for a classic twist.

Holiday cards.

It is pleasant to think that we all have boxes upon boxes of every holiday card, from every family, that we have ever received. However, the reality is that a lot of cards end up in the trash, at some point. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Keeping this in mind, consider using cards made out of recycled paper or avoiding buying cards with glossy, shiny, or foil coatings since they cannot be recycled.

Re-Gifting.

Speaking of abundance, what about the idea of re-gifting? Yes, this may sound offensive. However, think of all the gifts this year that will remain unused and untouched. Or the old clothes and toys that will be replaced and end up in the back of some closet, somewhere. Instead of allowing the clutter to build in your home, consider re-gifting or giving back to your community. Too many times old toys and clothes are simply thrown in to the trash and put to waste. Instead of giving in to convenience, be proactive and give your surplus to a local charity, thrift store, family in need, or, well, your sister-in-law for that matter. There are a myriad of ways  to give back this holiday season.

Opportunities to be resourceful are all around us. Sometimes we just need to take the opportunity and commit to doing our part in making a difference. From our Going GreenHouse to yours, Happy Holidays!