Green Holiday Ideas

Give the gift of a greener holiday

The decadence of the holidays extends to the very celebrations that define it: gift-giving, festive lights, elaborate meals, travel, and greeting cards to name just a few. Traditional celebration leads to increased paper production, greater energy consumption, food waste, pollution from vehicles, more wastepaper, and other raw materials.

Let’s vow to give the earth the gift of a greener holiday!

Consider making gifts as eco-friendly as possible but also pair them with an action that makes the present doubly impactful on the environment.

Examples could include:

• Give a (preferably sustainably made) garment; donate, recycle, or repurpose several from your closet.
• Give electronics; donate or recycle your no longer used computers, cellphones, gaming consoles, TVs, etc.
• Give a book; donate or repurpose ones that you no longer want on your shelf.

More green holiday tips:

• Wrap gifts in materials other than wrapping paper (or at least in recycled paper).
• Decorate with LED lights on a timer.
• Serve locally sourced organic foods.
• Give experiential gifts.
• Donate money or time to environmental causes.

• November 20, 2023
• Bank News
• Pete Yang

About This Author

Pete Yang

Pete Yang is a senior vice president for Alpine Bank and the co-chair of Alpine's "Green Team." He's based in Aspen, where he handles commercial and consumer loans, with a particular focus on resort financing. He has a keen interest in protecting Colorado's unmatched mountain environment.

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