Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It’s a simple motto for a sustainable way of life. And because people generate over 25% more waste during Christmas festivities, the holiday season offers many opportunities for cleaner, greener choices. From planet-friendly decorations to sustainable gift wrapping, here are 10 tips and plenty of ideas to help you celebrate with eco-friendly mindfulness. Each thoughtful choice you make is a gift to the Earth, your loved ones, and to future generations of children who will inherit this beautiful world we share. 

1. Use What You Have

Do you have boxes of heirloom decorations and ornaments stashed in your closet or attic? Great, use them! And congratulations for adhering to a keystone sustainability principle: Reuse. If you won’t use it and can’t pass it on to someone who will, recycle or dispose of it, with a goal to be more environmentally mindful moving forward.

2. Shop Mindfully 

When looking to purchase holiday décor, be mindful of the composition of the item. Are you falling for the cute factor? Will you use it more than one year? If not, is it recyclable or compostable? Buying plastic-laden, one-holiday “stuff” is a choice equivalent to accepting single-use plastic bags when shopping; it’s a choice that is rapidly suffocating our planet. 

Don’t forget to look in second-hand stores for old, forsaken treasures. You can also invest in high-quality decorations made from sustainable materials and produced in a fair trade environment.

3. Bring the Outdoors Inside

You don’t have to be an interior decorator to succeed in adding an atmosphere of holiday coziness and warmth; nature has a special way of saying “Welcome home.”  When you want to bring the outdoors inside, look for some of these all-natural decorations:

• Pine cones. Virginia pine, Red pine, Ponderosa pine... varieties abound. Some get sappy, so be careful when you pick them up and where you place them in your home.
• Tree boughs. Cedar, spruce, pine, fir... all beautiful! Pine and fir boughs hold up the longest; take care when harvesting them because these trees only grow on new growth, not old. It’s always best pick up boughs from the ground and trim to your needs when you get home.
• Other greenery. Good candidates for decorating include holly, rhododendron, mountain laurel, boxwood, winterberry and inkberry. Don’t overlook the possibilities of some herbs, like rosemary and sage, which can be wrapped into lovely, fragrant wreaths.
• Vines. Grape vines can be shaped into wreaths or spheres, then adorned with ribbons, mosses and other greenery, dried flowers, mini LED lights and more.
•  Dried grasses. Pampas grass is the most popular ornamental grass, for good reason. It’s super versatile, and can last up to three years. Lovely on its own, it can be be dressed up with feathers, flowers, or evergreen boughs. Though most pampas grass varieties are tan or beige, white pampas grass, Cortaderia selloana, offers the soft, fluffy look of snow. 

You might find decorating material while taking a stroll around your yard or neighborhood; just remember to ask permission before taking anything from another’s property. If foraging, respect any postings on public or private land and be aware of any restrictions on protected plants. Try not to disturb what may be a sensitive, vulnerable ecosystem. You can find many natural décor options at local farmer’s markets and grocery stores.

It’s a good idea to keep au natural greens out of reach of children and pets. If eaten, all parts of some plants, such as yew, holly, inkberry, winterberry, rhododendron and boxwood are poisonous. You can learn if a plant is toxic on the ASPCA website.

4. Plant a Christmas Tree

If you want to use a Christmas tree indoors and then plant it later, the best options include Nordmann fir, Fraser fir, Noble fir, Scotch pine, Balsam fir, Canaan fir, and Colorado Blue Spruce, as they all have good needle retention, strong branches, and are suitable for transplanting outdoors. When selecting a tree that will thrive once planted outside, be sure to consider your local climate, how much outdoor space is needed for healthy growth, and if you’ll still appreciate the tree’s beauty when it’s towering over your home’s roof or garden.

5. Nurture a Christmas Tree Houseplant

Do you have a green thumb, and a penchant for indoor gardening? Many houseplants are available that dress up beautifully during the festive season, while also helping to improve indoor air quality. Once again, be sure to research the toxicity of all plants before you introduce them to your living environment. Here are just a few of our favorites:

• Norkolf Island Pine
• Weeping Fig
• Fiddleleaf Fig
• Red Emerald Philodendron

6. Make Your Own Garlands

From framing a door or window to adorning a fireplace mantel, mirror or bannister, Christmas garlands are a versatile way to add festive spirit and old-world charm to your home, both indoors and outdoors. Conifer boughs and herbs can be tied together to form beautiful and fragrant garlands. Have a box of fabric scraps? Cut it into long strips and tie them together to form a colorful garland. Here are a few more garland ideas: plain popcorn, cranberries, pine cones, twigs, feathers, hand knit pompoms, origami, cinnamon sticks, wood and glass beads, seashells, and tinkling bells. 

Selecting the best thread for your DIY garlands depends in large part on the weight and texture of what you’re going to string. Ideally, you would choose an all-natural thread or twine so your garland can be recycled or composted, or perhaps even hung outside for wildlife to enjoy. Eco-friendly thread options include heavy-duty, all-cotton coat thread, embroidery floss, and natural fiber yarns. Please avoid fishing line.

7. Deck Your Halls with DIY Decorations

Fill your home with holiday spirit by hanging handcrafted decorations on your tree, working them into garlands, crafting them into centerpieces, and tucking them into every dark or neglected nook. Try your hand at a few of these easy, affordable DIY projects. Most simply require time, a bit of effort, and a dab or two of glue.

• Ye old pine cones and ribbons
• Cinnamon sticks tied up with a festive ribbon
• Clove-studded fresh oranges
• Bundle several fluffy feathers with pretty yarn or cotton thread
• Slice an orange into thin discs and dry in 170ºF oven for six hours. Flip every hour. Hang with ribbon or twine.
• Make a mini Christmas tree with a wine cork, pine cone, green paint, and glue. Decorate with pearl sugar and top with a paper cutout star or small bead.
• Hand-tied burlap, fabric, or feed sack bows
• And finally, what is simpler, easier or more festive than a candy cane?! 

8. Avoid Plastic-Laden Gift Wrap & Cards

With over 440 million tons of plastic dumped every year, the negative environmental impact of single-use plastics worldwide cannot be overstated. Walk right on by the rows and rows of plastic gift bags, ribbons, and bows. While the child in each of us appreciates the sparkle and shine of a glitter-embellished Christmas card or gift wrapping, the fact is that nearly all glitters are made from harmful microplastics, long-lasting pollutants that can be ingested and inhaled by people and animals. Sadly, even those little, fun sparkly bits have become a serious environmental issue. 

Metallic and shiny papers should also be off-limits. Their fibers are multi-material, a composite of paper and plastics. Due to the amount of energy needed to retrieve the paper fibers in composites, these “papers” are destined for the landfill. Not sure if your paper is a composite? If you can’t easily crumple it into a ball that holds its shape, it probably contains plastic. 

9. Go with Greener Gift Wrap 

For greener holiday gift wrapping, embrace your inner artist and think outside of the box. Here are a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing.

• Buy earth-friendly plain paper gift wrap, craft paper, or tissue paper. These can still have designs on it; just avoid those with any type of coating. 
• Read all about it: wrap gifts in newspaper! If your gift is for a jokester, use the funnies page. A serious book for a financial whiz will be enriched by the world markets section. You get the drift...
• Reuse paper grocery or department store bags. Decorate them with natural inks or crayons. Not very artistic? Use cookie cutters or other handy items as stencils. 
• Wrap gifts with another gift.  Soft cotton hand or bath towels make pretty and practical wraps. Gifts can be tucked inside of a pillowcase, a sweater, scarf, hat or other item. 
• Use twine instead of plastic ribbon. Eco-friendly “ribbons” can be twine or string made of sisal, hemp, jute, cotton, linen, or raffia. You can also make your own ribbon from past-their-prime hand towels, clothing, curtains, or other fabric items. 
• Minimize your use of plastic tape, because after all, it’s plastic and won’t recycle. Challenge yourself to make those wrapping folds nice and tight, and secure them with your natural ribbon. Washi tape, made from natural materials like bamboo or hemp, is an alternative to plastic tape that is becoming more widely available.

10. Turn the Wattage Down Low

Although tiny, Christmas bulbs can significantly impact energy consumption. It’s estimated that households and businesses in the United States use over 6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to power holiday displays -- that's enough energy to run 14 million refrigerators. 

But, you can still get your holiday glow on by switching from old-fashioned incandescent lights to LED lights, reducing the wattage used astronomically, as well lowering the impact on your utility bill. For example (keeping in mind energy costs vary from region to region), a strand of 100-light C9 LED Christmas lights will use 4.8 watts and cost you just cents to run each night, while a 25-light strand of C9 incandescent lights at 175 watts could cost a few dollars. 

You can also light up your holidays with realistic flickering LED candles and strings of sparkling microlights. And because they pose no fire hazard, you can dress them up with paper cut-outs, sprigs of greenery, herbs or flowers. Whenever possible, opt for rechargeable batteries to operate decorations. 

Of course, despite the fire risks, it’s hard to rival the real-deal soothing beauty and warm, inviting ambience provided by a burning candle, especially when combined with traditional Christmas fragrances. Avoid candles made of paraffin or gel, both of which are petroleum byproducts. 

For a healthier, eco-friendly option, look for candles made from natural materials like beeswax, soy, and coconut wax. Candles with wicks made of renewable resources like cotton or wood can be better for the environment and your health because they provide a cleaner burn, producing less smoke and soot. And always choose candles containing authentic essential oils, which offer genuine, aromas without harmful synthetic perfumes or chemical additives.