4 GOING GREEN | S u n d ay , November 2 9, 2009 co m m e r c i a l a p p ea l .co m

A GreenChristmas

Don’t discard holidaysas season of throwaways

By Suzanne ThompsonSpecial to Going Green

WHEN PREPARING HOLIDAYLISTS THIS YEAR, don’t forget the“3 R’s” of green living — re d u c e ,reuse and recycle.

Simple Earth-friendlyalternatives when decorating andentertaining not only are a gift tothe environment, they can be lessexpensive too.

Not every decision, however, will bee a s y.

Take the Great Christmas TreeD eb at e .

Though many environmentalistsadvocate the use of a fresh cut or livetree, there are arguments for artificialtrees too.

Christmas tree farms havesustainability built into their businessmodels — most plant one to three treesfor every one cut — and are continuallyreplanting, so generally purchasing onefrom a tree stand is better than using anartificial one.

Many artificial trees are made from

Karen Pulfer Focht

Dough ornaments areenvironmentally friendly anda fun family project.

The Commercial Appeal S u n d ay , November 2 9, 2009 | GOING GREEN 5

polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which,incinerated, emit dioxins and otherc a rc i n o ge n s .

At the same time, if you already ownan artificial tree, its environmentalimpact can be reduced by using it for aslong as possible.

The nonprofit American ChristmasTree Association conducted a study thatshowed artificial trees are better for theenvironment when used over a 10-yearperiod.

Nancy Ream, chairman of the SierraClub, Chickasaw Group, recommendspurchasing a live tree.

“After Christmas, plant it in yourbackyard. You’ll create a forest in yourya rd , ” she said.

No space in your yard for anothertree? Consider donating it to thegrounds of a nursing home, where theresidents can enjoy its growth.

Large rosemary plants can also besubstituted for a traditional Christmastree, Ream said.

Debbie Thornton, one of thedecorators in the 2009 Vesta HomeShow, said one of her clients usedpoinsettias as a substitute.

“She stacked them into the pyramid-shape of a Christmas tree. Each persontook a plant home at the end of theholiday celebration,” Thornton said.

The options are endless in choosingeco-friendly Christmas ornaments.Paper snowflakes and handmadeornaments not only add to the beauty ofthe tree, but also create memories asfamily members get together to makethem. Felt, glitter and glue can be usedto design decorations that are onlylimited by imagination.

Debbie Crawford, sales and marketing

officer for Pugh’s Flowers, said herfamily has a history of crafting. “Doughornaments can be shaped, baked andpainted for a beautiful handmade lookwith memories for years to come,”Crawford said.

The recipe for dough ornaments istwo cups of flour, two cups of salt andone cup of water. Bake at 275 degreesfor about an hour. Baking takes lesstime if the dough is rolled very thin.

Ream said her mother grew up on a

Karen Pulfer Focht

Rather than buy ornaments, DebbieCrawford of Pugh’s Flowers makesthem out of dough as one of her waysto go green for the holidays.

6 GOING GREEN | S u n d ay , November 2 9, 2009 co m m e r c i a l a p p ea l .co m

farm and was dedicated toenvironmentally friendly holidaycelebrations. Her family strung garlandsof popcorn and cranberries, which thefamily shared with wild birds after theh o l i d ays .

“My mother didn’t believe in buyinggift tags, so we took Christmas cardswe received from the year before andcut them into gift tags,” Ream said.“She also used plain paper — back thenit came from the butcher — and wedecorated it with potato prints. Thatwas our wrapping paper.”

Keep in mind, not every gift needs tobe wrapped. For a bottle of wine, a bowis plenty. Large gifts like bicycles, don’tneed to be wrapped and a bow or nicegift tag is sufficient.

There are some people for whomnothing but wrapping paper will do.Many places sell wrapping paper madeof recycled materials.

Another alternative to wrappingpaper is to use a beautiful bolt of clothto wrap presents, or put them inbaskets. Baskets are attractive whenpresenting the gift, and can be usedaround the house when empty.

Christmas cards can be reused orhandmade, and there are manycompanies that sell cards made fromrecycled material and printed withvegetable-based inks.

Green Charity cards are made fromstock manufactured from 80 percentrecovered fiber (10 percent packagingwaste, 10 percent white waste and 60

Greg Campbell/Associated Press files

Deborah King (left) trims a Christmas tree base as brother Jerry drags anothertree from the rows at Santa’s Choice Christmas Tree Farm in Florence, Miss.

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percent de-inked waste). Theother 20 percent is made ofmaterial from sustainablymanaged forests and ismanufactured without chlorinebleaches. Go tog re e n c h a r i t yc a rd s . c o m for morei n fo r m at i o n .

Many people struggle to getthe perfect decorations for theirholiday feast, but the focal pointdoesn’t have to be intricate orartificial. “Table centerpiecescan be created from fruit andpine cones,” Thornton said.

Putting a single flower stem ina champagne or shot glass andplacing one at each person’splace setting provides a fragrantway to enjoy the meal, and a nicelittle treat to take home whenthe party is over, Crawford said.

Choosing natural holiday décoris as easy as taking a walk throughthe backyard, Ream said. Shegathers red maple leaves and thevibrant yellow leaves of gingkotrees to use later in centerpiecesand on the mantle. She puts theleaves in baggies and puts a bookon top of them. When themoisture has evaporated, theleaves will be sturdier, and can beused to accentuate greenerydraped around the house.

Holly and other naturalgreenery can be used to decorateand is easy to find.

The lower boughs ofChristmas trees can be trimmedoff and displayed.

When it comes to lighting, gowith solar lights or light-emitting diode (LED) lights.

10 easy stepsWe checked some of our favorite Web sites,

and found 10 things you can do to have a greenerholiday season.

1. Use energy-efficient outdoor LED holidaylights. They consume less power and are brighter.p l a n e t g r e e n .d i s co v e r y .co m

2. Make environmentally conscious choiceswhen buying toys. Discover what toys containharmful chemicals, at healthytoys.org.

3. Avoid overnight shipping. Groundtransportation, instead of rush delivery, uses lessfossil fuel and produces less pollution – and it’scheaper, too. www.thedailygreen.com

4. Use organic and local foods for your holidayfeasts. Not only do you support farmers who growsustainable meat and produce, the food tastesbetter. sierraclub.org

5. Avoid disposable utensils and dishes whenentertaining. buynhelp.com

6. Use soy-based or beeswax candles insteadof ones made of paraffin, a petroleum-basedproduct. www.greenliving tips.com

7. Get creative and make your own gift wrap.Use the Sunday comics, or decorate grocery storebags. planetgreen.discovery.com

8. Save paper and postage by sending an e-card. support.nature.org

9. Use a timer for outside lighting decorations– and save electricity. greenlivingtips.com

10. Keep disposable batteries out of landfills.With any present that uses batteries, giverechargeable batteries and a charger.g r e e n l i v i n g t i p s .co m

If notalready, tryenergy-eff i c i e n tLED holidaylights.T h ey ’llbrightenyour night.