The holiday season is upon us and that means a huge increase in waste, not just the kind that will
be heading to our landfill, but waste in food and resources. We at your Hot Springs/Garland
County Beautification Commission would like to give you a few hints and tips to make this a very
green holiday season, for what better time of year could there be to be thankful for the bounties of
our own Mother Earth?
Holiday Shopping can be far more effective and a lot less wasteful by doing smart shopping, by
thinking a bit ahead and making plans to reduce multiple trips. Shop locally whenever possible. It
is better for your community and better for the planet too! It is more fun and fuel-efficient to carpool
and shop in a group. Here in Hot Springs, it may even be possible to walk to your shopping trip as
part of your pre-holiday exercise program. Always try to take your own shopping bags. Bags
made from recycled materials are great, but any bag you reuse is a step in the right direction.
Holiday gifts are an excellent area for showing your green side. Think about what you are buying.
Can you buy a recycled version or one made with a high proportion of recycled materials? Look at
where it was made. American-made is great, but if that is not available, look for one that was made
in an environmentally friendly country. Look for natural materials and animal-friendly products. By
purchasing green products, this season you can really make a difference not just at the point of
purchase, but also for the long term by showing manufacturers that we do really care. Gift
certificates and other non-material gifts can also be very green as you can often buy them online
and reduce packaging and shipping to a minimum. Think about real homemade gifts this year.
There are very few things that say as much about you as a gift that you have made with your time,
effort and love. You can have total control over the gift and ensure that the gift is as planet-friendly
as you are. Keep it green when it comes to the wrapping too. Recycled materials, even old
dresses and clothes can be turned into spectacular wrappings for your gifts. I am sure you are
saving those gift bags and boxes to reuse, but have you thought of old holiday cards as gift tags?
Holiday parties are the other big area of change where everyone can make their own mark this
season. Once again, try to carpool, or even better, walk to those parties. Local parties are so
much better with everyone walking between homes; it just feels more like the holidays walking
through the crisp evening air to friends and family. It is also far safer if you plan on trying out Uncle
Fred’s eggnog! If it is your party then you can do a lot to ensure a green party by using cloth
napkins and tablecloths, real dishes, plates and glasses. Everyone will think it is so much nicer
and it is so much greener. Remember to reduce the heat as your guests arrive. They will produce
plenty of heat to warm up the party.
Holiday Trees are one area of contention amongst those trying for a green holiday this year.
Reusable trees reduce waste because they can be used over and over again, but they are rarely
made from recycled materials (Hey, manufacturers wake up!), so many say that a real tree is more
acceptable. If you buy a real tree, try to get one with the roots still on it and replant it. If these are
not available, you can at least compost and mulch the tree. Tree decorations are usually reused,
but homemade ones from natural products are even nicer and show your green side even more. If
you have old decorations left over, how about decorating a tree to give away?
One last thought about giving. Many of us are lucky to have so much. Perhaps a truly beautiful gift
would be a donation in honor of the people you love to a cause you both love. There are so many
options for holiday donations: animal welfare, wildlife conservation such as the many wolf
sanctuaries, tree planting programs, children’s charities, etc. Most offer a very nice gift donation
sheet that says who the gift was from and to whom. We at the Commission certainly do and we
offer the option of whether to state the amount of the gift donation.
We can all make this holiday season a green one by doing our part and making sure that it does
not end on the morning when you get to open your gifts. Please recycle that old computer now that
you have a new one. Working computers can go to many charities and even the non-functional
ones can be recycled at The Runyon Street Recycling Center. Many small electronic items can
also be recycled there. Please bring your cell phone to the Commission’s office so that we can
recycle them and get a couple of dollars for them, even if they are not working!
May your holiday season be green and beautiful, full of love for all the people and creatures of the
world.
be heading to our landfill, but waste in food and resources. We at your Hot Springs/Garland
County Beautification Commission would like to give you a few hints and tips to make this a very
green holiday season, for what better time of year could there be to be thankful for the bounties of
our own Mother Earth?
Holiday Shopping can be far more effective and a lot less wasteful by doing smart shopping, by
thinking a bit ahead and making plans to reduce multiple trips. Shop locally whenever possible. It
is better for your community and better for the planet too! It is more fun and fuel-efficient to carpool
and shop in a group. Here in Hot Springs, it may even be possible to walk to your shopping trip as
part of your pre-holiday exercise program. Always try to take your own shopping bags. Bags
made from recycled materials are great, but any bag you reuse is a step in the right direction.
Holiday gifts are an excellent area for showing your green side. Think about what you are buying.
Can you buy a recycled version or one made with a high proportion of recycled materials? Look at
where it was made. American-made is great, but if that is not available, look for one that was made
in an environmentally friendly country. Look for natural materials and animal-friendly products. By
purchasing green products, this season you can really make a difference not just at the point of
purchase, but also for the long term by showing manufacturers that we do really care. Gift
certificates and other non-material gifts can also be very green as you can often buy them online
and reduce packaging and shipping to a minimum. Think about real homemade gifts this year.
There are very few things that say as much about you as a gift that you have made with your time,
effort and love. You can have total control over the gift and ensure that the gift is as planet-friendly
as you are. Keep it green when it comes to the wrapping too. Recycled materials, even old
dresses and clothes can be turned into spectacular wrappings for your gifts. I am sure you are
saving those gift bags and boxes to reuse, but have you thought of old holiday cards as gift tags?
Holiday parties are the other big area of change where everyone can make their own mark this
season. Once again, try to carpool, or even better, walk to those parties. Local parties are so
much better with everyone walking between homes; it just feels more like the holidays walking
through the crisp evening air to friends and family. It is also far safer if you plan on trying out Uncle
Fred’s eggnog! If it is your party then you can do a lot to ensure a green party by using cloth
napkins and tablecloths, real dishes, plates and glasses. Everyone will think it is so much nicer
and it is so much greener. Remember to reduce the heat as your guests arrive. They will produce
plenty of heat to warm up the party.
Holiday Trees are one area of contention amongst those trying for a green holiday this year.
Reusable trees reduce waste because they can be used over and over again, but they are rarely
made from recycled materials (Hey, manufacturers wake up!), so many say that a real tree is more
acceptable. If you buy a real tree, try to get one with the roots still on it and replant it. If these are
not available, you can at least compost and mulch the tree. Tree decorations are usually reused,
but homemade ones from natural products are even nicer and show your green side even more. If
you have old decorations left over, how about decorating a tree to give away?
One last thought about giving. Many of us are lucky to have so much. Perhaps a truly beautiful gift
would be a donation in honor of the people you love to a cause you both love. There are so many
options for holiday donations: animal welfare, wildlife conservation such as the many wolf
sanctuaries, tree planting programs, children’s charities, etc. Most offer a very nice gift donation
sheet that says who the gift was from and to whom. We at the Commission certainly do and we
offer the option of whether to state the amount of the gift donation.
We can all make this holiday season a green one by doing our part and making sure that it does
not end on the morning when you get to open your gifts. Please recycle that old computer now that
you have a new one. Working computers can go to many charities and even the non-functional
ones can be recycled at The Runyon Street Recycling Center. Many small electronic items can
also be recycled there. Please bring your cell phone to the Commission’s office so that we can
recycle them and get a couple of dollars for them, even if they are not working!
May your holiday season be green and beautiful, full of love for all the people and creatures of the
world.
Make this a Green Holiday!
An Affiliate of Keep Arkansas Beautiful & Keep America Beautiful
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