Let’s Make 2011 A Greener Christmas

Green Star Group is committed to creating eco-conscious alternatives to regular household products. We’re super committed and strive every day to lessen the impact our company has on the environment. Even our virtual staff – each member working from their own homes – reduces our carbon footprint.

Now that the holidays are over, we can’t help but think about how much harm was done to our beloved planet in the past few weeks. Just think about it. All the baking, the lights, the driving around shopping and visiting, the transportation of gifts, the wrapping paper, the Christmas cards, 20 billion of 50 billion Christmas trees heading to landfill and so on and so forth. We’ve got to step up and make some changes or the planet’s gonna be in a big heap of trouble.

Let’s make a resolution now to make Christmas 2011 a more environmentally friendly one. Here are some of our favorite tips to make next Christmas more green:

Change the way you use lights for the holidays.

We suggest you switch to all LED lights. Stock up now while they’re still on sale in some places as they’re cleared out for the new year. They’re easier on electricity and will save you money on your power bill while being better for the environment. Turn on the outdoor lights only for a few hours a day. Between 6 and 10pm should be plenty of time to have them on. Get an automatic timer now and next year set your lights so it won’t matter if you fall asleep and forget they were left on.

Spend less time in the car driving from store to store.

How many trips back and forth to the mall did you make for Christmas last year? Next year try to schedule your shopping very carefully. Shopping locally is great for the environment but try to make it so you only have to be out once to do all of your shopping. There’s no point in going back and forth to the same store a dozen times over the month of December. Fill up your car once and you’re done. (You’ll probably spend less money on gifts that way too!)

Buy gifts online or better yet, donate to charities in your loved ones’ names instead of buying so many presents (saves on wrapping paper too!)

Make more eco-friendly purchases.

Choose energy-efficient, non-toxic and non-polluting gifts wherever you can. Check to see that your purchases were made by a socially responsible company. Buy gifts that don’t require batteries so less dangerous materials end up in landfill. Get your loved ones carbon emission offset gifts! We love this idea.

Reduce waste.

When you’re out shopping, bring your own reusable bags. Instead of wrapping gifts in paper, use reusable bags or wrap gifts in other gifts like hats, towels or scarves. If you must use wrapping paper, try using comic strips, fabric scraps, old calendars, posters or maps instead. And try not to use tape so the recipient can reuse it in the future. Buy a potted Christmas tree that you can replant after the holidays! Don’t feel guilty about re-gifting. Keeping something you don’t need or want is wasteful. Take the gifts you were given last year and save them to give next Christmas.

It’s estimated that the yearly pollution generated just from the manufacturing, transportation and disposal of Christmas gifts is more than pollution caused by automobiles.

Change can only happen if we each take it upon ourselves to change the way we operate over the holiday season. Will you help us make next Christmas more green? Did you make any environmentally friendly resolutions for 2011?

By: J Mills

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American manufacturer of earth-friendly household products, Green Star Group Ltd, is the maker of Uncle Albert’s Super Smart Ant Bait. This natural ant bait features boron compounds as its main ingredient and will not harm people or pets. Available in gel and liquid formats, it can easily be applied to hard to reach places.