GIVING GREEN

You can give a gift to the National Heritage Corridor this year by reducing your carbon footprint during the holiday season.  Consider these suggestions:

1. Purchase recycled gift wrap.  You can identify it by the triangular “recycled” logo.
2. Reuse gift paper that was carefully unwrapped and saved.  An iron set on the lowest temperature can make paper wrap look new.
3. Make your own paper.  This is a great project for kids.  Reuse brown paper bags and decorated with paintings, drawings, stamping or glue and glitter.
4. Use wallpaper left over from a home improvement project.  A leftover quarter roll can provide sturdy coverage of items that poke through thinner papers.
5. Use a basket.  It’s a great way to present a gift and it can be reused by the recipient.
6. Instead of bubble pack or Styrofoam peanuts (made from benzene – bad stuff!) recycle used paper through a document shredder to produce your own packing materials.  Or fill a box with air-popped popcorn.
7. Recycle holiday cards you received last year into gift tags.
8. Use environmentally-friendly tape like Scotch Magic Greener Tape made from 65% renewable or recycled materials.  It’s photo safe and non-yellowing.
9. Place your gifts in a reusable shopping bag that the recipient can use over and over.
10. Let the gift be the wrapping!  Gardening supplies can be presented in a watering can or bucket, for example.  A kitchen towel or napkin can become the wrap for a culinary gift.

We wish you a holiday that is green and clean.