Green Monday: 10 Green Holiday Tips

Green Monday, by definition, isn’t about climate change or lifestyle awareness. Similar to Cyber Monday, this holiday was created to make you spend more green. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great deal, but I thought this Green Monday I could start a new tradition. At Spherea, this Green Monday will be less about consumerism and more about conservation; a day when we consider how we can add a little green to the world rather than the balance sheet of insert company name here!

REDUCE ENERGY COSTS BY PROGRAMMING YOUR THERMOSTAT: You can cut your energy costs and environmental impact by adjusting your thermostat to a lower temperature while you are out of the house and when you’re snug under your comforter sleeping. You can invest in a programmable thermostat for as little as $35 dollars. By setting your thermostat down seven to ten degrees for eight hours you can save as much as 10% a year on your energy bill.1 Well worth the investment!

LIMIT HOLIDAY LIGHTING AND USE LED LIGHTS: Use of LED holiday lighting can save up to 90% on energy demand in comparison to traditional incandescent lights. By using the KISS method (Keep It Simple Silly!) and LED lighting you can limit your energy use and still have a beautiful holiday display!

DECORATE WITH FRESH GREENERY SCRAPS: During this time of year practically every corner has a pop-up Christmas tree vendor and every vendor has scraps! Rather than buying toxic plastic garland walk to your local tree vendor and ask if they have any scraps…you may even get them for free! Use these otherwise discarded branches to decorate your mantle, create a garland or other fresh holiday centerpiece to bring to your next holiday party!

SAY NO TO TRADITIONAL AND SCENTED CANDLES: Candles add a cozy glow to any holiday event or long winter night. However, unless your candle is made of 100% pure, unscented beeswax (with a natural lead free wick) you may want to consider removing it from your home. Most candles are made from petroleum derived wax which releases carcinogenic soot when burned. As for scented, even candles scented with organic essential oils can become carcinogenic when burned. When essential oils are burned or go through a process called combustion they can create toxic, carcinogenic fumes. 2

• CREATING A NOSE FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT: Many of us use scents to spruce up our homes but many of the scented products we use may be toxic. If you want to add some scent to your home consider making your own home spray or diffusing your favorite scents. To make your own home spray first check out that your favorite scent isn’t considered toxic. To do this you can start by checking out this report from the Aromatherapy Society. After choosing a safe essential oil, you can mix a few drops into a small spray bottle with water, shake and spray. You can also try diffusing essential oils but make sure you use a diffuser that is easy to clean without plastic pieces or glazed ceramic. These materials have the potential to release toxic chemicals when heated, which is necessary for diffusion. You can shop my diffuser picks by visiting my store - they also make a great stocking stuffer along with a 100% beeswax tealight!

• TIP: As a general rule of thumb, remember that just because something is certified organic, doesn’t mean it is good for you. Always look into your purchases and products to ensure safety of use.

GET IT TOGETHER: Work together with friends and family to consolidate holiday parties as much as possible. This is a time of year when traffic is insane and travel generally increases. Increased travel = increased fuel utilization and increased cost. By consolidating holiday events you can save at the pump and save yourself the traffic headache! You may also want to consider car pooling and splitting fuel costs with friends and family!

DECORATE WITH OLD JEWELRY: Are you looking to fill a few bare spots on the tree but don’t feel like spending a fortune on shiny ornaments? Try using some old jewelry to add some sparkle to your tree. Bangles and bracelets make the perfect decor addition with the help of a little ribbon. Take your bracelet and a small bit of ribbon and tie the ribbon into a bow around the bracelet…turning the bracelet into a unique wreath…now its ready to hang! It is really as simple as that!

SUSTAINABLE DINING: Are you hosting a holiday dinner this year? Think about using reusable dining wear, including glasses, utensils, plates, straws, napkins and table cloths. It is a little extra work for cleaning but it makes a huge cut into holiday waste. Lets make the holiday season the most wonderful time of the year not the most wasteful! Between Thanksgiving and New Years Day, Americans produce 25% more waste on average…to put this in perspective in 2013 Americans sent approximately 19.5 billion pounds of trash to land fill per month (25% is 3.9 billion pounds more).3

GO DIGITAL: This year consider sending a digital Christmas card. Annually over 2.65 Billion Christmas Cards are purchased. This amount of cards could fill a foot ball stadium ten stories high to the brim.4

GIFT GREEN: If you are going to purchase a gift for someone (or yourself - you’ve been good this year too!) consider gifting green. Gifting green means giving a practical everyday item that is made in a sustainable way or will replace a single use item (ie: a reusable straw, plastic free tooth brushes, reusable glass water bottle, clean beauty etc.). Did you know that 60% of Americans receive gifts that they don’t want? Why not show someone you care by gifting them something that is good for them and the environment! You can shop my gift guide here!

RE-PURPOSED WRAP: If you are like me most of your holiday shopping is done online, I just don’t have the time to visit the store. Unfortunately, online deliveries means lots of extra packaging paper. Consider re-using packing paper for holiday wrapping paper, this allows you to eliminate costly wrapping paper (protecting your wallet) and decrease environmental impact (protecting the earth)!

REFERENCES:

1. Anon. n.d. “Thermostats | Department of Energy.” Retrieved December 7, 2018 (https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/thermostats).

2. Anon. n.d. “Are Your Candles Toxic? | Green America.” Retrieved December 7, 2018 (https://www.greenamerica.org/toxiccandles).

3. Anon. n.d. “Tis the Season...To Take out the Trash? | NEEF.” Retrieved December 7, 2018 (https://www.neefusa.org/holiday-waste).

4. Anon. n.d. “Frequently Asked Questions: Holiday Waste Prevention | Land, Buildings & Real Estate.” Retrieved December 7, 2018 (https://lbre.stanford.edu/pssistanford-recycling/frequently-asked-questions/frequently-asked-questions-holiday-waste-prevention).

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