8 Ways To Make Your Home More Eco-friendly For The Holidays

6 minutes to read

The holidays are a great time to reflect on the year past and set goals for the coming one. What better way to start off the new year than by making your home more eco-friendly? Here are 8 easy ways that you can make your home more sustainable this holiday season!

Summary

1. Use LED Lights to Decorate Your Home
2. Put your Lights on a Timer
3. Shop Local for Holiday Feasts
4. Get Creative with Wrapping Gifts
5. Use Natural Cleaning Products
6. Donate or Re-gift Unwanted Items
7. Give Out Eco-Friendly Presents
8. Be Creative with the Outdoor Lights

Use LED Lights to Decorate your Home

While most people enjoy decorating their homes for the holidays, they may not be aware of the many benefits of using LED lights. LED lights use much less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, which means they can save money on your electricity bill. They also generate very little heat, so they are safer to use around children and pets. Plus, they are more durable and long-lasting than conventional bulbs, so you can reuse them year after year. And since they come in a variety of colors and styles, you can easily find LED lights to fit any holiday decoration scheme. So this holiday season, ditch the old-fashioned lights and go green (and red) with LEDs. Your wallet will thank you.

Put your Lights on a Timer

Holiday lights are a cheerful addition to any home, but they can also be a drain on resources. In the United States alone, households consume an estimated six billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year just from holiday lighting. This is the equivalent of the annual output of nearly 600 power plants. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the environmental impact of holiday lights without sacrificing holiday cheer or convenience. One relatively simple solution is to put holiday lights on a timer. By setting lights to turn off automatically after a certain number of hours, it's possible to significantly reduce energy consumption. Additionally, timers can help to prolong the life of light bulbs by preventing them from being left on for extended periods of time.

Shop Local for Holiday Feasts

The holiday season is a time for feasting, and that often means importing ingredients from all over the world. However, this comes at a cost to the environment, as long-distance transport has a large carbon footprint. Shopping locally for holiday meals is one way to make your home more eco-friendly. Not only will you be supporting local farmers and businesses, but you'll also be reducing your carbon footprint. Local produce is often fresher and more flavorful than imported ingredients, so you'll be able to enjoy a delicious meal while doing your part to protect the planet.

Get Creative when Wrapping Gifts

As the holidays approach, many of us start to think about gift-giving. But in addition to finding the perfect present, we also need to figure out how to package it. While store-bought wrapping paper is convenient, it can also be expensive and bad for the environment. Every year, Americans throw away millions of tons of wrapping paper, most of which ends up in a landfill. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to wrap gifts that are both eco-friendly and creative.

One option is to use recycled materials like newspapers or fabric scraps. This not only reduces waste but can also add a unique touch to your gifts. If you're looking for something a little more festive, you can make your own wrapping paper using stamps, paint, or candy wrappers. Not only will your gifts look great under the tree, but you'll also be doing your part to help the planet. So this holiday season, think outside the box and get creative with your gift wrapping!

Use Natural Cleaning Products

If you're getting ready to host a holiday party, you want to make sure your home is sparkling. But with all the extra cooking and entertaining, who has time to scrub the floors and polish the furniture? The good news is that there are plenty of natural cleaning products that can help you get the job done quickly and easily. From lemon juice to baking soda, there are lots of household ingredients that can be used to clean your home from top to bottom. Not only are natural cleaning products better for the environment, but they're also often more effective than traditional chemical-based cleaners. So when you're getting ready for your holiday party, reach for the lemons instead of the bleach - your guests will be glad you did!

Donate or Re-gift Unwanted Items

Christmas is a time for giving, but it's also a time for generating a lot of waste. According to a recent study, the average American household produces 25% more trash during the holidays than at any other time of year. A large portion of this waste comes in the form of unwanted Christmas gifts. Every year, millions of Americans receive gifts that they either don't want or can't use. As a result, these items often end up in landfills, where they'll sit for years without decomposing.

One way to reduce the amount of holiday waste is to donate or re-gift unwanted Christmas gifts. There are many charities that collect gently used items and distribute them to people in need. So if you receive a gift that you know you'll never use, consider donating it to a local charity. Or if you know someone who would appreciate the gift more than you do, consider re-gifting it to them. Not only will this help to reduce waste, but it will also make someone's holiday a little brighter.

Give Out Eco-Friendly Presents

Now that we know how much waste ends up in landfills due to the holidays, it may be time to consider an alternative to traditional presents. If you're looking for an eco-friendly gift idea, why not give a plant? Potted plants are a great way to add some natural beauty to your home, and they don't require any extra packaging or wrapping paper. And if you don't have a green thumb, there are plenty of other options such as gift certificates for local services (eco-friendly cleaning business or environmentally conscious irrigation company) or a donation to an environmental cause that many people would love receiving!

Reflect on the Main Point of Christmas

It is easy to get wrapped up in buying and consuming over the Christmas holiday, however, one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint during the season is to remember that Christmas is about more than gifts and material items. Taking the time to reflect on the main point of Christmas and celebrating with your family will help you focus less on consumption and more on the true meaning of the season. Take a moment to appreciate what makes this time of year special - from spending quality time together, to enjoying holiday meals, to playing traditional Christmas games - and remind yourself of why you love the holiday season.

Be Creative with the Outdoor Lights

Outdoor lights are a beautiful way to decorate any home for the holidays. This season, consider using eco-friendly ground lights to bring the holiday spirit into your yard. Ground lights provide a unique and eye-catching way to light up your outdoor space while also being better for the environment than traditional lighting fixtures.

Ground lights come in a variety of shapes and sizes, making them perfect for adding festive flair to your garden or patio area. The lower wattage used by these lights helps reduce energy consumption compared with conventional outdoor lighting options, which can be important when it comes to saving money on electricity bills during the holidays. Many of these eco-friendly outdoor lighting solutions are long lasting and require minimal maintenance, so you can enjoy their beauty without worrying about constantly replacing bulbs or cords.

By following these simple tips, you can make your home more eco-friendly and reduce your carbon footprint this holiday season. And who knows? You might even find that going green brings a whole new level of joy to Christmas!