A BIG thank you to Lisa from Retro Housewife Goes Green for being willing to guest post for me while I’m on maternity leave! All things green fascinate me and I have so much to learn. Lisa’s blog is a great place to start! Be sure to check it out and follow her on social media!
Christmas can often turn into a time of excess. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day household waste increases by more than 25%. And while a beautifully decorated home is fun and a wonderful part of the holiday season, it can add to the excess and waste.
However, having a more eco-friendly holiday and still having a beautifully decorated home is completely possible. There are some really great eco-friendly options out there. Also the greenest thing you can do is take care of the items you have and make them last as long as possible. And when buying new decor try to choose items that are more eco-friendly and will last.
There are some key things to consider when buying new decor, when you want to have an eco-friendly Christmas.
- Is the item durable? Even if it’s made from eco-friendly materials if it won’t last you are wasting money and resources.
- Where was it made? Buying locally made items helps reduce resources needed to ship the items. It’s also a great way to support your community and local artists.
- What was it made from? Choosing items made from recycled, renewable, and/or natural materials is the greener choice. Fair Trade certified options are also great because they use more sustainable materials and are more ethically produced.
- How much energy will it use? Lights and lighted decor can really do a number on your energy bill and the environment. LED lights use a lot less energy and are also safer because they don’t produce as much heat. And between now and November 15th you can take your old inefficient Christmas lights to Home Depot for recycling and get a coupon for new Energy Star LED Christmas lights!
There are some really beautiful eco-friendly Christmas decor items available this year.
Here are some wonderful examples
Fair Trade Felt Pom Pom Tree Skirt
Sustainable Wood Star Snowflake
Coir Vintage Christmas Bicycle Doormat
Eco-friendly holiday decor options are becoming more and more common so be on the lookout. Even big box stores are getting on board with eco-friendly holiday decor.
Share some of your favorite eco-friendly holiday decor ideas in the comments to help us find even more great options!
Together we can help reduce the waste created this holiday season!
Bio-
Lisa Sharp is a homemaker living in a small town in Oklahoma. She blogs about her passion for green living, homemaking and all things vintage at Retro Housewife Goes Green. She started baking at two years old with her grandma and continues to enjoy it, along with crocheting, spending time with her husband and dog, and searching for vintage treasures.
Julie is a frazzled mom of three tornadoes. As a dorky second-generation homeschooler, she writes about learning and play, natural living, special needs parenting and matters of the heart. She serves an astounding God that radically saved her.
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Deanna says
I’ve been using the same tree and most of the same decorations for well over 20 years. I just can’t bring myself to replace what still looks fine.