HOLIDAY WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND A GREEN NEW YEAR.

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1 HOLIDAY ut of bed at the crack of dawn, my brother and I would eagerly creep our way towards the living room where Santa had left his mark, the stockings were stuffed full and the space beneath the tree was piled high with presents. We were always astounded by the sight. I ve gained some wisdom over the years and see the issues with all that consumption. Garbage isn t what I want for Christmas. This time of year, paper usage is at its highest. In Canada, the annual waste from wrapping paper and shopping bags equals about 545,000 tonnes. What s a person to do with all that waste? Santa s gifts were almost always unwrapped so no stopping the two overly excited kids from getting acquainted with the goodies. But, it was incredibly tough waiting until a decent time to wake the folks, so we could start ripping into all that shiny festive wrapping paper. The first step would be omitting the amount of gift wrapping waste as much as possible. But while you can control your actions, you can t always control those of others and you end up with a pile of non-recyclables. Besides the memorable gifts, the family time and the wonderful food, I fully remember the gift aftermath resulting in mountains of wrap, ribbon, bows, cards, gift tags and boxes. What could not be reused (boxes, bows, ribbon and the odd card) ended up in the trash and often filled two large garbage bags. There was definitely some major overconsumption going on during my late childhood and teen years. THERE ARE OPTIONS FOR ALL THOSE ITEMS THAT CAN T BE RECYCLED: When opening gifts, don t rip the paper so it can be reused down the road Save the gift tags and greeting cards for next year (these can easily be reinvented for reuse) or for crafts Save the ribbon and bows for reuse with gifts or crafts Recycle gift boxes that can t be used in the future Reuse all that non-recyclable packing material (i.e. Styrofoam & bubble wrap) when shipping parcels throughout the year Goods are everywhere and a part of the holiday festivities no matter what we believe. While it s easy to get swept up in the giving vibe there are much smarter, earth-friendly ways to go about giving, getting and disposing of all that non-recyclable stuff. Being aware of what goes into the recycling bin and what goes into the landfill is a great way to celebrate the planet. What are you doing to cut your waste this holiday season? WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND A GREEN NEW YEAR.

2 HOLIDAY gift The holidays are a time for giving, but did you know that up to 25% more waste is generated during this season than at any other time of the year? Here are some tips on how to give this holiday season and still keep the environment in mind: THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX Give tickets to a play, movie or sporting event Gift certificates for dinner, club membership or spa treatment are always popular Offer a service such as babysitting, breakfast in bed, or a piano lesson MAKE A GIFT Fresh baked cookies or bread Make a calendar or a handmade book from recycled paper Make Christmas ornaments from burnt-out light bulbs or other waste materials WRAP WITH REUSABLE MATERIALS Baskets, glass jars, cookie tins, reusable gift bags, tea towels Decorate an old shoe box Make the wrapping part of the gift Reuse wrapping paper, tissue paper, gift bags, etc. from last year MAKE GIFT WRAP, CARDS & GIFT TAGS Use comics, old maps or magazines Decorate newsprint, scrap paper or leftover tissue paper with rubber stamps, paint or potato-stamps Use old gift wrap and other materials to make tags, cards and envelopes Decorate old shoe boxes instead of buying new gift boxes Make gift bags from old material scraps Decorate with pine cones, dried berries or flowers collected outside PHONE OR HOLIDAY GREETINGS & WISHES Call or invitations to party guests instead of sending paper invitations Search the web for cards that can be sent by , or make your own using word processing software REDUCE MAILING WASTE Reuse cardboard boxes for mailing gifts Use air-popped popcorn and newspaper instead of Styrofoam packing chips Mailing gift certificates or tickets will save on packaging and postage GIVE GIFTS THAT PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY Backyard composter or worm composter Reusable food containers or lunch bags Donation to an environmental organization or charity Diaper service Bus Pass Clothing made from unbleached cotton or recycled pop bottles Reusable coffee mug/travel mug Recycled content stationery, paper products, office products, etc. Environmentally-friendly bath and beauty products

3 HOLIDAYS ARE DECORATE WITH REUSABLE OR COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS Buy a quality reusable Christmas tree Use decorations that will last a long time Decorate with potted plants that will bring enjoyment after the holidays Make decorations from edible, reusable or compostable materials ex. Garland using popcorn and berries Cut out fun shapes from cereal boxes to paint and hang on the tree AVOID DISPOSABLES WHEN ENTERTAINING Use reusable plates, cutlery, etc. when entertaining Use cloth napkins instead of paper If you must use disposable items, choose paper over plastic and remember to compost the paper products SHOP SMART When you go shopping, take your own reusable bags Avoid purchasing over-packaged goods Look for environmentally-friendly, recyclable or reusable products reduce your DECORATE WITH REUSABLE OR COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS Buy from locally owned stores Buy locally made products from farmers, artisans, and businesses that produce their goods in the region THINK TIME, NOT GEAR A massage for mom, an art or music class for the kids, a round of golf or ski passes, movie or dinner coupons, passes to local recreation centres for a skate or swim Gift certificates. Most local stores offer wish list or gift certificate options Gifts that give over and over such as re-useable water bottles that donate a portion of the proceeds to programs in developing countries Look at packaging before you buy. Ask retailers to minimize their packaging

4 things to Single-use items or gifts with a limited life span Poorly made gifts Non-recyclable and non-reusable items Trendy gifts that could lose interest in a short time Gifts that cannot be repaired easily if damaged what you can t Ribbon (try raffia) Tape (try using string) Most wrapping paper (try newsprint, cartoon pages, even cloth) Gift tags (try old Christmas cards, old paper with stamps) Most plastic packaging (avoid plastic packaged gifts if you can) Styrofoam packing peanuts (try crumpled newspapers) Tinsel (try popcorn on thread) Gift bows (try yarn pompoms) DECEMBER IS THE YEARS BIGGEST WASTE MONTH! In Canada the annual waste from gift-wrap and shopping bags equals about 545,000 tonnes. If every family in Canada reduced its weekly waste during the holidays by just one kilogram, 34,000 tonnes of garbage would be eliminated. If everyone in Canada wrapped just three gifts in reused paper or gift bags, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 hockey rinks.

5 after the Natural Christmas trees can be dropped off at TNRD transfer stations and landfills until January 31 st, 2012 They must be free of plastic, tinsel, ornaments, metal rings, nails, stands and plastic tree-bags Strings of Christmas lights can be dropped off at TNRD transfer stations and landfills until January 31 st, 2012 Compost or mulch your greenery (boughs, tree etc.) Wreaths with metal wire frame or plastic cord go in with your refuse Paper gift wrap free of ribbons, bows and ornaments should be placed in with your household recycling Non-paper gift wrap and foil wrap cannot be recycled and they should be placed in your garbage Corrugated cardboard can be recycled with your household recyclables Boxboard (shoe and cereal type boxes) can be recycled with your household recyclables or shredded and used in your compost mix Save gift wrap, bows, ribbons, and cards etc. for use next year Give old toys and clothing to a charitable organization instead of throwing them away winter LET WORMS EAT YOUR GARBAGE THIS WINTER! Learn how to start and care for your own worm composter. They re perfect for kitchen waste and can be used in homes or apartments where there isn t space for a composter outside or where bears or wildlife are a concern. WORM FACTORY BENEFITS! Compact, only 16 x 16 x 20 high Reduces the amount of waste in your garbage Odorless* Easy to manage Can be used all year round Saves time and money by lessening your trips to your local Transfer Station Just get ten of your friends together and we ll provide a workshop at your home with Mel Anderson, owner of All Things Organic, a backyard composting and worm composting professional. *a healthy system should be odorless, can get smelly if mismanaged. To register call the TNRD at or us at recyclenow@tnrd.bc