HOLIDAY WASTE REDUCTION!

Did you know that Americans throw away 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year's holiday period than any other time of year? 
This amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about 1 million extra tons per week. Get the word out on ways to help trim the trash while trimming the tree. A few simple things you can do to reduce waste this holiday season:

1. Give gifts that are what friends and family really want or need.  Choose practical gifts you know they can use.
 
2. Gift certificates or a donation to a favorite charity make great gifts as well.

3. Homemade food or something you have made yourself from reused items are
always great ideas.
 
4. Instead of wrapping gifts for the kids, hide the presents, and turn it into a treasure hunt.

5. Send holiday e-greetings to family, friends and business associates who are on-line.

6. Wrap the gift in a gift: put cookies in a flower pot or hide jewelry in a new pair of gloves.  Or, use reusable gift bags instead of using disposable wrapping paper, or use baskets or interesting containers that can be purchased ay yard sales and thrift stores.

7. Encourage children to make homemade gifts of food or to create something they've made from salvaged items.

8. Instead of wrapping gifts for children, hide them, and make it a treasure hunt.

9. When you go shopping, take your own shopping bags.

10. Discuss these tips with the people on your gift list.  Decide together that you will reduce waste this holiday season.

For more information on reducing waste at the holidays, environmentally responsible gift-giving, and alternatives to the consumer holiday culture, please visit these following websites:

www.greengiftguide.com
www.newdream.org/holiday
http://adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

Also, check out Recycling for RI Education.  It is a non-profti organization based in Providence that collects unwanted and surplus supplies from businesses.  They resell the items for CHEAP!  (10 cents a pound!)  It is a creative mecca for anyone who arrives, inspiring ideas for new and exciting projects.  Art teachers frequent it for their classes and it is the perfect place to go for kids and adults alik, to gather the materials needed for holiday gifts.  What could be a better present than reusing items to create something new and special?

Please visit their website at www.rrie.org or call 781-1521 for hours and more information.