Press Release
CLEAN AIR PARTNERSHIP ENCOURAGES AREA RESIDENTS TO MAKE IT A ‘GREENER’ HOLIDAY SEASON
Organization offers tips designed to help area residents minimize their impact on the environment as they celebrate the holidays
ST. LOUIS, MO. NOV. 26, 2008... With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season now getting underway, area residents are turning their attention to all the food, fun, festive décor, family togetherness and gift-giving that goes along with it. And as they do, the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership (The Partnership) is encouraging them to make it a ‘green’ holiday this year by taking steps to minimize their environmental impact while they spread the holiday cheer.
“While the holidays are a wonderful time of giving and celebration, it’s important to be mindful of the additional waste that is produced during the holiday season,” said Susannah Fuchs, Senior Director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association of the Central States. “From gift wrap and packaging to holiday decorations and paper and plastic dish and flatware, many people don’t realize just how much waste is generated. Luckily, there are a number of simple steps we can all take to cut back on the waste we create, lessen our environmental impact and, in turn, help improve the region’s air quality as we celebrate the season.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each year between Thanksgiving and the New Year, Americans create more trash than any other time of the year. But, reducing it is easy. Instead of wrapping gifts, residents can consider using reusable bags or baskets. Or, if gift wrap is needed, using a type of paper that is recyclable, such as plain brown paper, children’s artwork or even old road maps, calendars or the colored comic pages from the newspaper can serve as more environmentally-friendly options. It’s also possible to cut back on ribbon usage by using paint or markers to decorate packages. Recyclable natural fiber raffia can also be a good alternative for ribbon.
When decorating their homes for the holidays, The Partnership suggests that individuals purchase a live holiday tree that’s native to the region where they live and replant it after the holidays. Those who can’t replant their live trees are encouraged to recycle their trees after the holidays. Residents can also lessen their environmental impact by decorating their trees and homes with natural, biodegradable items such as cranberries, popcorn, dried flowers and live greenery. Using energy-efficient LED lights instead of traditional holiday bulbs can also be a more environmentally-friendly means of illuminating the tree and home.
While planning their holiday parties, individuals are encouraged to cut back on waste by utilizing reusable glassware, flatware and dishware rather than plastic, paper or Styrofoam items, and using cloth tablecloths and napkins. If paper products are needed, The Partnership suggests purchasing products with recycled content. Providing containers for recycling aluminum and glass beverage bottles and cans, serving organic and/or locally-grown foods and preparing only as much as needed can also help to reduce waste at holiday gatherings.
In terms of gift-giving, there are also a number of environmentally-friendly ideas to keep in mind. For example, choosing to give experiences, rather than things can be a good option. This can include tickets to a play, concert or sporting event; music or cooking lessons; restaurant gift certificates or even a gift certificate good for a lunch date. These types of gifts are more personal and don’t come with wasteful packaging that’s harmful to the environment. Other ideas include giving a donation in a loved one’s name to a local non-profit organization; choosing gifts with environmental messages, such as canvas tote bags, refillable thermos bottles, coffee cups or other items made with recycled materials; or preparing home-baked treats or other homemade food items and providing them as gifts to loved ones.
“Because less waste in our landfills adds up to less pollution and emissions in our air, the simple changes in the choices we make can have a very significant impact on our environment and in the quality of the air we breathe,” added Fuchs. “That’s why it’s so important for each of us to choose to make it a ‘greener’ holiday this year, and we hope that residents continue making these ‘green’ choices as we head into 2009 and beyond.”
For more information on how you can green your holiday season, or for additional tips designed to help you go green and do your share for cleaner air throughout the rest of the year, contact The Partnership at (314) 645-5505, ext. 1007, or visit www.cleanair-stlouis.com.
The St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership was formed in 1995, led by the American Lung Association of the Central States, the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, East-West Gateway Council of Governments, Washington University and others, to increase awareness of regional air quality issues and to encourage activities to reduce air pollution emissions.
