UT RECYCLES, UT CARES

Each year tons of waste is created during the holiday season.  Americans, on average, throw away 25% more waste than usual between Thanksgiving and late December.  Want to know how you can make a difference?  Read on!

• Plan your shopping in advance.  Making fewer trips not only saves gasoline, but also your own sanity!  Also, carefully planned trips allow for more careful purchasing.
• Instead of piling “stuff” under your tree, consider carefully what each person on your list really wants.   Gift certificates or even donations to charity in the person’s name are thoughtful gifts.
• Give gifts that encourage recycling—cookbooks for leftovers, books on reusing materials for crafts, or other ideas.
• Donate unwanted gifts and last year’s no-longer-used gifts to charity.
• Buy rechargeable batteries for the kid’s toys and games.
• Use your old clothes and jewelry to create a “Dress Up Box” for a present
• Instead of wrapping your gifts in yards of unnecessary paper, consider hiding your children’s gifts and give them clues to find them!
• Consider giving gifts that don’t require wrapping!
• When giving oversized gifts don’t wrap them—just stick a bow on top.
• Send email greetings to friends and family rather than store-bought paper cards.
• Be sure to update your holiday mailing list to prevent holiday bulk mail.
• Choose Christmas trees that can be made into mulch after use or even buy artificial!
• Look for durable and reusable items when buying gifts
• Try to buy gifts with an environmental message.
• When shopping bring your own tote bags to avoid wasting store-bags
• When trimming your tree, look for edible or compost items like popcorn and cranberries.

 Waste-free Gift Ideas
From Recyclenow.org

Tin can VOTIVE --Fill an empty soup can with water and then freeze it. Once the water has frozen, use
a nail and hammer to create a design in the can. Allow the ice to melt, pour the water out of the can, and place a candle inside.

Holiday CANDLE HOLDER-- Remove all labels from a small jar, such as a baby food jar. Using old holiday cards, cut pictures into sizes small enough to fit on the jar. Glue the pictures to the jar and put a rubber band around the jar until the glue dries. Paint glue over the entire outside of the jar, then sprinkle on salt to make it sparkle. Let dry and put a small candle inside.

Tin CANDY CONTAINERS -- Paint the outside of tuna or cat food cans with white paint. Punch two holes near the top edge on opposite sides and use lightweight wire to make a handle, converting the can into a basket. Decorate the outside with stamps or paint. Fill rectangles of colored cellophane with a few pieces of hard candy, tie the top closed and put it all inside the can.

Plastic BOTTLE BIRDFEEDER -- Remove labels from a two-liter plastic bottle and keep the cap on. In the bottom of the bottle, drill two small holes. Thread a piece of wire through the holes and make a loop to hang the birdfeeder, then use duct tape to seal the holes and keep out rain water. Near the neck of the bottle, drill holes on opposite sides of the bottle and slide an 8- to 9-inch dowel through the holes to make a perch. Make one-quarter inch slots 2 inches above the perch. Remove the cap, fill bottle with a mixture of sunflower seeds and other birdseed, replace the cap tightly and hang the feeder where birds can enjoy it.

Bottled ORANGE VINEGAR -- In a large saucepot, place 1 quart white vinegar, 1 cup of sugar and the peel from one medium orange; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Transfer vinegar to glass bottles or jars and cover tightly. This flavorful vinegar can be added to salsa or meat marinades to give it a tangy flavor, or use it as a vinaigrette with light-flavored olive oil.

Bottled OCEAN WAVES -- Start with a glass or plastic bottle with a tight screw cap. Baby food jars work especially well. Mix half vegetable oil and half water. Add food coloring and glitter to create your own holiday snow globe.