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Conserving Paper |
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| A virtual forest goes into wrapping gifts and
sending cards each holiday season. For example, Americans send nearly 2 billion
holiday cards annually*. That adds up to a mountain of paper and
an enormous vat of chemical inks. Fortunately, there are many ways to share
good wishes and cheer with friends and family and to do your part for trees
and wildlife at the same time. |
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Choose cards printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based inks. Better still, recycle favorite greeting cards from past years as holiday postcards, or make your own cards with recycled or tree-free paper. Magazine pages can be turned into eye-catching envelopes. For recycled or alternative fiber cards, see http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages/results.cfm?category=PS.
- Most gift wrap
is not recyclable, and neither is ribbon. Wrap your presents in something
that is, such as the Sunday comics, road maps, or plain brown paper
decorated with stamps or sponge art.
- Place gifts in reusable bags or baskets, and don't wrap presents for
Fido.
- Children's artwork makes heartfelt cards and wrapping paper, especially
for relatives.
- Wrap one present inside another, such as a scarf or cloth napkins.
- Snip the front of old greetings cards into colorful gift tags.
- Drop off
extra packing material and Styrofoam peanuts at mailing centers
or moving companies for reuse.
- Save ribbons and gift wrap from one year to the next. If a large piece of wrapping paper is slightly damaged, at least part of it can be used to wrap a smaller gift.
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