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How to Go Green in Your Portland Home this Holiday Season

by | Dec 6, 2012 | Living Urban

How to Go Green in Your Portland Home this Holiday Season

Start a new holiday tradition:  Give the environment a holiday gift this year by going green.  Here are six green traditions you can begin at your Portland home:

  1. Use LED lighting.  Save energy and protect the environment by using LED lights.  LED lighting is 90 to 95% more efficient than non-LED lights.
  2. Decorate organically.  Use seasonal fruits as decoration, which you can eat afterwards, or are at least biodegradable. Pomegranates and oranges are good choices. Use organic holiday decorations such as grapevine wreaths, eucalyptus, fresh pine and pine cones.
  3. Give environmental gifts.  Help others go green by giving environmentally focused gifts.   People who brown bag lunch would enjoy a reusable lunch bag, homeowners could use energy-saving compact fluorescent lights or a compost bin, commuters might like a reusable travel coffee mug, and  both women and men might appreciate a reusable razor.
  4. Wrap with cloth.  Fabric makes a beautiful presentation when used to wrap a gift.  The average bolt of cotton fabric is 42” to 45” wide, and many seasonal fabrics are very reasonably priced.  These decorative wraps can be used year after year.
  5. Recycle electronics.  Donate or recycle your old electronic components and dispose of batteries responsibly.
  6. Buy a living tree.  Buy a living tree that will grow in your area and can be kept in a pot outdoors until your ground thaws.  Then plant the tree in your yard.  It’s a gift that keeps on giving!

If implementing all six green traditions in your Portland home feels overwhelming, start with just one this year and add a new one each year.

I wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Holiday!