Conscious Choice: Have Yourself a Merry Little (Green) Christmas

December 2006 | Ask the Green Commish

Have Yourself a Merry Little (Green) Christmas

By Sadhu A. Johnston

Dear Commish: The holidays are coming-up shortly. Any thoughts on what to do to have a green holiday season in Chicago? — Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Dear Dreaming: Anyone concerned about his or her own impact on the planet notices that the holiday season has a great deal of material consumption and waste. The mountains of presents, the Christmas trees, the lights, and of course, the garbage, have a significant impact on the environment. Yet, don’t despair, there’s a great deal that each of us can do right here in Chicago to make a difference.

Here are the main things to think about for having a green holiday in Chicago:

Buy smart and minimize what you buy; save energy; and reduce and recycle your waste, including your trees.

Since so much of the holidays involve consuming things, I recommend homemade gifts; it can be a blast for the family to make soap and give as gifts. If you’re not feeling like making something, try supporting local artisans or local companies. My favorite place to find a lot of these folks in one place is at the Merchandise Mart One of a Kind Show and Sale (Dec. 8-10). Or, you can buy a nice environmental present, like rechargeable batteries and charger. Then, you can recycle your old ones at any Walgreen’s or Chicago Public Library. No matter what you decide to give, consider using the Sunday comics as wrapping paper or saving wrapping paper for next year’s gifts.

Don’t have the energy to hit the stores? Coop America has an online Green Gift Catalog that features special offers from businesses listed in the National Green Pages. Stay tuned for more information on Coop America and Green Festival, coming to Chicago for the first time in April, 2007!

Save Energy. There’s a spike in electricity consumption in December because of all the lights. By replacing the lights used in your holiday decorations with LED (Low Emitting Diodes), you can save energy and money. LED lights are more durable and there is no heat build up. Compared to normal light, LED sets are 80-90 percent more efficient and last significantly longer. Also, consider walking or taking public transit to do your shopping.

Reduce Waste. The holidays are a time when an enormous amount of waste is generated—wrapping paper, cards, glass bottles from parties, etc. The last week of December 2005 and the first week of January 2006 saw the tonnage of garbage picked up by the City’s Department of Streets and Sanitation increase from an average of 3,200 tons to 5,600 tons. That’s a lot of waste that can be reduced or recycled. I’d like to challenge every household in Chicago to separate their paper, plastics and glass and recycle them during this holiday season. We now have 15 recycling drop-off locations across the city for all those bottles. The locations are listed at: bluecartschicago.com.

This will be the 17th year that the City has offered a holiday tree-recycling program. Residents can once again bring their tree to one of 22 Chicago Park District locations, where the trees will be turned into mulch. Residents receive presents for taking part, such as mulch, a sapling, or other goodies.

While we’re celebrating, entertaining, and gifting our friends and family this holiday season, I suggest that we all take the time to become aware of our impact on the planet. Let’s use the end of 2006 as a starting point for improving our habits and having a positive impact! Maybe there will be more than a few folks whose New Year’s resolution will be to recycle. Remember: Recycling still starts with you!

Sadhu A. Johnston is commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Environment.

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