Tips on Having an Environmentally Friendly Christmas
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 @ 3:50 AM
Prince George, B.C. – Looking to have a “green” Christmas?
The Provincial Government has put together its version of the 12 Days of Christmas, and there is no mention of leaping lords or milk maids. Instead, this version offers tips on how to be more environmentally friendly over the holidays:
1. If you get a small appliance for the holidays, don’t forget to recycle the old one because as of Oct. 1, 2011, that’s now an option in B.C.
2. Take time over the holidays to send clothing, toys, footwear and furniture to a local thrift shop or food bank where it will be reused.
3. Donate beverage container-recycling refunds to the charity of a loved one’s choice.
4. Buy gifts with little or no excessive packaging and carry gifts home in reusable canvas bags. According to the Provincial Government, each year, Canadians generate 545,000 tonnes of waste from gift wrapping and shopping bags, and a good portion of that is generated at Christmas.
5. Wrap your gifts in recyclable wrapping paper and recycle all packaging and paper after Christmas – either reuse or put in your bin for collection.
6. Consider joining other family members or perhaps work with a community group to sponsor a BC Parks’ limited-edition bench as part of its 100 park benches for 100 years of provincial parks program – a lasting legacy for
Christmas.
7. If you burn firewood, make sure you burn properly. Burn only clean, dry wood and never burn green, wet, painted or treated wood – including plywood.
8. If a new car is on your list for Santa – consider a clean energy vehicle (CEV) – rebates are now available.
9. Now’s the time to trade in that tired old gas-guzzler for a transit pass, a new bike or even a new CEV and give a gift to the environment of fewer GHG emissions. New funding from the Province for the BC SCRAP-IT Program means you can part with your costly clunker in favour of greener and cleaner transportation.
10. Try leaving the car at home as much as possible and use public transit over the holidays – your gift to the environment.
11. Use LED lights on your tree and house to reduce your energy consumption and turn them off during the day.
12. Are you wondering what to do with your Christmas tree after holidays? Recycle it by taking it to a tree-chipping event.
Comments
Ya but a CEV will not haul my ATV, snowmobile, travel trailer, not kidding. No plugins at the Torpy dropoff.
Use public transit? You think I am nuts ??????????????
That will be the day.
12. Are you wondering what to do with your Christmas tree after holidays? Recycle it by taking it to a tree-chipping event.
I can hardly wait to see the bus drivers face when 25 people are waiting to get on the bus with their old used Christmas trees so they can take them to the recycling event!
My tax dollars are subsidizing other peoples purchases of electric vehicles. Those taxes alongside also subsidize our buses. Am I the only entity who doesn’t get a subsidy?
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