Green tips for the season of giving

Joy, peace and jolly to you! Here at Oregon Environmental Council, we believe in the power and health benefits of celebration. We also believe the “season of giving” includes giving people the tools they need to act on their environmental values.

In that spirit, we offer these green living tips for the holiday season:

It’s a frustrating reality that children’s products still contain toxic chemicals (read more about how we’re working on this)!

There are a number of resources that identify kid’s toys that avoid plastics, adhesives, and other components likely to contain toxics. Here are a couple of resources:

Huffington Post

Gentle Nursery 

Smart mommy healthy baby

Our best advice for avoiding toxics in your holiday gifts: presents that bring joy without materials. Consider a coupon book to redeem for experiences, such as tickets to a movie, or a trip to the zoo, or get-out-of-chores-free card. Think about gifting someone you love with a parks pass to Oregon state parks or federal parks.

How do you advise friends and family that you want to be green—but not in a Grinch way? Get them on board to give a non-material gift that they will enjoy fulfilling. Ask them to share a special story, song or experience as their gift to you. Or how about a donation to your favorite environmental nonprofit?

Worried about waste?Holiday Waste See our tips on reducing the packaging waste that comes with holiday gift-giving. One tip: avoid wrapping paper made with foil, glitter or plastic.

Trying to avoid colds and flu? See tips for keeping lungs healthy and controlling germs without harsh cleaning supplies: One tip: when allergies are triggered by indoor air pollution, it can leave you vulnerable to colds and flu. See air tips, too!

Relaxing indoors?  See our tips for keeping indoor air healthy in the winter season. One tip: Wood burning can be a big culprit of air problems that harm health.

And our greatest green living tip of all? Reducing stress has proven health benefits, and so does time in outdoor green space. Our holiday wish for you is time to enjoy the air, water and landscape that is so special in Oregon!

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