• Give experiences, not stuff: Give gift certificates for massages, facials, movies, dining, ice cream cones, classes, health club memberships, bus passes, concert tickets, or bed and breakfast weekends. 
• Give “salt-of-the-earth:” Give people what they really need and use. Soap, candles, wine, or coffee make practical gifts.
• Give of yourself: Give a personal service you can provide such as snow shoveling, lawn mowing, babysitting, cleaning, painting or running errands.
• Give a Gift That Keeps Giving: Make a donation in the name of a friend or family member to an organization that is doing good work in the world.
• Eco-Gifts: Give gifts that benefit the earth. These might include reusable tote bags, a bike, an energy or water saving device, a bird feeder, organic clothing/bedding/towels, or a compost bin. 

For More “Green” Retailers, Check Out:

• Harmony: 1-800-869-3446, www.gaiam.com
• Real Goods: 1-800-762-7325, www.realgoods.com
• National Green Pages (from Co-op America): 1-800-58-GREEN, www.coopamerica.org
• Green Marketplace: 1-888-59-EARTH
• North Wind Paper Products (for recycled giftwrap and cards): 1-800-968-9453
  

A Warning to Catalog Shoppers
If you typically use a catalog to buy gifts, ask the company not to rent, sell or trade your name to other mailing lists. One catalog order can get you on mailing lists for a lot of junk mail. Also avoid filling out company surveys and warranty cards. Many of these are used to market your name. 

Gift Wrap and Packaging
Instead of using traditional disposable paper gift wrap, try a reusable alternative: comics, posters, maps, blueprints, calendars, cloth gift bags, bandannas or a pre-wrapped “Hollywood Box” with a lid that can be reused. Reuse bows, ribbons and old wrapping paper too. 

Looking for the perfect box for the perfect gift? Wrap it in an orange! Natural Orange makes beautiful handcrafted gift boxes out of dried orange peels. The finished boxes are decorated in floral motifs, geometric patterns and other themes using a wood burner and/or paint. The orange peel boxes are durable and their scent can last more than four years. Visit their web site at www.naturalorange.com.

Washable fabric gift bags and tags can be reused over and over for years of gift giving. Giftbags by Beth offers a variety of fabric gift bags with matching washable gift tags for any gift. The bags have a two-drawstring closure and come in 3 standard sizes: Small 7” x 9”, Medium 10” x 12”, Large 17” x 23”, or they can be custom ordered to fit your needs. For more information on Giftbags by Beth, please check the web site at www.giftbags.bizland.com or e-mail giftbags@bizland.com

Instead of using Styrofoam to pack your gift, try popcorn (it can be composted or re-used as decorations) or glossy ads from newspapers (the ink doesn’t smear like newspaper). If you receive a package with Styrofoam “peanuts,” bring them to a mail service store for reuse.

Avoid Non-Recyclables Envelopes and Cards
Green and red holiday envelopes and party flyers cannot be recycled because of beater dyes in the paper that contain heavy metals. Use only pastel or white paper along with festive graphics with red and green ink. Holiday cards, except those made from or embossed with foil, are recyclable with junk mail and office paper. Even better, reuse cards as next year’s gift tags or place setting cards.

Buy Recycled
Many cards and envelopes have recycled content. Look for those with the highest post-consumer content. Business Express in Boulder, the Boulder Book Store, Hard Copy Recycling in Longmont, and health food stores such as Alfalfa’s and Wild Oats are good places to find holiday cards made with recycled paper.

For more good ideas on reducing waste over the holidays, visit the Center for a New American Dream website at www.newdream.org/holiday/. Download “Simplify the Holidays,” a 14 page brochure on practical tips for having a holiday with more joy and less stuff. A printed version is available for two dollars by ordering from the web site or calling toll-free 877- 68-DREAM.