Pine All-Purpose Cleaner
A great way to use extra trimmings from your Christmas tree is to throw them in a jar with vinegar to create an all-purpose cleaner that smells like the holidays! Not only will it make your home smell like straight up Christmas, it will also keep you from having to buy another bottle of cleaner from the store. White vinegar (aka acetic acid) is a great disinfectant and cleaner on most surfaces. Here’s how you make it!
Fill a jar with leftover pine twigs + needles
Pour white vinegar over the pine twigs to fill the jar
Let is sit out of sunlight for 2-3 weeks
Strain out the pine twigs + needles
Fill a spray bottle halfway with the vinegar
Fill the rest of the bottle with water
Use it to clean your home (just avoid real hardwood floors, granite and marble).
Do you have any other ways you use discarded holiday decor? Twigs make a great addition to a holiday tablescape as well!
Environmentally Friendly Christmas Tree
Getting into the holiday spirit and doing a bit of research: What are the most sustainable options for Christmas trees? I’ll share what I found.
First off, if you’re looking to purchase a tree this year, buying a real tree is much better for the environment than a plastic one (unless you already have a plastic tree at home you can use).
Benefits of purchasing a real tree > a plastic one:
One acre of fir trees can consume 12,000lbs of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Buying from a local farm helps support the economy (and small business owners, yay)!
Christmas trees are grown like a crop, not usually in a forest setting. For every tree cut down, 1-5 are planted in its place. This is great for capturing CO2!
Real Christmas trees can be composted.
If you already have a plastic tree, you’re better off using that than switching over to a real tree. If you can’t buy a real tree for any reason (ex. allergies), try to find a plastic one secondhand. Take care of it and use it for as long as you can.
According to the Carbon Trust, you need to reuse an artificial tree for at least 10 years to keep its environmental impact lower than that of one real tree being grown and transported.
Another great option is to buy a potted Christmas tree. This way, you can use it for years to come… or plant it in your yard! In California, there’s a company called Living Christmas Tree that will allow you to rent a living tree for the season!
Finally, you avoid purchasing a Christmas tree all together. There are a lot of ways to get creative, while still making your home feel festive for the holidays.
Use a rosemary bush as a miniature Christmas tree this year. It’ll give you the endless gift of fresh rosemary and will smell great.
Craft up something with items around the house. Use spare wood, paper, cardboard, etc… and create something to showcase in your house.
Use a plant you already have on hand. A Christmas cactus is never a bad idea.
Do you have other sustainable plans for the holidays? I’d love to hear from you. Happy Holidays!
A Sustainable Thanksgiving
I wanted to share some thoughts on going into Thanksgiving (and the holidays in general) with more of a sustainable mindset. According to the EPA, waste increases by 25% from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. That’s a lot of excess waste! There are a lot of simple changes that can be made that won’t ruin your holiday traditions.
Shop locally at your farmers market or local produce market. Food grown locally uses fewer greenhouse gases to get to you, and are usually grown on smaller farms using more sustainable practices. If you can, consolidate your shopping into one trip to minimize the extra miles and save gas.
Buying locally also helps to keep jobs and money in your community’s economy. Plus, local food tends to be fresher and tastier. And don’t forget your reusable bags! My favorite tote is the standard Baggu because it folds up and can fit inside my purse. I also love these bulk bags from The Sunshine Series!
Ditch the disposables. If you’re hosting and you don’t have enough dinnerware + don’t have a budget to get a matching set of ceramic dishes, head to your local goodwill or other thrift store to see what they have. It’s fun to mix and match vintage dishes too!
If you are interested in purchasing a set of matching ceramics, I highly recommend BX ceramics who will make everything to order or a brand like Heath Ceramics, that has a fantastic zero waste program.
If you don’t have room for more items in your house, ask if any of your guests have a set you can borrow.
Save your raw veggie scraps. If you freeze raw veggie scraps, you can make your own veggie stock to use later on. I throw the veggie scraps and water into a pot with some garlic and bay leaves — it’s saves me from having to buy it from the market! If you don’t have room to save them, compost them.
Ask about food allergies/preferences. To keep food waste to a minimum, make sure you know what your guests can eat/want to eat. If 7/8 people don’t like a certain dish, maybe don’t make a huge portion of it.
We had dairy, gluten and nut allergies at our friendsgiving this year (and a lot of vegetarians), so we planned ahead with our dishes to make sure everyone could take part in the feast!
Traveling to visit family or friends for the holidays? Purchase carbon offsets if you can afford it. I use Terrapass, but there are others out there as well. It’s a lot cheaper than you’d think! I spent under $20 to offset my roundtrip to Fort Worth from Burbank last month.
Bring your own containers for leftovers (just in case)! I don’t think I’ve ever been to a Thanksgiving gathering and not been sent home with a plastic Tupperware full of leftovers. This year, I’ll be bringing my stainless steal or glass reusable containers to bring home the goods.
If you’re going out of town, unplug unnecessary electronics to lower your footprint. If you plan to leave the lights on for safety reasons, get a timer so they’re not on 24/7 (and use L.E.D. lightbulbs)!
I’d love to hear if you have any other tips on sustainability for the holidays this year!