From eating locally to decking the LED-lit halls, check out our green tips to having an ecofriendly holiday in New York!

TIP #1: Think Global, Eat Local

Support a Farmer: Try a holiday feast made with fresh, local meats and seasonal produce. New York has award-winning farms across the state growing produce, dairy and meats. Find the farmers market in your area and shop for the freshest, environmentally-friendly fare that hasn’t been packaged and infused with preservatives.  Or join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Try not to purchase more food than you need; about a third of the food bought during the holidays ends up in the trash. If you do have leftovers, reheat them: you’ll use less energy than you would cooking a new meal. And those holiday scraps are the perfect start for a compost bin.

TIP #2: Give a Gift That Actually Means Something

Experience It: Gift certificates, tickets to an event, or an offer to help a friend clean out a closet don’t require any wrapping, and they definitely won’t end up in the garbage.
 
The Great Outdoors: Buy someone a pass to a place that connects them to the outdoors. New York State Parks & Recreation offers an Empire Passport providing unlimited day use vehicle entry to most of New York's State parks and recreational facilities for just $59. Plan a local getaway with family or friends!

Make a Statement: From fair trade, bird-friendly coffee to organic flowers or local fruit, there’s something for everyone.  Make a statement with the choice and brand.

Gift of Nature: You can Adopt an Acre® to help save the rainforest in Costa Rica, Rescue the Reef® to protect coral reefs around the world and more!  Check out The Nature Conservancy’s gift guide to find meaningful gifts perfect for everyone on your list.

TIP #3: Cut Back on Car Trips

Take a Load Off: The additional traffic on the roads and in the air can be a nightmare not only for travelers, but for the climate as well.   Plan your holiday errands in advance to minimize your time behind the wheel and use public transportation whenever possible. Or, avoid the malls all together and shop online.

Offset: If you’re traveling, consider purchasing carbon offsets along with your ticket, helping to minimize the negative environmental effects of flying. The Nature Conservancy provides an online carbon calculator to calculate your impact.

TIP #4: To Tree or Not to Tree?

For Better or Worse: Many people wonder what’s better for the environment: real or artificial trees?  The truth is that both have their downsides:  artificial trees can be loaded with chemicals, shipped from China and, when thrown out, will “live” in landfills for many holidays to come.  Real trees can be grown with pesticides on tree farms before they were chopped down and driven a long distance to get to your community. 

Plant Your Tree: Though it’s hardly the same as chopping down the perfect pine, a potted or balled tree (be sure the roots are still attached) can be planted post-holiday, reducing your celebration’s carbon footprint.  Or make a tradition of decorating one that lives in your backyard!

Mulch It:  If fresh-cut is more your style, try to get it from a local tree farm.  Many cities offer tree-recycling programs, turning this winter’s Christmas tree into next spring’s garden-boosting mulch. The Christmas Tree Farm Network lists local New York tree farms.

Go Natural: Cinnamon sticks, pine cones, and the classic popcorn or cranberry garland are also eco-friendly. Get your kids to help decorate.  It’s more personal, cheaper and less wasteful than buying all those trimmings at the store.

TIP #5 Deck the Halls with LED

Glow For It: LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, rely on the same technology that illuminates calculators and watches to emit that holiday glow.  Though they cost a bit more than traditional holiday lights, LED lights last much longer and consume a fraction of the energy, which leads to greater savings for years to come. 

The U.S. Department of Energy reports that if all conventional incandescent Christmas lights in the country were replaced with LED lights this season, annual energy savings would total two billion kilowatt-hours — enough energy to power nearly 200,000 homes for an entire year.

TIP #6  Wrapping It Up

Ever wonder how many trees died for the mountains of wrapping paper left after the Christmas morning frenzy?  Wrapping paper costs you money and generates tons of extra trash. You can recycle the paper, or get even more creative.

Young “Artists”: All that artwork that your kids bring home can be put to excellent use during the holidays.  Use it to wrap presents, or use brown paper bags that your kids can help decorate.

Gift Tags:  Instead of buying gift tags, use last year’s holiday cards.  Cut them out in interesting shapes and sizes, and write your “to” and “from” on the flip side.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Steve S. Meyer (winter stream); Photo © Janet Haas (tufted titmouse).