Green-Friendly Tips for Packing Away Decorations
Christmas is over and the presents are unwrapped. All that’s left to do to start the New Year is to take down that tree and pack away the decorations. If you’re trying to live an eco-conscious life, the thought of buying special containers or more packing materials to store your ornaments may go against the grain.
No worries! I’ve put together a quick list of green-friendly ways to pack and store your Christmas decorations.
- Save the Boxes! Not everyone thinks to save the original ornament packages. Taking the time to carefully open packages and save them is definitely green! By the way, when you buy new ornaments, look for ones with minimal packaging, too.
- Reuse Boxes from Other Sources. Wine boxes, in particular, are perfect for packing smaller round ornaments. The dividers keep them separated and protect them from breakage. If you don’t have boxes of your own, ask Trader Joe’s, a wine dealer or your local supermarket if they have boxes to spare.
- Go Green with Packaging. The paper in your shredder makes the perfect packing around delicate ornaments. You can also save your wrapping paper for the same purpose.
- Involve Others! Hoping to encourage others in your life to go green? Why not ask friends and family what packing materials they have to spare, and exchange until everyone has enough?
- Buy as Little as Possible. Anything you can do to keep from buying new materials helps. If you simply don’t have enough boxes to pack your decorations securely, buy sturdy containers that will last several years. Also, look for boxes and containers that use the least materials.
There’s no reason why over-packaging has to end the post-Christmas glow. Buying ornaments in packages you can use to repack them is the first step. Deciding to recycle other boxes, rather than buying more, and involving others in your green-friendly Christmas all help reduce the materials being produced or headed for the landfill.
Now, doesn’t that sound like a better way to wind up the holidays? I hope you’ll let me know what other green packing ideas you use this year when putting Christmas back in the box.
Filed under: holiday decorating
