Have yourself an earth-friendly Christmas

Christmas is undoubtedly the merriest  and longest  season of all. And it’s also the most wasteful season of all!

Well, here’s news that Mother Earth will be delighted to hear: Recently, President Noynoy Aquino issued Memorandum Circular 25 urging the government and the citizenry to support the commemoration of “Climate Change Consciousness Week,” November 19-25.

 And to support P-Noy’s climate call, a pollution watchdog invited the public to observe Christmas, a lamentably most wasteful feast, in a way that will not add to the mounting garbage and climate woes.EcoWaste Coalition has come up with what it calls “Climate-OK Christmas Guide” for everyone so we’ll have a green  and not a blue  Christmas.

The guide lists 20 down-to-earth ideas that individuals, households, schools, churches, government agencies, workplaces, and shopping malls can easily put into action to cut down on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other toxic releases from wasteful activities.

“Consider it a pilot list,” Roy Alvarez, EcoWaste Coalition president, notes.  “We urge our fellow Filipinos to think of more eco-friendly ideas if only to give Mother Earth a little break from the massive consumption spree.”

 You and I know that the extended Christmas extravaganza in the Philippines (which started last October and ends in January) eats up humongous amounts of raw materials and fossil fuels, and produces huge quantities of waste that end up being dumped or burned, generating pollutants that trap heat in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and fluorinated gases, says EcoWaste. The flurry of Christmas parties, shopping, and gift-giving yields tons of discarded plastic bags, packaging materials, disposable party supplies, kitchen scraps, and food leftovers, the group observes.

 To avoid “holitrash” or at least reduce it, here’s the Climate-OK Christmas Guide:

Christmas decorations

 • Reuse decorations from past celebrations.

• Make garlands made from recycled materials such as old cards, gift wraps, and ribbons.

• Recreate the Belen (Nativity scene) using recycled materials.

• Create a Christmas tree using potted plants or trees, twigs or broomsticks.

• If buying new items, look for those that are locally made, non-toxic, reusable, and require no electricity.

Christmas lights

 • Choose safe, energy-efficient and long-lasting Christmas lights with genuine Import Commodity Clearance (ICC).

 • Use your Christmas lights sparingly, light them up only as Christmas nears and only when needed. Turn them off during daylight hours and turn them off whenever you are away or asleep.

• Refrain from over-the-top use of Christmas lights: Conserve electricity.

Christmas parties

 • Go for austere Christmas get-togethers.  Money saved from lavish parties can be shared with families and communities in need. 

• Say no to disposable party supplies such as plastic plates, cups, and cutlery. Go for items that can be cleaned and reused.

• Adopt a no left-over policy to prevent wasting food.

• Implement a system for ecological party waste management to make reusing, recycling, and  composting easy.  Consider sharing clean food leftovers with the poor. 

Christmas shopping

 • Organize Christmas shopping wisely to avoid impulsive purchases and overspending and also to cut fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Walk, cycle or take the jeepney, bus or train whenever possible.

• Break the plastic bags habit. Bring with you a reusable carry bag, chic basket or your good old reliable bayong when you shop.

• Avoid items wrapped in excessive packaging and go for healthy and eco-friendly products. 

Christmas gifts

• Give non-material presents such as giving your loved ones the more precious gift of time and company.

• Give unused gifts, old clothes, and books to charity.

• Give locally-produced products or delicacies from your province such as fruits, vegetables, plants, sweets, condiments, decorative and functional crafts, etc.

• Give eco-friendly products that support sustainable lifestyle (for example, reusable non-polycarbonate water jug, solar-powered flashlight, non-toxic personal and household care products, organic and GMO-free foodstuff, etc.).

• Choose gifts that do not need to be wrapped such as potted plants, massage from blind masseurs, gift checks,  concert or game passes, raffle tickets, etc.

• If wrapping is needed, use old magazines or the comics page of newspapers, old bandannas, etc.

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