In the previous article I touched upon the problem of environmental friendliness of the new year celebration. 

The more I dive into this topic, the more opportunities I see for the greening of this holiday.

 Packaging-so whether you need it?
Many of us find it difficult to imagine a gift without festive packaging. But if you knew what kind of damage it does to the environment, you would try to give it up. "Between thanksgiving and New year's, Americans throw out nearly a million extra tons of garbage each week, including holiday wrappers and packaging for parcels and parcels, "says Robert Lillinfeld - co - author of"Use fewer things: environmental solutions for who we really are."

So, why not recycle your holiday gift wrap?
Lilenfeld, since 1996, publishes a newsletter on reducing waste, notes that if every family would use secondary only 60 centimeters ribbons, 61000 kilometers of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet. And then, not all gifts need wrapping. "Remember three of their favorite holiday memories," says Lilienfeld. "I bet they are all connected with the time spent with his family and friends, and not with the contemplation of the packaging from the gifts."
This advice can be tested in practice, making, for example, a gift in the form of a ticket for a hockey game or an evening dinner prepared with their own hands. You can minimize wrapping anything by giving the essence rather than the wrapper. People look at the wrapper as much as it takes time to unfold it.

Processing of trees
Recycling new trees after the holidays are over, we can significantly reduce the holiday garbage. Instead of taking place in a landfill, trees can be recycled. So for example do in the Nordic countries. There is not lost not one sliver. Christmas trees are processed in furniture factories, used for the production of cosmetics, or burned in small urban boiler houses, bringing home Thrifty Europeans warm and hot water.
Also, fir needles are a favorite delicacy of elephants, bison and other inhabitants of zoos. Spruce spruce branches perfect for keeping snow on the fields, and chopped fir branches it is possible to make briquettes or to use them in the form of agricultural fertilizer.
Utilization of the used fir-trees is made and in many cities of Russia.
You can also show a little ingenuity and make Christmas trees with their own hands from the branches, boards, drawing paper, cardboard and so on. You can also decorate them with eco-friendly toys made with your own hands, avoid plastic decorations.

Economical garlands and candles.
The newest energy-saving garlands made of LEDs are 90 percent more energy efficient. Initially, they began selling in 2001. They work on the same technology as computer chips to illuminate calculators and clocks. These are lights that use semiconductors and not incandescent bulbs.
According to a study by the us Department of energy, if everyone replaced their usual holiday garlands with led lights, it would be possible to save at least two billion kilowatt hours of electricity per month. This would be enough to fully provide electricity to 200,000 apartments or houses per year.
There are also additional bonuses: LEDs are almost not heated, and their service life is about 200 000 hours. Even if one led burns, the others will still work.
As for Christmas candles, it is better to use candles made of beeswax, rather than paraffin (made from oil distillation products with the addition of chemical dyes and flavors).

Products
As I have repeatedly written, the most environmentally friendly way to give preference to local industries, farms and businesses, as the delivery of products produced in the region of residence of consumers is associated with minimal damage to nature, they are cheaper and the quality of such goods is easier to control.
It is better to choose products with a minimum amount of packaging. Given that before the New Year people buy more products taking into account the upcoming long holidays, the ideal option may be large wholesale bases and shops where it is possible to purchase goods Packed in large packages and boxes.
So, let's summarize. So how to celebrate the new year without harming the planet?

Recommendations:
1) Make Christmas decor with your own hands, using environmentally friendly materials, and use it repeatedly.
2) Avoid cheap disposable decor items.
3) Give preference to led garlands (they are more energy efficient).
4) Don't take mass celebrations disposable flags, lanterns, balloons, as they bring litter the area.
5) Prudent approach to the purchase of products, do not buy extra products.
6) Follow the rules of storage of products, so that they do not have to throw away.
7) To abandon disposable tableware.
8) Give eco-gifts: reusable water bottle; eco-bag made with your own hands, decoration of eco-materials;
9) Do not throw away paper and cardboard packaging, and take it for recycling;
10) reason Not to throw gifts into the garbage, and take them into freemarket.
The basic principles of how to celebrate the New year or any other holiday:
- reduce the negative impact on the environment,
- consume wisely, that is, to abandon unnecessary and disposable things,
- recycle household waste.
If you follow these three principles during the holiday, your celebration can be as harmless to nature.
Happy New year and merry Christmas !

Sources: https://moseco.livejournal.com/195101.html, http://ecobeing.ru/articles/eco-green-new-year/