yet the season when most people stop to think about it is coming upon us. With the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas here, come the thoughts of boughs of holly and cedar, bright red berries and dried flowers. Since the early 90′s, it’s become a given that if you purchase a live wreath and/or tree, you will strip it and leave it for the recyclers the days following Christmas or stack it up for the fireplace or compost bin.

There are many other opportunities available for being environmentally aware during this season as well. Ornaments made of recyclable materials such as string popcorn garland instead of metallic plastics, dried fruits, carved woods, papier mache’ contstructions can bring old fashioned sentiments to your holiday joys. It doesn’t have to be recycled at the end of the season either. I have popcorn garland that my little brother strung 15 years ago one winter with me, Dough and wood ornaments that I made in kindergarten and carved wooden ornaments from Germany. There’s also blown glass, crocheted cotton angels, feathered ornaments – all of which have special memories for me.

One of the things to consider, if you don’t want to go to a great deal expense lighting your decorations season after season, try LED string Christmas lights. Though the initial cost is more than a standard set of lights, they use less energy, up to 75-80% less and will last a great deal longer than the cheap strands that you have to purchase over and over again each year. I have used LED lights in the past for decorations that I don’t want to rewire each year because a bulb burned out. Like the tomatoe caged snowpeople and train layouts. My son wants a outer space theme in his room and I will probably use a combination of fibre optics and LED lights for the subtle illuminations.

This year, if we all begin to be more aware and concsious of the bigger picture, we will not only have a warm sentimental feeling this holiday season, but a greener and brighter future – free from toxic chemicals and lead based products polluting our landfills and waterways.