State agency offers tips to help save money, protect the environment during the holidays

You can save money, protect the environment and reduce your stress this holiday season. Just try a few of the following helpful tips put together by North Carolina’s environmental agency:  

• Give gifts of consumable products and services, such as food and beverages.
• Give gifts of life experiences or gifts to non-profits in a person’s name.
• Shop with reusable bags. Collect and reuse gift bags, bows and wrapping paper.
• Use light strands with new light-emitting diode, or LED, lighting. LED lights save energy and last longer than traditional lightbulbs.
• Use timers on holiday lighting. This will save energy by keeping festive lights on only when they are needed.
• Give and use rechargeable batteries.
• Recycle the electronics and batteries that are replaced by new gifts through county or city recycling programs. You can find local program contacts at: http://www.p2pays.org/localgov/ncwaste.html.
• Make sure to collect and recycle all the bottles, cans and paper from holiday celebrations.
• Buy a live tree with roots so it can be planted after the holidays. You can decorate it in your yard each Christmas and provide a roosting or feeding area for birds and other wildlife throughout the year.
• Decorate with nature by bringing in pine boughs, acorns, flowers, pine cones and fruit from outside.
• Purchase cards made with high-recycled content or send e-cards instead of paper cards. You can also reuse old cards to make gift tags or for crafts.
• Estimate the amount of food you will consume for meals to avoid preparing too much. Send guests home with leftovers.
• Set up a backyard compost bin and compost food preparation scraps. You can learn more at: http://deq.nc.gov/conservation/recycling/composting.
• Recycle used cooking oils through your county or city recycling program. More information can be found at: http://deq.nc.gov/conservation/recycling/fats-oils-grease/used-cooking-oil.  
• Use reusable dishes and cloth napkins. Avoid using disposable cutlery and paper or Styrofoam plates.

For further information on creating a sustainable holiday celebration, contact the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s customer service hotline at 877-623-6748 or you may visit the N.C. Recycling Program’s website at: http://deq.nc.gov/conservation/recycling.