by B. Taylor

Created on: December 28, 2008   Last Updated: February 16, 2009

In the midst of holiday abundance, it is hard to remember the the three "Rs": Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. In the aftermath of gift exchanges, food and libations, and well-deserved excess after a long year, there are ways to honor these three important behaviors.

While cleaning up after the big party, don't throw everything into one big trash bin. Separate as you clean up, exactly as you do after smaller parties. We all know colored glass goes in one box, the clear glass in another, and the plastics need to be sorted by number. There is much more to deal with at holiday time, however.

People send and receive many packages by mail this time of year. Break down and recycle the mailing boxes. Better yet, if they are in good condition, keep them! You will think of many uses over the next few months. People need boxes when they move; somebody you know may move this year. It may sound trite, but selling items on Ebay is a popular side venture. Ebay sellers need good mailing boxes. Ask your friends and acquaintances if they need boxes, and save yourself a trip to recycling.

Thankfully, some shippers have ceased using Styrofoam peanuts as packing material. When they do enter your home, save them. Reuse them as packing material next time you need to mail any item. (Remember that friend who has a little Ebay business on the side? He or she will take the packing peanuts.)

Believe it or not, wrapping paper and bows can be saved. Stick-on bows almost always remain intact, and can simply be affixed on another gift for any occasion with a small piece of tape. Wrapping paper from a large gift is usually intact enough to cover another small gift. Of course, nobody wants to save paper that is crumpled or ripped up, but it is helpful when people think ahead of time, and use recyclable wrapping paper to begin with.

Fancy gift bags are easy to use numerous times, because they do not get ripped or damaged when the gift recipient opens them. A strong gift bag can become a favorite reusable shopping bag to take the place of the environmentally devastating, plastic grocery store bags.

Then there is the abundance of Holiday cards. Some cards are sentimental, and will remain keepsakes for many years to come. But those that come down with the Holiday decorations don't have to go strait to the wastepaper basket or recycling tub. With a pair of scissors, snip off the part of the card that was written on. The other part, the colorful picture, can be given to your local preschool for children's art projects - the teachers will be thrilled to have free pictures for the little ones to cut and paste.

The biggest job after the holidays is taking down the tree. This is a relatively easy problem to solve if you own a wood-burning stove or have a fireplace that gets frequent use. If you don't, maybe you know somebody who does... or maybe you know somebody who knows somebody who does... Remember, it never hurts to ask!

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