海角大神

Say the words 鈥渆cofriendly holiday,鈥� and many Americans picture sitting down to a Tofurky dinner and exchanging homemade presents wrapped in the pages of a Greenpeace calendar. Oh, and as for the tree? Forget it 鈥� maybe you can have a centerpiece made from a pine cone and a fallen branch.

But a more environmentally friendly holiday doesn鈥檛 have to feel as if the Grinch already stole Christmas, say environmental experts 鈥� although wrapping your gifts in pages from a calendar really isn鈥檛 a bad idea. Making a few adjustments can have a big impact on the amount of energy your family uses, they say, and help shrink those mountains of garbage that hit the curb every Dec. 26.

鈥淚 think it can look and feel and smell and sound just like every other Christmas, but in a way that has much less of an impact on the environment,鈥� says Jodi Helmer, author of 鈥淭he Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference,鈥� which is being published this month. 鈥淎nd it doesn鈥檛 have to be expensive.鈥�

First off, say Ms. Helmer and others, you don鈥檛 have to get rid of the tree. But Charlie Brown was right: Natural is better than artificial. 鈥淎lmost all are grown on tree farms 鈥� the stock is replenished every year,鈥� says Ms. Helmer. 鈥淎nd they can be recycled after the holidays and ground into mulch. It鈥檚 actually a very natural choice.鈥� If you already have an artificial tree, she hastens to add, it鈥檚 much greener to keep using it rather than throwing it out and buying new.

Doug Barlow, an artist in Asheville, N.C., has an artificial tree 鈥� but his wasn鈥檛 made in China. About 30 years ago, he and his wife made their own and donated the money they would have spent to The Empty Stocking Fund. 鈥淥nly, how do you make a Christmas tree?鈥� They ended up hanging long muslin strips from the ceiling and making a pyramid by attaching them to sandbags. The lights ran up the middle of each strip and homemade ornaments were hung on a long, crocheted piece that wound around the outside. The tree became a family tradition. As for what goes under it, the Barlows only get gifts for the children. (Mr. Barlow says his extended family viewed the change with 鈥渞elief,鈥� when he proposed it a decade or so ago.)

Wrapping paper is one area where Americans can really reduce waste. Helen Coronato, author of 鈥淓co-Friendly Families,鈥� calls the traditional wrapped package with bows 鈥渄isastrous.鈥� (Many types of paper can鈥檛 be recycled, and, in the heat of Christmas morning, most of it ends up in a garbage bag anyway, she says.)

Better alternatives include gift bags, which usually are saved and reused, tissue paper, newspaper, colorful pieces of fabric, or reusable canvas bags.

Barlow buys his holiday turkey from a local farmer. 鈥淲e鈥檝e gotten to be pretty hard core 鈥榣ocavores鈥� here in Asheville,鈥� says Barlow, an avid gardener. The rest of the feast will probably feature 鈥渁 lot of squash, sweet potatoes, beans, and greens.鈥�

The food is one place people can make a lot of changes without any complaints from the family. 鈥淕oing organic and local with your food 鈥� the kids don鈥檛 notice the difference,鈥� says Rachel Sarnoff, founder of , an online environmental magazine. 鈥淚t鈥檚 mashed potatoes and turkey. They don鈥檛 know that it鈥檚 organic potatoes and free-range/organic turkey.鈥�

You can also choose seasonal produce: A pumpkin pie is a better choice than, say, imported strawberries, says Ms. Coronato.

And what you serve your feast on also can have an impact, she says. 鈥淭he American family generates on average, according to the EPA, 4-1/2 pounds of garbage every day. It鈥檚 even worse at the holidays,鈥� says Coronato. In other words, load up the dishwasher and skip the paper plates. If you鈥檙e having a large party, she suggests borrowing an extra set or two of dishes from friends. (Helmer says if you really can鈥檛 face all those dishes, look for disposable plates made from sugarcane or corn that can be composted.)

When decking the halls, LED Christmas lights use 90 percent less energy than conventional lights. But if you鈥檙e all stocked up with conventional already, just put them on a timer. You鈥檒l use up to four times less energy, says Helmer.

Ms. Sarnoff and her family cut their tree from a sustainable farm every year, but she has altered her decorating in one respect: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 put lights on the outside of the house anymore,鈥� says the Los Angeles mother of three. 鈥淚 put out luminarias.... It鈥檚 so much more special than just flipping a switch. The kids love them.鈥�

Coronato says that hostess gifts are another area that could use a little greening. 鈥淲e spend a lot of frivolous money on those last-minutes gifts. We feel like it has to be a bouquet of flowers. At this time of year, they鈥檙e the most highly treated things in the supermarket,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like saying 鈥楬i, thanks for inviting me over. Here are some toxins.鈥� 鈥� Instead, she says, 鈥渒eep some small potted plants in the windowsill at home鈥� and grab one of those before heading out to a party. If you鈥檙e so inclined, she adds, you can 鈥渉ave the children decorate the terracotta pots.鈥�

A windowsill herb garden is another green gift for people who love to cook, says Urvashi Rangan, director of , an environmental website run by Consumers Union in Yonkers, N.Y. 鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 been sprayed with anything, or shipped anywhere.鈥� Or, if it鈥檚 in your budget, consider giving a share to a cooperative farm. Your recipient will get fresh local produce all year long.

As for the presents, Coronato and her husband 鈥渃ommitted to getting all the presents at garage sales鈥� for their preschooler and toddler. 鈥淲e bought them this fall when they had all the great garage sales. It breaks my heart that there鈥檚 so much plastic at the holiday season.鈥� She fully acknowledges that this is much easier with younger children. (And you want to be careful that the toys meet current safety standards.) Forty percent of all batteries (which can leach toxic metals into the ground if they end up in landfills) are bought at the holidays, so Helmer suggests including a pack or two of recyclable batteries in your holiday budget. You鈥檒l get the money back in the long run.

For older children, Coronato suggests reducing consumption by thinking about a family gift 鈥� such as a Nintendo Wii 鈥� that everyone can enjoy together. Or, if the family鈥檚 up for it, try a homemade Christmas. (For parents who aren鈥檛 crafty, she says gift certificates for a 鈥測es鈥� day or a special date with one child can be very memorable). Helmer recommends experiential gifts, such as 鈥渁 zoo membership or tickets to the theater鈥� 鈥� or gift cards, which are unlikely to end up in the trash. (This year, you might want to consider the health of the retailer before buying, though 鈥� bankrupt companies don鈥檛 have to honor gift cards.)

鈥淐onservation is the simplest way to be green 鈥� whether that鈥檚 using less wrapping paper, or putting the lights on the tree on a timer,鈥� says Ms. Rangan. 鈥淪aving energy, saving money is being green.