Green Your Holiday Shopping: That's a Wrap

‘Tis the season for consumption. This week’s tips are about how to be generous while staying green.

Tip #3: Skip the wrapping aisle.

Fully half of the paper America uses goes toward wrapping and decorating consumer products. The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year could fill a football field 10 stories high. And if every family reused 2 feet of holiday ribbon, the amount of gift-related tinsel saved could wrap around the Earth (source: RecycleWorks). So steer clear of the wrapping aisle and opt instead for reusable, creative ways to package your gifts. As for cards, choose the recycled kind, make your own out of 2011 wall calendars (you won’t be needing ‘em much longer), or send e-greetings.

Tell us: How do you plan to cut down on holiday waste this year?