Problem Gifts

Green Holiday Action #30

A few things make me cringe when I open a package: foam packing peanuts and metallic plastic sheeting.

This year no foam peanuts exploded from a well-packed gift box. That was a blessing. No storing them, no trying to figure out how to use them without setting them free in the environment.

But this glittery problem was given to us by well-meaning friends. This is the metallic plastic sheeting or polyester film that I warned against in "Just Say 'No' to The Shiny." And in this case, it is already shredded into small bits.

If I "throw it away," it won't be gone. It will fly up into the air or cling to the side of the trash bin. It will find a way to escape from the trash truck. Next it will tumble down the street, wash down a gutter, make its way to the ocean and into the gullet of a bird or fish. It is bad news.

If I keep the shiny menace, how can I reuse it? If I pass it on to someone else, they will have the same problem I'm having. It's like passing on a virus.

If you have a good idea on what action can be taken to deal with this flashy shredded polyester film, let me know. The only thing I've come up with is using it in a few experiments to show how hazardous it really is.

Don't make this mistake. Don't curse your friends and family with a needless environmental burden.

Say "NO" to the Shiny

Holiday Green Action #9

When it comes to being attracted to the shiny and glittery, humans are no different than birds. But we aren't just attracted to them, we create them and some of the flashy holiday decorations and wrapping choices are bad news for the environment.

Metallic plastic sheeting or polyester film, familiar to most of us by the trademarked name Mylar, was originally developed for use in space. Thin, durable, lightweight and cheap to mass produce, polyester film can be seen during the holidays as wrapping paper, balloons, bows, garlands, even confetti.

Unfortunately, these bits of sparkle do not biodegrade. If you throw it away, it isn't gone. What may be an inexpensive purchase today, may be a costly clean-up for the future. Avoid the shiny this season and if you receive it, reuse it.

These plastic films last a lifetime. The bow in the picture came into our family several years ago. It will be used again this year, then go back in the box to reappear next year.

When you decorate for the holidays, you have a choice to be Green. Lead by example, here's an idea from a previous post Green Holiday Decorations.