Take Care of Texas this Holiday Season!

While the holiday season may be a time for family, food, and celebration, it is also a time when Texans generate a tremendous amount of waste. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, we produce approximately 25 percent more trash. Don't worry; the following is a list of trouble-free ways you can reduce your amount of waste and energy consumption:

• Give gifts that don't require much packaging (such as concert tickets or gift cards).
• Reuse or recycle wrapping paper and gift bags.
• Take reusable cloth bags for holiday shopping.
• Send recycled-content or electronic greeting cards.
• Turn down the heat before guests arrive to your holiday party.
• Compost leftover food scraps.
• Use cloth napkins and reusable dishes, glasses, and silverware.
• Recycle your live Christmas tree or buy a potted Christmas tree and plant it after the holidays.
• Donate or recycle your old computer if you get a new one as a gift. Learn how at TexasRecyclesComputers.org.
• Buy rechargeable batteries to accompany your electronic gifts.
• Use energy-efficient strings of light-emitting diode (LED) holiday lights.
• Look for Energy Star ratings for electronic gifts.
  

For more tips and environmentally friendly practices, visit TakeCareOfTexas.org. Make your number one resolution in 2012 to Take Care of Texas!