Ahhh the holidays. Family, food, gifts and parties. There is no doubt that the holidays are packed with much more consumption than usual. I wanted to offer some solutions to lessen your impact on our mother Earth this season.

1. Buy Fair Trade.

By giving gifts that are ceritfied fair trade, your not only giving a gift to a friend or family member, but your helping over seas workers get paid fairly for their hard work; which is a great gift in its self.

2. Wrap Gifts With Leftover Wrapping Paper,Fabric or Reuse Gift Bags.

My favorite option is using fabric. Use old clothes with nice patterns (cut it though so it doesn’t just look like an old shirt!) This can be really fun and creative; and better still, you can keep the fabric to use for the following years.

3. When You Buy, Buy Responsibly.

Try buying sustainable clothing items made out of organic fabrics. Certified organic fabrics are guaranteed to be pesticide free; this better not just for the environment, but for the person who will be wearing the garment. Also look for these key sustainable fabrics: Bamboo, Organic Cotton, Hemp, and Nettles.

4. Give an Earth Saving Gift.

Why not give a gift that will keep on giving? Try putting together a “green” starter kit for those who want to take responsibility for their consumption but aren’t sure where to start. Try these following items.: compact florescent light bulbs, rechargeable batteries, cotton shopping totes to help eliminate paper/plastic bag waste, recycled paper goods, solar powered chargers, and maybe an easy to follow book/guide to help further their eco journey.

5. Choose Sustainable Food Items

Try doing your holiday grocery shopping at a local farmer’s market or Co-op. This will support local farmers in your area and eliminate the need for food to travel long distances, which will reduce it’s carbon footprint. Also, buy organic and support healthy and responsible consumption. If you choose to eat eggs, dairy and cheese, opt for free range options so you can be assured in fair treatment of the farm animals involved.

Click here for some eco travel tips brought to you by WeEarth.com

Click here for some creative sustainable holiday gift ideas from the WeEarth Marketplace

Cheers to the Earth and the holiday season! I hope everyone has a safe, fun and Earth friendly holiday and new year!