Red and Green Friendly: Simple Ways to Reduce Your Holiday Waste Wednesday, December 21, 2011 By Courtney Burton - Yahoo Advertising The holiday season is one for giving and receiving, but more frequently than not, it leaves us with a lot of leftover stuff. Have you ever found yourself throwing away a pile of wrapping paper or bows that you know can be used for something else? Are the crappy gifts your great aunts and acquaintances gave you piling up? Well, I can tell you how all of your holiday season woes can  be solved without tossing them in the garbage. Lots of torn wrapping paper? For some reason, a lot of people think that wrapping paper can’t be recycled and as a result, some two tons of wrapping paper are put into landfills across the country each holiday season. A simple and obvious solution is to just recycle the paper, but to prevent having lots of excess paper, why not get creative? You can substitute traditional wrapping paper with old newspapers, magazines, maps, or empty cereal boxes. Its a great way to add a personal touch to your gift and help the environment! Don’t want to use any paper at all? Making donations in some one's name is a great way to eliminate waste and give back to the community. The organization or charity you chose will send you a framed certificate of recognition that you can just tie a bow around and present to your loved one! This is also a good gift for the person who has everything, someone you don’t know that well, or someone who’s too hard to shop for. Humanitarianism is not only a nice gift, its green friendly and helps those in need. Too many gifts you know you won't use? Have a re-gifting party! Everyone has at least one gift hiding in the recesses of his or her closet, so instead of putting it in the trash, let one of your friends see if they want it. Invite your friends over and set the unwanted items on a table and let the exchanging begin! This gives you an excuse to have a post-holiday party, and you don’t have to spend any money on your gift!

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