It's the holiday season we have all been looking forward to and everyone is excited! It's that time of the year where we get to go shopping, eat amazing food (binging is not a problem), organize parties with family and friends, go on vacation and for many; let down your hair and breathe. This scenario is the perfect picture for humans.

For the environment on the other hand, it's that time to get pensive, discomforted, polluted and considered less; if at all. This imbalance is the conflict amidst the joys of the holiday. That is, balancing the glee of the holidays as experienced by humans with the
the gloom as felt by the environment and its constituents.

Don't be hard on yourself it's tradition, what has been before our grandparents were born and celebrated their first Christmas, its the trees, the lights, the food, the fun, the open air grills, the hymns, the treats and of course, the new items acquired as a result of Santa's benevolence. The good news is, just as we have met tradition shaped by those ahead of us, we can also create our own traditions to shape the future we want especially for our children so that we may have an indeed merry Christmas with the generations to come having laid a foundation of sustainable celebration for them.
The most heinous environmental crimes are perpetuated amidst celebrations (my opinion). Many get too carried away with the glitz and glam of the season that we forget the looming effect of our inordinate actions or adherence to traditions.

To ensure a blissful holiday for ourselves and the environment, we should do the following;
1. Prepare as much food as can be consumed (better not enough than wasted). You can get fruits to make up for the excess that would have been wasted but for your sustainable thinking.
2. The use of lights in this season can be tempting but it's fine to go easy on the lights. If you can't, shop for sustainable lights such as LED lights ...I believe this way every body is happy! I mean what is a Christmas tree without the lights?
3. Use less paper, be virtual...the truth is many of us do not need the receipts we collect from the stores, or the fliers we distribute or collect; this season, think paperless. Electronic replacements of paper forms are easier to keep and move around with.
4. Use less plastic. Resist the temptation to use straws, plastic cups, plates and whatever form of plastic that has enmeshed itself into the fabric of celebrations. In the alternative, use reusable alternatives to these products, water and drink dispensers instead of disposable plastic ones, reusable chinaware, NO STRAWS! Essentially, do away with plastic!
5. Easy on the use of water, use as much water as you need without wasting. Do not leave the tap running when not in use.
6. Dispose your waste sustainably. Divide your waste into bio-degradable and non-biodegradable wastes then dispose accordingly.
7. Tis the season to be oily! La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la! This season has the highest grease and oil requirements on the history of human existence...do not dispose grease indiscriminately...do not toss grease down the drain...let your grease solidify( in a refrigerator)while in a container and throw it out in that container...grease should NEVER be disposed by itself.
8. Use less private transportation systems and opt for public or eco-friendly means of transportation such as walking, cycling, car pooling and public transportation among others.
9. Be charitable, feed the hungry, clothe the needy and create shelter for the homeless. Volunteer for a good cause towards the advancement of a better and sustainable world.
10. Show love and shun hatred in all forms!

Happy Sustainable Holidays from all of us at The Nineteen Initiative.

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