How green is that Christmas display you’re putting up in your yard?

Since former vice-president Al Gore said the planet was going straight to hell, “Green” has been all the buzz. Liberals have latched on to making their lives greener and have turned in their light bulbs for those compact fluorescent light bulbs.

But what about those same Christmas lights that you’ve been hauling out of the attic for years? Are you putting being green on hold for Christmas or are you looking for another way to make sure you don’t add to your carbon footprint by putting that blinking Rudolph on your roof?

Even the Christmas Lights and Decorations web site acknowledges that this holly, jolly time of the year is one of the least environmentally friendly times of the year.

Just think of the tons of waste created by Christmas gift wrap, cards, decorations and parties. The increased consumption at this time of year can cost a lot for the planet.

And not to mention the crappy gifts that your in-laws give you every year.

But the site offers tips on having a green Christmas—and just think, 100 years ago all people wanted was a white Christmas.

Reuse and Reduce

The easiest way to prevent added waste from entering the landfills at Christmas time is to keep it from reaching that point. You can do this easily by reusing and reducing when celebrating.

1. Don’t buy new decorations and wrapping supplies each year. If you look after your decorations they can last for years. You can also reuse gift wrap and Christmas cards in a variety of different ways.

2. Try to minimize your Christmas list too. Don’t buy for everyone, and don’t buy a lot for each person on your list. Take the holiday season as a chance to spend time together or help out your loved ones. They will appreciate your time more than your money.

3. You can also be environmentally friendly by reducing your energy use and lighting your Christmas decorations for shorter amounts of time or hand making your decorations and gifts. There are innumerable do-it-yourself projects for the Christmas holidays!

If you take the time to eliminate unnecessary waste you can help prevent the over 300,000 tons of waste produced by the Christmas season.

And those lights?

Alternate Power Choices

While you can save a lot by reusing and reducing at Christmas you can’t avoid creating waste completely. You can minimize the impact of your holiday consumption by changing the way you use power throughout the season.

Avoid traditional electric holiday decorations and go solar or find products that use less energy like LED Christmas lights. They are environmentally friend and you will save money.