At SITES, greening up for the holiday has taken on an entirely new meaning. You may know that we're developing an exhibition--unlike any we've worked on before--that's entirely digital. Host venues download floor plans, designs, building tips, text and graphic panels, etc., and do the fabrication themselves. It's a perfectly green symbotic relationship. We do the planning in Washington, DC, and you do the legwork in your own community. Great thing is--there's nothing in between. What does that mean exactly? It means that there are no trucks, crates, FedExes, or shipments of any kind, reducing dramatically the exhibition's carbon footprint. It goes from our computers into your inbox--easy as that. Even better, we've requested that host venues use recycled or repurposed items to build the exhibit. Have an old panel from a blockbuster 1999 show about the planets? Great! Use the reverse side to display Green Revolution text and graphics. Voila.
Well, all of this green thinking can easily be applied to the holiday season. Here are a few tips for making your holiday a little more eco-friendly:
- If you're a live Christmas tree type, buy a potted or balled tree that can be planted after your festivities.
- Make your own tree ornaments. (True story, we have holiday Pez dispensers on our tree ;-)
- Buy less. Does your uncle really want that violet cardigan? Maybe, but if not, how about some home-baked goodies?
- Do away with gift wraps. If you think about it, you can wrap gifts in just about anything, or opt for gift bags instead--they're more likely to be used again by the recipient.
- Get creative with your decorations.
Check out the way this Virginia family repurposed their shiny CDs!
Now, that's the spirit!
--Heather Foster Shelton, SITES writer/editor/web content manager
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