Here’s what Cameron Walker of National Geographic News has to say about the holidays: “Yes, the holidays draw out the best in most of us each year. But they also bring what seems like an environmentalist’s worst nightmare: tons of extra garbage, millions of chopped-down trees, and megawatts of flashing lights. With a little tweaking, however, everything from holiday gift-giving to light-stringing can celebrate the environment, too.” As we celebrate the holidays this year, we can celebrate the environment too. Here’s how:

Every year between Thanksgiving and New Years, Americans throw away an addition 1 million tons of garbage. This, according to environmentalist and author Robert Lilienfeld, is a result of all the surplus wrapping paper we’re using at the time. To eliminate some of that waste, try reusing gift bags and ribbons, wrapping presents in newspaper (it doesn’t look that trashy, I promise), or buying recycled gift wrap.

During the nation’s biggest shopping season, remember to bring reusable bags with you. Also, cloth shopping bags make great gifts! They’re not only trendy, they’re eco-friendly too.

Switching to LED Christmas lights will save money and energy. Reduce your carbon imprint this month by investing in low-power lights that are long-lasting (50,000-100,000 hour life span), safe, and recyclable. Holiday Creations is one place to buy them.

Recycle your Christmas tree! Here’s the blog post I wrote last year about how to do so: Treecycling

Plan your gift shopping in advance so as to avoid making lots of different trips. This saves you fuel, money, and the hassle of fighting through holiday traffic.