Environmentally Friendly Tips this Holiday Season

  Top Ten Tips to Reduce your Footprint this Holiday Season     

1. Reduce packaging waste. Reuse wrapping material from last season, use the Sunday comics to wrap gifts or wrap a gift within a gift (e.g. use a scarf to wrap a book). Purchase products in bulk with little packaging. 
2. Purchase reusable batteries and a charger for electronics, toys, etc. Did you know that the average American uses eight single-use batteries per year? This adds up quickly. Reduce waste by purchasing rechargeable batteries that last much longer than single-use. You may recycle single-use and rechargeable batteries at five drop off locations in Urbana. Visit www.urbanaillinois.us/u-cycle for more information. 
3. Need to purchase holiday lights? Consider purchasing LED lights for all your holiday decorations. LED lights can save up to 90% or more in utility costs, operate at cooler temperatures, are brighter than traditional incandescent bulbs, and have an operational life span of approximately 20,000 hours (U.S. Department of Energy). 
4. Use reusable bags while holiday shopping and shopping year-round. Decline bags if purchasing only one or two items. Reuse those plastic shopping bags as garbage can liners or recycle plastic shopping bags at participating local retailers. 
5. Consider sending holiday e-greetings instead of paper cards. You save money on postage and reduce reliance on paper products. If you prefer paper cards look for cards that are made with greater than 30% post-consumer recycled content material, and encourage recipients to recycle cards after the holidays. 
6. Purchase gifts such as tickets to concerts, shows or restaurant gift certificates in lieu of more traditional gifts, or create something with what you have by reusing materials around the home. This is a creative, low cost way to make a special gift. 
7. Continue to participate in the City’s U-CYCLE program. All those beverage containers from holiday gatherings can be easily recycled, along with all the junk mail, catalogs and magazines that are mailed out during the holiday season. U-CYCLE can’t accept gift wrap, bows, non-Kraft gift bags or tissue paper. For a complete listing of acceptable recyclables, please visit the City of Urbana’s website at www.urbanaillinois.us/u-cycle. Do not have a recycling bin? Call the recycling coordinator at 384-2302. 
8. After the holidays, recycle your live holiday tree. The City of Urbana offers free pickup of holiday trees the weeks of January 3 and January 10 on your regular U-CYCLE collection day. Place the tree loosely (not in plastic) at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your recycling collection day. All lights, tinsels and decorations must be removed from the tree since it will be mulched. 
9. Use less energy and cut down on costs this winter. Though it is cold outside, set the thermostat to 68 degrees. For every degree you lower your heat in the 60-degree to 70-degree range, you'll save up to 5 percent on heating costs (California Energy Commission). Replace or clean furnace filters once a month. Dirty filters restrict airflow and increase energy use. Reduce hot water temperature. Set your water heater to the "normal" setting or 120-degrees Fahrenheit for optimum energy efficiency. Seal air drafts around the home. Caulk leaks around windows and doors. Look for places where you have pipes, vents or electrical conduits that go through the wall, ceiling or floor. If purchasing new electronics look for the “Energy Star” logo on the item. Energy Star products can reduce energy use by 30-50%. A typical household equipped with Energy Star products can reduce its annual energy bills by approximately $400 (Union of Concerned Scientists). Take advantage of the City of Urbana’s FREE home energy audits. For more information visit www.urbanaillinois.us/sustainability. 
10. After the holidays, box up items that will not be used and donate them to Goodwill or Salvation Army. Check with donation centers to see what types of items they can accept, and in what condition. Recycle old electronics at local recycling facilities (visit www.urbanaillinois.us/u-cycle for locations). And make a New Year’s resolution to reduce waste, reuse more and continue to participate in the U-CYCLE program!

Happy Holidays!

These holiday tips are brought to you from U-CYCLE, the City of Urbana’s recycling program.