BLeaflet | Issues 1 - 7

Vol. 1, Issue 4

December 2023

THE BLEAFLET SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE Giving Back to the Earth

Donation Ideas for a Sustainable Holiday Donating to sustainable causes during the holiday season is a thoughtful way to support initiatives that align with environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Research and choose reputable organizations that align with your values and priorities and consider reaching out to the organizations directly to inquire about specific needs to make the most impact. Here are some donation ideas: • Environmental Organizations : Support environmental nonprofits that focus on conservation, climate action, and sustainable practices. Some ideas: Sierra Club, Greenpeace, or local environmental organizations. • Clean Energy Initiatives: Support organizations working towards the development and promotion of clean and renewable energy sources; consider supporting solar or wind energy projects. • Community Gardens & Urban Farming : Support local community gardens or urban farming projects that promote sustainable food production and access to fresh produce in urban areas. • Plastic Pollution Reduction : Contribute to organizations working to reduce plastic pollution and promote alternatives to single-use plastics, like beach cleanups, plastic recycling, or plastic-free living initiatives. • Water Conservation : Support organizations working on water conservation projects, ensuring access to clean water, and promoting responsible water use. • Education & Awareness : Donate to organizations (i.e. schools or community workshops on sustainability) that focus on environmental education and raising awareness about sustainable practices. • Social & Economic Enterprises : Consider supporting social enterprises that have a dual impact on both people and the planet. Look for businesses that prioritize fair trade, ethical labor practices, environmental sustainability, community empowerment, or sustainable livelihoods. • Climate Justice Organizations : Contribute to organizations that address the social and environmental impacts of climate change, advocating for equitable solutions. • Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers : Support wildlife rehabilitation centers that rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured or orphaned animals to support the care and conservation efforts for wildlife. • Local Environmental Initiatives : Look for local environmental organizations or initiatives in your community that address specific sustainability challenges with a direct impact on your community.

Sustainable Holidays

and reflective ornaments and menorahs provide electricity-free holiday cheer. • Nature provides beautiful ornaments and other holiday decorations: gather a basket of evergreen branches, berries, flowers, fresh fruit, etc. and arrange as you desire, or make ornaments from twigs, bark, flowers, herbs, etc. • Make edible ornaments like seed bells, suet, and pine cones with peanut butter to hang around your yard and feed birds during the winter. • Turn off lights and decorations when not needed to conserve energy. • See our November 2023 issue of the BLeaflet for ideas on minimizing food waste • If traveling for the holidays, consider eco-friendly transportation options or carpooling. • Offset your travel emissions by supporting carbon offset programs. • Volunteer or donate to local charities during the holiday season. • Support initiatives that provide for those in need. • Run for Awareness. A number of holiday themed road races exist, which benefit some great causes. • Pay it forward – Next time you’re in line getting a coffee, offer to pay for the order of the person in the car behind you. You never know how much this will impact their day, and more often than not, your simple action will keep on giving.

Happy holidays, Employee Owners! The holiday season is a joyous (and busy!) time of year. Celebrations and travel come with increased waste generation and energy usage. Luckily, by making some of the small decisions below you can make your celebrations a bit more sustainable and feel even better during this season. Choose Sustainable Gifts • Read more about sustainable gifts and ideas further on in this issue. 2. Wrap Gifts Sustainably • Avoid traditional wrapping paper, which is often not recyclable. • Wrap your gifts in re-usable bags or decorative boxes and save any you receive to reuse again and again. • Make the wrapping part of the gift. Gardening pots are easy to fill with gardening supplies. A mixing bowl or stockpot makes an excellent package for your favorite cook. • Reuse materials you may already have such as re-purposing fabric scraps or scarves as fabric gift wrap. Newspaper can also make for a unique gift wrap. • Get creative with DIY gift wrapping, using materials like twine and pine cones. • Use solar powered or Energy Star Certified LED lights. They are 90% more efficient than traditional lights and LED’s last longer. • Recycle your old holiday lights but not into your home recycling receptacles. Each year big box stores offer holiday light exchange programs, or you can recycle them at your local scrap metal dealer. • Go light-free: candles, the starry night sky, 3. Decorate Sustainably

4. Minimize Food Waste

5. Mindful Travel

6. Give Back to the Community

Learn more here:

1. Creative and Sustainable Ways to Wrap https://www.makeitgrateful.com/living/celebrate/green-gift wrap-creative-sustainable-gift-wrapping-ideas/ 2. Eco-Friendly and Reusable Gift Wrap Ideas https://woodlarkblog.com/eco-friendly-and-reusable-gift wrap-ideas/