Used.ca encourages its users to think green for everything this holiday season

including gifts, trees, greeting cards, decor, parties, wrapping paper and more.

VICTORIA, B.C., Used.ca is offering original and creative holiday season ideas to put the green back in Christmas by emphasizing saving and selling useful used items (instead of throwing them out), encouraging recycling, upcycling and thoughtful local community shopping.

“Christmas has become a time of excessive spending, packaging, waste and consumption so we thought it would be a great opportunity for us to go back to our environmental roots and offer tips for a more eco-friendly holiday,” said Lacey Sheardown, director of marketing at Used.ca.

Used.ca is sharing its Top 10 ideas to help us all enjoy a greener holiday season while discovering our creative sides, and saving – or even making money at the same time:

1.    Make Room for Christmas

It’s unlikely you give and receive no gifts at Christmas, so why not reduce the clutter in your home and make room for Christmas? Before your house fills with even more stuff, sell unwanted items online and make some spending dollars. If it can’t be sold, donate to your local thrift store. Save it from the landfill! See ideas here: Make Room For Christmas.

2.    Gift Giving

Many of the items on the Usedeverywhere.com sites are new and unused. If you have specific items in mind, search your local site before buying in a store. In cases like this, search the brand or item name.

3.    Buy Gently Used Gifts

Some may gag at the idea of giving used items as gifts, whereas others will embrace the idea of saving dollars and eliminating packaging and tax. Our blogger Pam talks about her experience of buying ALL of her twins’ gifts used this year in her most recent blog post: My Used Christmas. She saved a staggering $930! Many of our sellers refurbish toys and household items to as good as new.

4.    Christmas Trees

Buy your plastic Christmas tree used, or this year consider an alternative Christmas tree made from upcycled materials. Check out our ideas here: Alternative Christmas Trees. If you are a real Christmas tree lover, we’re here to help with eco-conscious guide to sourcing a real Christmas tree.

5.    Excess Packaging

Eliminate excess waste by shunning wrapping paper this year. Use scarves, fabric scraps, old books and maps to design beautiful gift wrap and tags with a more personal touch.

6.    We’re up all Night to get Crafty

Making your own gifts can save a lot of money. Using pre-loved items for an upcycled gift also saves items from the landfill. A great example is this old mason jar, turned into a to-go mug, with a handstitched thermal sleeve and new sippy style lid. Look to craft blogs, including our own Used.ca blog, for inspiration. This dollshouse DIY is another great example of taking an old unwanted item and making it personalised and good as new.

7.    Christmas Card Waste

A great idea to eliminate excess waste is to donate to a charity in lieu of Christmas cards. Offer an electronic card to your nearest and dearest and let them know which charity you contributed to this year. If you love to send cards, recycle last year’s received cards with the help of some crafty supplies.

8.    Decor

Buy quality seasonal decor that can be used year in year out. Buy used where you can, bags of decorations are usually available in thrift stores and on our Used.ca sites. Look to nature for inspiration and let children use their great imaginations to turn pinecones, leaves, feathers and more into pretty decor. When considering lights, think about using energy efficient options and turn them off when you sleep and are out of the house.

9.    Local

When buying gifts new and when ticking off your grocery list, try and buy local. Support your community vendors at the same time as aiming for carbon neutral purchases. Leave the disposable tableware behind, recycle your empties and plan ahead to eliminate food waste. If you do have scraps, compost!

10.   Party Party

Our top tips for parties include reusable tableware, shared or public transport, electronic invites, doggy bags for leftover food, recycling bottles and food containers, and organic food and drink choices where cost and selection allows.

Incorporate even one or two of these tips into your holiday traditions and it is a step towards a more environmentally conscious Christmas.

For more information visit www.Used.ca.

Suggested Tweet to share this news on Twitter:

Go #Green this @Christmas by using @UsedEverywhere. http://bit.ly/18hOpyl #Holidays #Christmas #Toys #environment

About Used.ca:

Used.ca was founded in 2003 with the vision that an effective, free, online marketplace for the sale of used goods would reduce landfill content, benefit the environment and save people money. It is now Canada’s biggest Canadian-owned online classified network with local city sites across the country, including UsedVictoria.com, UsedVancouver.com, UsedOttawa.com, UsedPEI.com and more. Our network of over 55 websites has now become the most efficient platform for buyers to connect with private and commercial sellers to find what they want in their local community.

Media Contacts:

Lacey Sheardown, Used.ca

250.381.3633 ext. 3291

Media@Used.ca

 

Scott Ledingham/PR MediaNow

613.806.7135

Scott@PRMediaNow.com