Today is Christmas in the United States, so we’ve gathered a few facts related to the holiday. Merry Christmas!

• This year, Americans will use more than 38,000 miles of ribbon.
• Americans will also leave millions of Christmas trees on the curb. A fake tree is petroleum based and not biodegradable. Some other possibilities are to buy or rent a live tree (see livingchristmastrees.org) Or get a cut tree and, after the holidays, take it to the county recycling facility, where it can be turned into mulch. (Source:#1-2, Newsweek)
• The 2.6 billion holiday cards sold each year in the United States could fill a landfill the size of a football field 10 stories high.(Source:Mahalo)
• LEDs (light-emitting diodes) can be used instead of incandescent bulbs to decorate your tree and home. They’re more expensive, but last much longer and use 80% to 90% less power than conventional mini bulbs. They cast a bright white light and stay cool to the touch so they won’t singe the tree—or someone’s fingers. (Source: TIME)
• The swiftest way to eliminate waste is to give less. A 2005 survey by the Center for a New American Dream showed that 78 percent of Americans wish the holidays were less materialistic.

- The 2nd Green Team