Sustainable Tarpon Springs - Good-bye Grinch!

If you live in the same world I do, the holidays eventually bring out the ‘Grinch’ in us.  I fight it every year, and this year with the dramatic change from Seattle’s December weather to Florida’s December weather has made it especially challenging.  (Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the summer-like Florida fall weather, but there is something magical about snow - thus, the inspiration for ‘There’s Snow Place Like Tarpon Springs’.)  Maybe next year will feel more normal - or so I hear!

I’ve begun to try to wrap my brain around what factors unwittingly turn me into a Grinch - and of course, it’s the UN-sustainable nature of this holiday season.  How is it unsustainable?  Oh, let me count the ways!  (Please don’t take this as a negative exercise because when I realize what’s wrong with a situation, I usually try to fix it...at least for myself, and hopefully my thoughts can be beneficial to you too.)

My first problem is the pressure to spend money we don’t have.  I know that retailers are dependent upon our ‘generosity’ - in fact, for many large retailers, the very last part of the fourth quarter can make or break the entire year.  Is this a sustainable business model?  I don’t think so!  It’s not sustainable for me, as I’d prefer to spread my generosity out throughout the entire year, ‘gifting’ my loved ones on their own birthdays, rather than using Jesus’ birthday as an excuse to pull out all the stops.  The solution for businesses and for our own sanity would be to start this movement - Celebrate one another’s birthdays!  There are birthdays every single day of the year, and if we put the weight of giving on birthdays, December holidays could be restored to proper spiritual significance.

Another factor to bring more ‘peace’ into my holiday season is choosing wisely how I spend my money.  Am I shopping at local businesses?  Am I choosing companies who treat their employees fairly?  Am I purchasing items with longevity, instead of instant ‘landfill potential’?  The solution for me is to really pay closer attention to things my loved ones truly need, and give items that have practical, daily purposes that can be appreciated (rather than re-gifted.)  If I haven’t posted this little video before, The Story of Stuff is good food for thought before ‘holiday guilt’ pushes us to make poor purchase decisions.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8   

And as a person who loves the concept of moving towards ‘zero waste’ - Christmas is at the top of the ‘waste creation’ list - with Valentine’s Day coming in at a distant 2nd place.  It’s about time for wrapping paper companies to evolve, but this can only happen if we stop buying into that kind of product.  A solution is to wrap gifts in festive, reusable cloth and tie with a reusable ribbon.  If we must have wrapping paper, please choose products made from recycled paper for the sake of the trees of our planet.

But the most valuable advice for myself (and others who want to ‘give the Grinch the boot) is to be conscious of my choices so I can be at peace with those choices.  My solution is to take quiet time to think about what I am at peace with doing, rather than buying into old compulsive behaviors.  Only then am I able to embrace my choices with full willingness, Joy and Love!  This is my ultimate Good-bye to the Grinch!  And best of all, I am applying my passion for sustainability to a wonderful time of the year!