Dreaming of a white Christmas? How about a green one? The holiday season wreaks havoc on the environment, which, through global warming, could make snowy Noels scarce. According to a report cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, between Thanksgiving and New Years, Americans’ garbage disposal increases by 25 percent. The Indiana Department of Education reports that the cards sold during one holiday season would fill a football field 10 stories high. The price in trees: 300,000. During the holidays we buy more, entertain more, travel more and generally waste more, at an expensive environmental cost.

This might lack some of the pizazz of a real tree, but it’s much better for the environment. Photo by Screwtape on Flickr, licensed under the Creative Commons.

Parents warring over the last hot toy of the season on Wal-Mart’s shelves, families maxing out credit cards to fill the space under the tree with shiny new things, the search for the perfect New Year’s Eve dress – the holidays bring out the worst in our consumer addiction. What was once a time focused on family and friends, love and joy has become an exhausting exercise in consumption. Yet according to a survey referenced by the Center for a New American Dream, more than 25 percent of Americans wish the holidays were less materialistic, and almost 90 percent think the holidays should be more about caring for others and less about gift-giving. Returning to the true holiday spirit and moving away from the culture of excess will not only help the planet, but will also make your holidays less stressful and more pleasurable.

Inspired to be earth-friendly this December? Heed the following eco-advice.

1. Swap traditional holiday lights for energy-saving ones. Planning on decorating your digs with lights this year? The Sierra Club advises switching to Energy Star approved LED ones, which they say can save up to $50 on energy bills (and who couldn’t use that cash right now?).

2. Send “tree free” holiday cards. Co-Op America suggests e-cards to avoid contributing to that stadium of paper, or searching their National Green Pages (a directory of screened and approved green businesses) for cards made of treeless resources like hemp.

3. Consider your tree’s mommy. Your Christmas tree came from Mother Earth, so minimize the harm caused to her by putting it in your living room: make sure to recycle it.

4. Get artsy with your gift wrap. Standard gift wrap: boring and wasteful. Summon your creativity and wrap gifts with recycled or unconventional materials. My favorite is magazine pages; glossy color ads from old issues of Vogue make unique gift-wrap I always get compliments on. The Center for a New American Dream recommends newspaper comics, decorated paper bags, maps, thrift store fabrics or fabric remnants, scarves or the artwork from your old wall calendar. Remember to reuse gift bags, boxes, and ribbon, and save gift-wrap you receive this year to use again.

5. Gift green. There’s no need to completely eliminate gift-giving from your holiday rituals. But thinking about the planet when choosing presents can minimize your impact, and can also be a way to subtly teach your circle about environmentalism. Give a gift to the planet by slipping your pals pre-written postcards to your congressperson requesting action on your environmental issue of choice, or make a donation to an environmental cause on their behalf. Need stocking stuffers? The Little Book of Living Green is tiny, inexpensive, and printed on recycled paper with soy ink.