Liang Dingzi, Today Online 5 Dec 07;
SOME PEOPLE dream of a White Christmas. The late Elvis Presley once sang about the dread of a Blue Christmas. But all of us can have a Green Christmas this year.
In the flurry to send out Christmas greetings, you can pick a card made from recycled paper. Many websites also offer free electronic cards. For those who want to get creative and add a personal touch, making your own card is another idea. You could use recycled materials, such as beads, buttons, dried leaves, twigs, ribbons and unwanted cloth. If you give your imagination free rein, anything goes.
A Canadian friend told me that in the spirit of doing something environmentally-friendly, his family has decided to buy one another a basic sweater — for the traditional exchange of gifts — and adorn it with recycled materials. It's fun and inexpensive, and they are looking forward to wearing the sweaters when they meet to celebrate Christmas.
And if you're comfortable with the idea — as we are still very much a "use-and-throw" society that believes in all things first-hand — don't be shy about recycling gifts.
Of course, they should be in a good condition, unused, and should be something the recipient might like. We may have stashed away too many gifts that we already have — such as neckties or scarves — or crystal vases that we don't have room for but might be appreciated by someone else.
What is Christmas without a Christmas tree? Personally, I prefer the real trees to plastic ones, but not when they have been hewn.
You can recycle the plastic trees, which can be dressed up differently each year for a fresh, new look. And again, if you want to let those creative juices flow, you could make decorations from materials such as wire or used bottles. I must say that the little chicken essence bottles are easy to arrange and look beautiful with lit candles inside them.
Some people may think I am suggesting unnecessary penny-pinching during a bumper year. Not really — I still look forward to the mesmerising Orchard Road light-up. We don't need to deprive ourselves of this annual fiesta that has become the talk of many tourists who have visited during this time of the year.
But I will do my part and not contribute to the pollution (and the congestion) by driving into the city to catch the sights. I will take a train instead.
Let us all, if we can help it, have a Green Christmas in the little things we do, so that mankind will benefit from a cleaner world for many more Christmases to come.
The writer is a management consultant with more than 25 years of experience.
