PITCH-IN CANADA
Resource Centre

• Make environmentally responsible choices when planning your holiday gift giving, wrapping, entertaining and decorating. Review the products you use throughout your home - household cleaning products, yard and garage chemicals - then switch to environmentally sound alternatives
• Plan for the collection, purchase and possible repair of reusable items, products and yard materials for gifts, crafts and decorations
• Choose presents carefully. Why not buy from craft fairs, second hand stores, garage sales, flea markets, antique stores and auctions?
• Sew reusable gift bags from old fabric scraps and clothing
• Save and re-cover old binders for use as photo albums
• Collect used clothing for a child's dress-up trunk or for people in need
• Give a live, potted Christmas tree
• Clean chimney flues, for both safety and efficiency
• Use your oven economically by cooking several trays and dishes at once
• Spread sand not salt on icy walks. Salt is toxic to wildlife, harmful to vegetation and polluting to groundwater

• Save wrapping paper, cards, boxes, ribbons, bows and decorations for next year
• Recycle your cans, bottles, jars, plastic containers, newspapers and cardboard
• Compost organic food scraps and plant clippings
• Replant potted trees
• Have your cut tree chipped. Check with your local municipality to see if they have a chipping program! Encourage them to set one up
• Continue these habits year-round and SPREAD THE WORD!