The Christmas season is now upon us.

• Glad Tidings.
• Holiday Cheer.
• Mistletoe.
• Presents.
• Family.
• Christmas Tree/Menorah.
• Egg Nog.

As a green marketer, what are you doing to show your commitment to the environment this Holiday Season?

Does your organization practice what it preaches, or do you simply “talk the talk”.

Here are 5 suggestions for a greener Holiday office party:

1)      Standard Holiday Cards—Forget it!

• There are many web service that offer e-cards that will reduce your carbon footprint and help you to remember everyone on your list. Companies like Blue Mountain, American Greetings and E-Cards both offer these services.
• Too impersonal? How about a seeded Christmas card—where the recipient can plant the card in the ground and get flowers to bloom in the spring?  These cards are comparable in price to a standard Christmas card – yet shows your commitment to the environment.

2)      Christmas Wrap- Are you for real?

Three suggestions:

a.  Bare it all:  Put a raffia bow on the gift and hand it to the recipient.  It’s that simple- and makes clean up a breeze.

b. Newspaper wrapping paper:  That’s right.  Sounds so retro—and it is.  Wrap presents in newspaper as a way to show that you care about the planet.

c.  Put the gift in a reusable bag—preferably one with your company logo on it.  There are reusable bags in all sizes and all materials—from velvet, to cotton to recycled plastic (RPET).  Plus you have the reusability factor of the bag—with your advertising message.  Talk about the gift that keeps on giving.

3)      Paper Plates and Cup and Plastic Utensils:  Wow—you gotta be kidding!

Use Reusable Dishes, Drinkware and Utensils.

Sure it takes a bit longer to clean up the mess- but just the sight of a trash bin filed with Styrofoam cups, plastic forks and paper plates can make any of us nauseous – regardless of how tasty the food is.

To make it fun, order imprinted flying discs to use as plates and acrylic cups with your logo for the drinks.  People will take these items home—no clean up.  And your logo stays with them.

4)      Bottled Water—I pray not!

I am glad there might be teetotalers  at your party.  Bless their hearts.  But people have been shot for a lot less. There is nothing green about bottled water.

Reusability.  Remember that word. Also see Rule Number 3 above.

5)      Conserve Energy

1. If the party is in your office, remember to shut off lights in rooms where the party is not being held.
2. Keep the thermostat at a comfortable level. Not too toasty.
3. If the party is at another destination, encourage carpooling. Maybe a small, token gift for each driver of 2 or more employees?
4. Choose a destination near to the office—not across town, as many employees tend to live within a few miles of where they work.
5. Leftovers: Donate to a local food bank if possible (not necessarily green, but very festive!)

These simple steps can help you to have a green Holiday office party.  Party hard, have fun and keep it green.

Happy Holidays!

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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products. His web site includes a comprehensive advertising specialty search, featuring over 250,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find recyclable, biodegradable, organic or recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame. View the Go Green website at EcoMarketingSolutions.com and comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com.