December 2015 Newsletter
Go green for the holidays at the University and beyond. Share this information with your colleagues or post this newsletter in shared spaces or common areas. Plan for a green holiday season at home too!
Shop local
Rochester has unique businesses and talented artists, makers, and growers. This year, shop locally and sustainably in the Rochester area, and encourage family and friends to do the same! Supporting local economies is a critical part of sustainability, especially during this time of year.
Need goodies for the foodie on your list? The wine lover? A crafter? You’re sure to find something in Rochester—maybe even at College Town—that will brighten their day. Several events throughout the season feature local treasures and businesses sure to please everyone on your list.
Local Holiday Markets
December 5: It’s a Wonderful Life in the South Wedge
December 6 & 13: Holidays at the Market
December 11 & 12: Metro Justice’s 34th Annual Alternative Fair
December 12 & 13: Rochester Brainery Holiday Bazaar
Featured Local Businesses
Small World Food
One World Goods
Memorial Art Gallery Store
Visit University holiday markets
Take some time to wander through one of the holiday markets on campus in December. Stock up on local goods, get samples of healthy treats, and chat with your favorite vendors. Don't miss out!
Advancement Holiday Bazaar
Fairbanks Alumni Lounge
Bloch Alumni and Advancement Center
Thursday, December 3
1–4:30 p.m.
Holiday Shopping Fair
Wilson Commons
Friday, December 4
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Holiday Farmers Market
Flaum Atrium at the Medical Center
Wednesday, December 16
3–6 p.m.
Keep the holidays plastic-free
In the U.S., annual trash from wrapping paper and shopping bags totals four million tons (source: Use Less Stuff).
Remember your reusable shopping bags when you head out to the UR holiday markets or to the stores. Reusable bags that fit inside a pouch or roll up make great stocking stuffers too!
Once you get your purchases home, skip the store-bought paper and reuse daily materials for wrapping them. Here are a few alternative gift wrapping ideas from Inhabit.com:
- Fabric—Fabric is the perfect reuseable material for wrapping presents because it comes in lots of colors and patterns just like wrapping paper.
- Newspaper and paper bags—Stickers, crayons, paint, and glitter can be employed to jazz up the final product.
- Maps and calendars—Don’t have time to decorate your packages after the fact? No worries. Old maps and calendars are another source of relatively large sheets of paper that are already colorful in their own right.
- Reusable gift bags—Gift bags have long been preferred among earth-loving gift givers because they involve no tape or folding, and they’re easy to reuse next year.
Host a zero-waste party
From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, household waste increases by more than 25 percent. Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons mean an additional one million tons of waste sent to our landfills each week (source: EPA).
Plan a zero-waste party for your colleagues, friends, or family this holiday season and do your part to make the holidays greener. Here's how to get started:
- Email your invitations using an online system like Evite, or just phone your guests instead of mailing invitations.
- Let people know you’re aiming for a zero-waste event. Mention it in the invitation, talk it up to guests, and attach signs to recycling receptacles.
- Avoid plastic tablecloths. Use paper or cloth instead.
- Choose decorations that are biodegradable or reusable.
- Encourage guests to bring their own place setting (e.g., plate, bowl, cutlery, glass or mug, reusable napkins).
- Ask guests to bring reusable containers to take home extra food and goodies.
- Decorate the recycling bin for the holidays and encourage your guests to use it.
- Provide a compost bucket for food scraps.
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Send us your go-green tips!
We'll feature them in The Compost, on Facebook, and at upcoming events
At our first Green Hour event, Green Rep Lauren Caruso shared a TED Talk about how to use a paper towel: Shake (12 times) and fold. It's super easy and it works!
Email us your own tips and best practices. We can't wait to hear from you! |
Your Challenge for December
Try your best to implement at least one of these action items in your area this month:
- Shop small and local in Rochester. Small Business Saturday doesn't have to be limited to one day a year!
- Organize a trip or carpool to one of UR’s holiday markets with your co-workers. Check out our local bounty together!
- Make an early New Year’s Resolution to avoid using plastic bags while doing your holiday shopping this year.
- Plan a zero-waste holiday party for your department.
- Consider consumable gifts or giving someone the gift of an experience. From edibles to concert tickets, there are lots of ways to "un-stuff" your holidays.
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