IT ’ S EASY BEING GREEN
EACH MONTH PULSE WILL OFFER TIPS ON GOING GREEN , plus fun facts about being environmentally friendly
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING IS FASHIONABLE without the sparkles this holiday season
AS WE MOVE TOWARDS THE END OF FALL and the festivities it brings , I will be taking time to learn and inspire our friends and family to re-think holiday shopping and gift packaging this year . That means finding recycled papers and fabrics to get crafty while leaving behind coated wrapping paper and sparkles that end up in our waterways .
Fashion trends come and go , but one trend that keeps surfacing is “ buy well , reuse and donate ”. There are creative ways to wrap your thoughtful gifts this year and prepare for next year .
The art of “ reuse ” as a tradition : Each year I pull out the same Christmas decorations for our home and tree , and though it may be tempting to change each year , there is something familiar and beautiful about this tradition . This also applies to gift wrap and fancy bags we receive throughout the year ; I save them to reuse .
Experiential gifts : Rather than a physical gift , consider offering tickets to experience an event , or go to a spa and pamper yourself with a friend or loved one , leaving stronger memories to look back on .
Eco-friendly tape and wrapping paper : Use wrapping paper free of foil , glitter or plastic . Better yet , source recycled paper that can be recycled again , and look for tape that is made with paper instead of plastic , so it may biodegrade over time . We can help take care of our oceans by eliminating anything with sparkles that end up in our waterways . If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon , the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet .
Choose a theme : Create a sustainable theme for the season . You could focus on the environment , giving back , buying local , anything homemade , cruelty-free or fair trade products — whatever you are passionate about . Did you know you can source plantable gift cards ?
Recycle : It ’ s encouraging to know each of us can have an impact this season by making a conscious effort to source , use and discard more sustainably — and it ’ s quite simple . Have a bin ready for all your paper wrappings this year and recycle it . Did you know that on average , we generate 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year ’ s ? Over 2.65 billion holiday cards are sold in the U . S . each year . The number of cards could fill a football field 10 stories high . If we each sent one card less , we ’ d save 50,000 cubic yards of paper , as reported by NAHDES . Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones !
HAVE A QUICK , EASY TIP FOR SPAS LOOKING TO GO GREEN ? An outside-the-box idea for reducing waste ? An environmental fact that you think Pulse readers should know ? Share them with us at ispa @ ispastaff . com
NOEL ASMAR , founder and CEO of Noel Asmar Uniforms , had made it her purpose to consciously conduct business while respecting the environment and supporting the spa industry . This month , we ’ re featuring tips from Noel Asmar of Noel Asmar Uniforms and the Hospitality Lifecycle Initiative about the ultimate form of recycling and learn how knowledge about circularity may inspire you to recycle in the purest form — wise sourcing .
50 PULSE ■ NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2020