KELOWNA - What do dog walking, cooking classes, baby-sitting help and tickets to the theatre all have in common?  They’re all great gift ideas that create memories, not garbage.

The Regional District Waste Reduction Office is encouraging residents to ‘be green’ while celebrating the festive season.  That will help to reduce the amount of material you’ll have to put into your curbside garbage and recycling carts after the holidays.  Waste Reduction Facilitator Rae Stewart says, “The best way to ‘Create memories, not garbage’ this holiday season is to think about buying higher quality, more durable gifts that last. Or, give experiences as gifts instead.  Often when we think back to our favourite Christmas memories, our fondest ones are of time spent doing something and sharing with family and friends.  Why not give ‘gifts’ that create long-term memories for those we love.”

Here are some memory-making ideas to get you started…
-  Choose classic toys that are made locally and can be passed on.
-  Board games last and bring family and friends together for a night of fun
-  Organize a family skate.
-  Host an amazing dinner for all your friends using locally grown food.
-  Treat someone to a live performance.
-  Sign someone up for a cooking, art or photography class. Join them for a fun night out together.
-  Tickets to a local sporting event.
-  Support local businesses by purchasing locally made items.
-  Treat someone to the spa or passes to fitness classes.
-  Purchase gifts that are durable and will last.
-  Consider joining or creating your own gift registry, focused on less stuff and more on family, friends and fun

Stewart says there are also great ways to wrap your gifts to reduce or even eliminate all that wrapping paper.  “It’s a great time to get creative with your wrapping, you could even make the wrapping part of the gift, like a tea towel or shirt.  Maps, comics, magazines, brown bags, can all be reused into wrapping paper.  The options are endless.”

‘Create Memories, Not Garbage’ is the Regional Waste Reduction Office’s seasonal campaign to reduce the volume of waste coming into our homes.  The campaign includes gift giving ideas that make memories, information on buying a Christmas tree, a website link to send your family and friends an e-card and other ways to reduce your holiday waste.

For information on how you can Create Memories, Not Garbage this holiday season, visit regionaldistrict.com/recycle, email recycle@cord.bc.ca or call the Regional Waste Reduction Office at 250-469-6250.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013