We've been wrapping our presents in newspaper and magazine pages for about 3 years now. (I think.) I used newspaper in college too, but not for environmental reasons. I had no money. People with very little disposable income are environmentalist by default.

The holiday statistics are depressing. In the United States alone, an additional 5 million tons of waste is generated during the holidays. 4 million tons of this is wrapping paper and shopping bags.

And cards. They're the worst. 2.65 billion Christmas cards are sold each year in the US alone. Enough to fill a football field 10 stories high! (See article.) I received several e-greetings from clients, family and friends this year. Hopefully that's a sign of things to come. (I could have used www.e-cards.com when I was in college. Actually, I could have used a computer.) Our relatives in Vermont save their cards, cut off the front pictures, then use them as postcards and gift tags. I find it even more amazing that they find the time to send cards at all.

My 7-year old daughter is thrilled when we get a gift in one of those heavy duty, colorful, holiday bags. That means one more birthday gift she doesn't have to wrap in newspaper. (My son could care less.) I guess newspaper just doesn't cut it in elementary school. Of course, all of her gifts come wrapped in that pretty, overpriced, foil wrapping paper they sell every November at school. That stuff's not recyclable, you know? Neither are ribbons and bows.

This year, I'm going to save my mesh onion bags and outdated maps for gift wrapping and ask my babysitter for her old Readers Digests for making christmas trees and angels next year. Remember those?