With all the decorating, wrapping, giving, shopping, buying and baking that takes place during Christmas and New Year’s, household waste increases by 25 percent each holiday season, according to research. Lighten your environmental footprint this year with the following green holiday tips.

*  Send electronic greeting cards. According to the U.S. Postal Service, 16.5 billion holiday greeting cards will be sent this year. Save paper by sending your greetings online with free e-cards from sites like Hallmark and American Greetings.

*  Bake seasonal treats. Pecans, winter squash and sweet potatoes are now in season, so whip up southern favorites like pecan pie, sweet potato pie and butternut squash soup to serve at Christmas dinner.

*  Switch to LED holiday lights. LED string lights use 80 percent less energy and last 10 times longer than traditional incandescent lights.

*  Carpool on your outings. According to research, the average American drives 14 miles roundtrip on a shopping trip. Carpool with friends and family when Christmas shopping, or shop online to omit driving altogether.

*  Buy green gifts. Gifts with environmental benefits can make an impact far beyond the holidays. Consider giving rechargeable batteries to the techie, gardening tools to the green thumb or a donation to a favorite charity to the volunteer.

*  Give homemade gifts. Websites and blogs are booming with creative, inexpensive do-it-yourself ideas for gifts and décor.

*  Wrap creatively. Between wrapping paper and gift bags, Americans generate four million tons of waste during the holidays. Give gifts that require little or no wrapping, like a gift card, or wrap gifts with recycled paper, magazines or newspapers.

*  Recycle your tree. After the holidays, real Christmas trees can be recycled to benefit the environment in many ways, such as grounded into mulch and used as reefs in local lakes.

Contact Diane Kaplan, Broker/Associate of Better Homes Realty if you are looking to buy or sell a home.  Search all homes for sale – Click Here.