ShirleyGoesGreen

Welcome to the ShirleyGoesGreen website! 

This site highlights the ways that Shirley supports the green mantra “Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose” and brings to your attention new and interesting green initiatives.

Holiday Greenery

By Kendra Kratkiewicz, member, Shirley Democratic Town Committee (SDTC),

When I was growing up, certain family members were regarded by others as a little “too thrifty” when they reused wrapping paper from year to year, repurposed the Sunday funnies for gift wrap, or cut pictures out of old cards to make new gift tags.  It even became a kind of contest between my mother and aunt to see how many times paper or decorations could be passed back and forth, adjusted or transformed as needed to serve their purpose yet one more year.  Little did we know they were just ahead of their time, and would be admired as green heroes in today’s eco-conscious environment.  There are many ways in which we can make our holidays greener, including our gift wrapping choices.  You might consider reusing gift wrap and bows, repurposing other paper, buying gift wrap made from recycled paper, or channeling a child’s artistic energy into paper bag art projects to grace your family’s gifts.

Of course, there’s always the question of the gift itself.  For those who appreciate a gift with a practical purpose, there are many great green ideas: reusable canvas shopping bags, rechargeable batteries and recharger, a hand-crank flashlight or radio, or some of those compact fluorescent light bulbs that would be nice to switch over to but never seem to fit into the budget.  I’m personally intrigued by the Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor, which has earned rave reviews from customers on Amazon.com for helping them to understand exactly how much electricity is consumed by the devices in their homes.  If you like to “buy local,” you could put together a gift basket from a local farm stand store, support local artisans (buying jewelry, pottery, or hand-made accessories, for example), or purchase a gift certificate to a local retailer or restaurant.
 
As I get older and accumulate more, I begin to understand better my grandmother’s protests that she just didn’t need any more “stuff.”  Fortunately, there are many ways to show someone you care without adding to their clutter.  For instance, consider charitable donations in someone’s honor, or subscriptions and memberships (such as to the Massachusetts Audobon Society, the Trustees of Reservations, or the Ecotarium, ).  Or instead of  “things,” think “activities,” such as art classes at the Fitchburg Art Museum, ski passes, a massage or spa outing, or tickets to a show.  For hectic lives, how about the gift of time together?  Last year my aunt took me, my husband, and our two children to a New Hampshire B&B overnight, and we spent a delightful day at Santa’s Village.  Just the other day my son asked if I remembered that trip and couldn’t we please do it again.  Taking your parents to lunch and a matinee, an afternoon of tea and cards with your grandmother, or presenting your child with a certificate good for a special afternoon of one-on-one, we’ll-do-whatever-you-want time might turn out to be the most treasured gift of all.
 

Who Are We?

This site is sponsored and supported by the Shirley Democratic Town Committee.  This committee has a long-standing commitment to encouraging “green” initiatives in Shirley.

Contact Us Today!

To give us your favorite recycling tips to pass along, to suggest topics for future articles, or to volunteer to write an article, send a note to feedback@shirleygoesgreen.com