Remember the Earth this Holiday Season

If you want to celebrate the holiday with the environment in mind, you should remember to recycle leftover wrapping paper, give energy-efficient gadgets, and find a better way to grandmother's house.

From getting there to getting rid of the extra trash, there are many ways Americans can celebrate both the holidays and the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing a few tips for this holiday shopping season:

•Travel efficiently. Map your shopping route to make a number of stops in one trip instead of one stop in a number of trips. Take public transportation or hitch a ride with a friend or family member.

•Shop for green decorations and gifts. Give gifts and decorate your house with electronics that have earned the Energy Star rating, unplug your gifts and decorations when not in use, and choose gifts that have less packaging.

•Extend the useful life of gifts. Before tossing the old to make room for the new, check to see if you can donate it, reuse it, or recycle it.

Check www.epa.gov to find out how you can give a gift to Mother Earth this holiday season.