This is it; the Sunday before Thanksgiving. You will be going through the ads as you plan Thanksgiving dinner as well as the barrage of ads for after Thanksgiving sales. Around the world there is a growing number of people joining the Buy Nothing Day movement on November 24. The theme this year is ReThink the Season. Simply put, you have a choice to reclaim the celebration from the grip of commercial forces. If that is too extreme, consider a Buy Less Christmas or a Buy Fairer Christmas.

The First Christian Church (1035 Indiana St., Vallejo) is holding a Global Holiday Faire on Saturday, December 2 from 9 am to 3 pm. They feature will gift items from third world countries as well as crafts, baked goods, a re-gifting table, and lunch. They are also offering Alternative Giving gifts. People can buy a Living Gift by donating to the Heifer Project (www.heifer.org). The Heifer Project gives farm animals to poor families and teaches them good animal husbandry. In turn, these farmers will share animals in the future with other families. PBS has featured a fascinating documentary on this charity.

Churches from Vallejo, Benicia and American Canyon are participating in this event. You can keep you alternative gifts closer to home by donating money in honor of a friend or family member to organizations such as Loma Vista Farm, Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, the Benicia-Vallejo Humane Society or many other nonprofits in the area. These gifts are appreciated all year long. For more environmentally friendly holiday ideas, Call VALCORE for a copy of our 12 Days of Green Gifting, our Green Party Guide or log onto our website and download a copy.

Pre-Holiday recycling

After you shop for traditional items, why not start removing some things that you already have in your house. If you find gifts that have never been used, you have several options including re-gifting or donating to annual toy drives or a thrift store. I am hooked on Freecycle. Since it began in May 2003, Freecycle has grown from one group in Tucson to 3830 groups worldwide with more than 2.8 million people giving stuff away over the Internet. We have four groups offering free membership: Vallejo/Benicia, American Canyon, Fairfield/Cordelia, and Vacaville. By joining a local group you will keep your travel time and gas consumption to a minimum.

Freecyclers can offer free things or request a needed item.Since the Vallejo group started in January 2005, there have been over 4000 messages posted and items exchanged. Joining is easy, just log on www.freecycle.org or, for a direct link to the groups listed above, check out the news page of the Solano County Recycling Guide: www.recycle-guide.com.  Ewaste recycling is available year round at Goodwill Donation Stations for computers and TVs and other electronic goods. Mark your 2007 calendars for an Ewaste Recycling Event scheduled at Benicia High School on January 20 and 21, 2007.

Green Holiday Parties

The local Sierra Club just finished their annual potluck party. The majority of participants brought their own dinnerware. The few who didn't were offered biodegradable place settings that went into the compost bucket. The net waste for 25 people was less than 8 ounces. As you plan your gatherings, plan for Zero Waste. The pretty food platters that are sold at grocery and discount stores are not recyclable but could be saved for your next party. Rent, borrow or purchase extra serving dishes, plates, and cutlery instead of buying and throwing away disposable ones.

Happy Thanksgiving.