BLACKSBURG — Green isn’t just the color of Christmas trees this holiday season.

Monday night, sustainability experts presented ways to make the holiday season more environmentally friendly as part of the Blacksburg library and Sustainable Blacksburg’s “Go Green: Become a Green Samaritan” series about living in environmentally friendly ways.

“We want to encourage people to minimize waste year-round, but this time of year can be especially wasteful,” said Rachael Budowle, solid waste community programs coordinator for the town of Blacksburg.

Here are some tips for making your holidays a little greener:

Gifts

Give consumable gifts, such as organic coffee or local foods.

Make your own gifts.

Give reused gifts such as items from thrift store or antique shops.

Give to charity in someone’s name.

Give active gifts like coupon books filled with homemade coupons of things to do together, such as hiking or a homemade meal of their choice.

Give fewer gifts. Just focus on what’s important or necessary.

Gift wrap

Wrap with reused paper grocery bags, blueprints, sheet music, maps, wallpaper scraps, bubble wrap, napkins, placemats, graph paper, rice paper, children’s drawings and fabric scraps.

Wrap with newspaper.

Decorate wrapping paper with stamps cut from old sponges or cookie cutters or do easy holiday drawings.

Ribbons and bows can be made from pine boughs, pinecones, holly, plastic beaded necklaces, thin scarves/belts/ties from the thrift store, clean shoe laces, raffia grass and reused bows.

Sew gift bags from old placemats, fabric scraps or sheets and pillowcases.

Make gift tags from last year’s holiday cards.

Food

Buy local.

Buy organic and fair trade foods.

Buy seasonal or “whole” foods that have no preservatives and less processing.

Give food to others such as charities and food banks.

Energy

Reduce holiday light consumption by using LED string lights; turn off lights when not in use or put them on timers.

Reduce vehicle miles traveled and turn off your engine; walk, bike, or carpool to do holiday shopping and plan shopping lists ahead so you only have to make one trip.

Reduce drafts inside your home and turn down the thermostat.

Holiday decorations

Bring in greenery and berries from outside to decorate railings, mantles or wreaths.

Use LED Christmas lights and lights without lead coating on the wires.

Shop at thrift stores for holiday decorations such as placemats, tablecloths, electric window candles and holiday cards.

Purchase a live tree from a local farm with a root ball to plant it in your yard later.

Use candles made from renewable ingredients such as soy, palm oil and beeswax.

Decorate with bowls of local and organic edible foods to enjoy later: nuts, fruits, colorful squash, pomegranates and gingerbread houses.

Make your own ornaments

(These are especially-kid friendly activities.)

Take scraps of wrapping paper that are too small for presents or the fronts of pretty holiday cards and fold like an accordion. Tie ribbons around the ends to make a fan, and hang it on the tree or around the house.

Cut a cardboard paper towel or wrapping paper roll into five or six smaller pieces. Put a small gift or candy into the rolls and then wrap it with wrapping paper scraps. Tie ribbons at each end of seal it off and give it to a friend or use it for a stocking stuffer.