CELEBRATE winter holidays with gifts that don’t end up in the trash.

“Consumers buy a lot of things for family and friends during the gift-giving season but it’s the memories of times and experiences shared with the people we love that we remember the most,” said Malcolm Brodie, Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste Committee.

“Many people are celebrating Christmas and other holidays and events by choosing gifts that do not get buried in a landfill after a few months. Some people may want to give gifts of time or experiences, like a ticket to a concert, lessons at a community centre, or a day on snowshoes with the family. People can also choose to give fewer, higher-quality gifts that will last for years.

“You can be a green angel,” Brodie said. “Create memories, not garbage.”

This is the sixth year that Metro Vancouver has carried out a waste reduction campaign during December which uses advertising at public transit facilities, in social media and news media.

In January 2013, after the 2012 Christmas campaign, a public opinion survey found that about half of those polled were aware of the campaign. One in four of those polled said that the advertising has some effect on the types of gifts they bought at Christmas.

“Waste reduction and recycling is Metro Vancouver’s first priority,” said Board Chair Greg Moore. “This seasonal campaign is just one of the many initiatives the regional district, its member municipalities and partners are undertaking to generate less garbage and recycle as much as we possibly can.”

Many Green Gift Ideas are posted on Metro Vancouver’s website, on the Create Memories, not Garbage pages. There are also electronic greeting cards and videos, such as Christmas Campaign – Create Memories, not Garbage and Christmas at the Landfill.

Residents can share their green gift ideas online at www.metrovancouver.org/christmas. Also, people are encouraged to share their ideas, memories etc using “#GreenAngel” on social media.