Ah, the holidays. Everything seems a little bit brighter, shinier, more hopeful and -- trashier?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day than they do during the rest of the year. That increase amounts to a 25-million ton gift of trash for Mother Earth -- much worse than getting a lump of coal in her stocking. But the holidays don't have to be trashier! Here are some tips for making the holidays more environmentally friendly.

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HOLIDAY CARDS: Happy Holidays! While it's nice seeing the mailbox full of holiday cards with nice wishes and greetings, those cards make up a large percent of the added paper waste during the holidays. Here's a plan of attack for reducing that waste:

-- Send e-cards: http://www.bluemountain.com/ , http://www.amazon.com/gp/ecards/homepage , http://www.123greetings.com/ . Or instead of a holiday card featuring a family portrait, send a holiday video greeting by YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/wfkf6 .

-- Try paring down the list of family and friends to whom you send paper cards.

-- Avoid the shiny and foiled holiday cards; they can't be recycled.

-- Write your holiday message on a paper insert instead of on the card itself so that the card can be reused.

-- Get creative and make cards out of magazines, last year's wrapping paper or last year's holiday cards.

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CHRISTMAS TREES: Plastic or Pine? It's hard to say which is more environmentally friendly. The virtue of plastic trees is their reusability, but the downside is that they are made with petroleum-based products and often shipped from abroad, on fossil-fuel-guzzling container ships.

The use of natural trees also poses environmental drawbacks. Christmas-tree plantations retain less carbon dioxide than the natural hardwood and pine forests that the plantations are replacing, according to a recent Ohio State University study. Piles of discarded trees decomposing in landfills also emit the gas associated with global warming.

Here are some pointers for making your tree eco-friendly:

-- If you can, opt for a tree grown using organic farming methods.

-- Bring your Christmas tree to a local recycling center so that it can be used for mulch, beachfront erosion prevention, and lake and river shoreline stabilization: http://www.earth911.org/master.asp

-- If you live in the Portland, Oregon area, you can rent a Christmas tree: http://www.livingchristmastrees.org/

-- Buy a live potted tree that you can plant outside after the holidays.

-- Avoid buying tinsel and other non-recyclable decorations. Do it up old-school style and string up some popcorn and berries.

-- Buy LED (light emitting diode) Christmas tree lights instead of the conventional ones. They use 95 percent less energy, last longer and give off little heat. You'll ultimately recoup the higher price in lower electric bills.

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TRAVEL: Tis the season to travel. If you are flying or driving during the holidays consider buying your carbon offset: http://www.terrapass.com/index.html The money will be used to fund renewable energy sources thus balancing out your carbon emissions.

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GIFTS: It's the thought that counts, and it truly counts when you consider what your friends and family really need or want before buying a material gift. When in doubt there are other options:

-- Give a gift that tastes or smells good. A gift of chocolate or pretty flowers ensures that your gift will be enjoyed, consumed, and not wasted.

-- Give gift certificates, tickets to movie theatres, plays, or concerts, or piano lessons and pottery classes. No packaging (or batteries) required.

-- Make a charitable donation in the name of your giftee. It makes both the giver and receiver feel good.

-- Get crafty. Knit a scarf or stencil a t-shirt. A handmade gift tends to be appreciated much more and much longer than one that was bought.

Shopping online is a big time saver, but gifts bought on the Web tend to have more packaging and require the use of extra fuel for their shipping. Buy from stores in your area if possible and be sure to bring your own bag so as not to use up disposable shopping bags.

If you do buy online, here are ways to reduce the environmental cost:

-- Make sure to consolidate your online purchases.

-- Buy gifts that don't require a lot of extra packaging.

-- Recycle the boxes and the packing peanuts: http://tinyurl.com/y8ad8g .

Gift wrap is often made from virgin materials and constitutes another large part of the extra paper waste made during the holidays.

-- Try using alternative materials for wrapping gifts like newspapers (the comics are always colorful), magazines, or old maps.

-- Buy wrapping paper that can be recycled. Again avoid the shiny.

-- Wrap with fabric or cloth using the Japanese art of Furoshiki: http://tinyurl.com/ye2zqb .

-- Don't wrap at all. Use gift bags that are easy to store and reuse next year.

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HOLIDAY PARTIES: Don't party like there's no tomorrow.

- Rent dishes, utensils, and glassware instead of buying disposable ones.

- Prevent wasting food by planning your meals carefully and giving any leftovers to guests or your local food bank.

- Turn down the thermostat just before guests arrive. There's no heat like collective body heat.

- Car pool to holiday parties and you can coordinate a designated driver at the same time.

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asap reporter Jacky Myint is based in New York.

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