Going green has become an important thing as of late; with all the pollution created by man, it is important for us to try to reduce it as much as possible. While not all of us can affect things on a global scale, we can change the things in our daily lives. One way to do this is to replace things we use often with environmentally friendly products. We can use paper lanterns to help us do this.
When we use paper lanterns, we are preventing some of the pollution that comes from the manufacturing of plastic. Paper lanterns are some of the simplest objects one can find; they often consist of only paper, wire, an expander, and a candle. Or, in electrically-lit lanterns, a socket and bulb will take the place of the candle.
When shopping for a paper lantern, be sure to ask the manufacturer if its product is made with recycled materials or not; try to only buy from manufacturers who do make an effort to preserve our environment. Paper lanterns which contain metal expanders are more environmentally friendly than those with plastic expanders, as plastics require the use of fossil fuels to create. As an added bonus, the metal expanders are safer and less likely to melt.
You do not always have to buy a paper lantern, for you can make one yourself. The simplest kinds of lanterns are those made from just a paper bag set on the ground with a candle inside. During Christmas, you can follow the Spanish tradition of using a white paper bag candle lantern; they are very beautiful. When you are making your own paper lantern, be sure to use only bags made from one hundred percent recycled materials; this way, you know you are doing your best to protect our environment.
If you are using an electrically-lit paper lantern, try to use compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFCs. CFCs are much more powerful than regular incandescent bulbs, and they will give off much, much more light per watt. Therefore, you can light an area with a CFC for almost a third of the electricity as you would use with an incandescent bulb!
If you are using candle-lit lanterns, mosquito repellent candles can be used instead of regular candles for an added benefit. Next time you are outside having dinner with your family, try using mosquito repellent candles in your paper lanterns. You can enjoy a dinner, mosquito-free, with the ones you love, while at the same time feeling good that you are doing your part to protect our environment.
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