Sustainable Holiday Tips | Best Veg Eats: Golden State Goes Green

CALIFORNIA — California is one of the most environmentally-friendly states in the U.S. This month, a man created stunning holiday displays using water bottles, a surcharge on single-use plastic cups was enacted and a nonprofit organization helped clean up 10,000 pounds of trash from a California town.

Plus, we have some holiday sustainability tips, the best vegetarian restaurants in California, and a luxury resort was awarded for their sustainability efforts.

California makes strides to become more environmentally-friendly on a daily basis. Here are some stories about how the Golden State is going green:

Waste Not This Thanksgiving Holiday: Tips And Tricks

Here are some amazing and fun ideas to make sure you are staying green this Thanksgiving holiday!

San Leandro Man Creates Stunning Water Bottle Holiday Displays
Each holiday season, Antonio Cardenas builds grand displays in his front yard using water bottles—this year's may be his most ambitious yet.

ZeroTrash Is "Picking it Up" In Rancho Santa Margarita!

ZeroTrash has removed over 10,000 lbs. of trash from RSM streets and the wilderness areas surrounding our city! TEN THOUSAND POUNDS!

Think Tank Warns: CA Must Step Up To Meet Climate Change Goals
A California think tank is sounding the alarm that the state isn't on track to meet ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Best Restaurants For Vegetarians In CA: OpenTable's 2019 List
The online reservation company OpenTable has released its "50 Best Restaurants for Vegetarians in America" list for 2019.

Terranea Resort Presented Award For Sustainability Efforts
Terranea Resort received an award for innovation at the 12th Annual South Bay Environmental Excellence Development Ceremony.

Surcharge On Single-Use Plastic Cups Enacted In Santa Cruz County
Businesses will be required to charge customers 25 cents more for a single-use disposable cup.

Laguna Bluebelt Leader Voted Cox Conserves Hero
Jinger Wallace was awarded $10,000 toward her community based non-profit, dedicated to protecting local marine life & restoring the coast.

Here's A Tip To Go Green: The holidays are fast approaching, which means big family meals and a lot of present wrapping. But the holidays don't have to create excess waste. Here are some holiday sustainability tips from Dan Jacobson, from the nonprofit group Environment California:

• When you go shopping for presents, bring your own bags. We are all in the habit of doing it for the groceries, but you should do it for your gift-giving bags as well.
• Speaking of gifts, wrap them in recycled paper products. In addition to recycled paper products, you can also use cloth or newspaper.
• The best gift of all is the gift of time, so instead of buying something for someone, spend time with them at a local restaurant or coffee shop.
• Turn off the holiday lights at 10 p.m. If it's hard to remember, grab a timer for the lights so they automatically shut off.