PITTSBURGH -- The United States produces about 6 million tons of extra waste between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

Channel 11 reporter Katrina Owens found out that if we make some small changes, we can make a big difference in how we affect the environment.

It seems every where you go in Pittsburgh there are Christmas lights this time of year.

They may be brightening your spirit, but your electric costs could be burning a hole in your pocketbook.

You can cut that bill by using LED lights. They are about 95 percent more efficient than standard light bulbs.

Maryann Donovan, the scientific director of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Environmental Oncology, said it costs about $18 a month to run a standard set of 100 Christmas lights. LEDs would cost 18 cents. They also use a lot less energy and lasts a lot longer.

LEDs are a bit pricier than standard bulbs, so you may want to wait for those after Christmas sales.

Another major waste generator is wrapping paper.

American's spend almost $3 billion a year on ribbons, paper and cards, and much of that ends up in landfills.

To cut down on that pile of trash:

-Reuse gift wrap, ribbons and cards.

-Buy wrapping paper made from recycled paper.

-Stay away from metallic papers, because they can't be recycled.

-Try using brown paper bags

If you're throwing a party, Donovan said; think about the kind of disposable dinnerware you use.

"How about paper instead of plastic? How about no Styrofoam?" She suggested.

If you like the smell of evergreen, stay away from aerosol sprays.

According to Donovan, "Aerosol sprays are a problem because they have petroleum chemicals that are used to aerosolize the other chemicals that are in that bottle, and none of those things are healthy for you."

Natural-scented oils may be a better choice.

It seems like every gadget we get needs batteries.

Donovan said batteries should never be thrown in the trash.

She suggested buying rechargeable batteries or finding a place that recycles batteries.

Many Radio Shack stores accept nickel cadmium batteries and other kinds of batteries for recycling.

Donovan knows not everyone can do all these things, but she said we need to be more aware of our footprints that we our lives leave in the world.

"If every household made a small change, that aggregate change would be huge," Donovan said.

To see some presents wrapped using items found around the home check out www.boakart.com.

For more information on recycling in Pennsylvania check out www.prc.org.