Dear Heloise: You always advocate for recycling, reusing and making every effort to help our planet. So, I thought you might like to remind your readers during this gift-giving season to save packing materials and reuse them if and when they have a need to mail something. All that bubble wrap, Styrofoam and tissue paper can be stored in bags and boxes in a closet, attic or garage. Tons of these packing materials end up in landfills where they help no one and actually do harm to this planet, so it’s better to reuse them.

Save your leftover wrapping paper rather than tossing in the trash. Or, if you must, run it through a paper shredder and use it as packing material for some other occasion.

We all live on one small planet. Let’s take care of it. — Carlos H., Downey, California

DUI TROUBLE

Dear Heloise: Before the recent holiday break, my son and his college friends went to a party. They had a little too much to drink, and on the way back to the dorms, they were pulled over by the police.

Needless to say, the driver was arrested for driving under the influence. Please warn your readers about drinking and driving. My son and his friends might be young, but they all knew better than to mix alcohol and stupidity.

While they didn’t have an accident, and no one was physically injured, the ramifications from their actions have had some serious consequences. The friend who was driving was asked to leave his fraternity. (Apparently, this was just one of several infractions of the house rules.) His father took away his car since it was in his father’s name, and his insurance now costs more.

On top of all this, his fiancee dumped him, returned his ring and won’t speak to him. It’s been a lesson learned the hard way. — Mom in Colorado

Mom in Colorado, I’m glad they have seen what can happen, and they’re very lucky that things weren’t worse. If the driver had hit another car or person, he could be facing a prison sentence.

Tell your son to always have a designated driver who doesn’t drink. The boys can take turns in rotation, or they could try not drinking alcohol at parties. They’ll definitely feel better the next day. — Heloise