Sustainable Gift Giving this Holiday Season
With the holidays around the corner, people have begun to get in the celebratory spirit. For many, this includes excess in multiple aspects but most notoriously, consumerism. The average American tosses out 25% more trash during the holidays than any other time of year. Given the environmental and climate crises, more and more people want to incorporate sustainability into their daily lives, and this includes sustainable gift-giving. If you're looking to go a little greener this holiday season, read some of Probity Marketing's tips for eco-friendly gift options.
Gift an experience rather than an object.
I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of purchasing something we “need” only to find this particular item gathering dust on the shelf. In this day and age, we have such short attention spans for goods, often chasing the high of buying the latest gadget or newest toy. For a more meaningful and memorable gift, why not purchase an experience that you can share with your loved ones, such as a cooking class, a spa day, or a concert? Looking for something a bit more adventurous or outdoorsy? Try adventure booking a camping trip or renting a cabin for a weekend getaway. All these options create beautiful memories instead of more clutter in your loved one’s home.
Gift something digitally.
With gathering restrictions and mandated work from home, many found themselves celebrating the holidays remotely over the past two years. While the world is cautiously opening up again, a benefit has been a boom in digital content that can be gifted anywhere around the world. Some of our favorite options include virtual fitness memberships, online skill classes, online subscriptions to audiobook services or streaming platforms, and digital games. If you’re in the market for a more unique gift, give your fashionista friend an online personal stylist session or the coworker that constantly talks about home decor a digital home stylist consultation.
Gift secondhand.
Thrifting and second-hand clothing have become more common among environmentally conscious circles, which is trendy amongst some. High-end second-hand shops and luxury goods resellers are breaking down the stigma of buying used items by offering name-brand accessories and clothing at more affordable prices. If you'd still prefer to give a physical object, gifting second-hand items or clothing is an excellent sustainable alternative to the usual holiday consumerism.
Look for sustainable packaging.
One of the highest carbon footprints of gift giving is the packaging, and approximately 36% of all plastic produced is used to create packaging, a whopping 85% of which ends up in landfills. Eco-friendly packaging has become more popular as people mitigate their carbon footprint and can be found in big-box stores. Look for easily recycled packaging like non-glossy cardboard, paper, or even compostable bags. Some environmentally forward companies, like Jiminy Toys, focus solely on creating eco-friendly items in sustainable packaging. They utilize only innovative bio-plastics (100% from plants), recycled cardboard, and paper in their packaging. More giant corporations will follow suit as more consumers demand eco-friendly alternatives to plastic packaging alternatives.
Use alternatives to gift wrap.
According to Earth911, approximately 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper is produced in the U.S. each year, and about 2.3 million pounds end up in landfills. While most wrapping papers, gift bows, and ribbons are not recyclable, there are more environmentally friendly options. For a pretty and paper-free gift-wrapping solution, use a nice fabric (or a lovely scarf that can be an additional gift!) and tie it closed. You can also use old newspapers, butcher paper, magazines or maps to wrap gifts in a unique way or upcycle boxes you may have lying around. If you'd like to make them more festive, paint or colour the paper or packages, or garnish them with DIY gift bows made of recyclable materials commonly found at home.
Although knowing where to start in your journey to living a more environmentally conscious lifestyle can be intimidating, we hope these tips on eco-friendly gift-giving give you some knowledge and inspiration to be more sustainable this holiday season.
