There is a noticeable global shift in attitude about the holidays. With an increased focus on having more personal fulfillment and a less-stressful holiday season, this attitude is reflected in family traditions and gift giving. Sometimes the most treasured gifts we can give are our time, love and energy. And when we do spend the green on presents, we can be more conscious about finding green gifts for our friends and loved one.
No matter which of the holidays you celebrate during the season, finding presents that align with your “green” values, and your friends and loved ones’ tastes doesn’t have to be a challenge. Today, as more companies make environmentally responsible products, tracking down the perfect green gift can be downright fun. And if you don’t want to be a frenzied consumer, there are other alternatives to gift giving.
Giving a gift from the heart doesn’t have to pack a wallop to your wallet or the planet. Instead of asking, “How much should I spend?” think about asking, “Does it make a minimal impact on the lanet?”
For like-minded environmentalists, the “green” gifts that often come to mind are intangible presents that deliver green good long after the holidays and won’t end up as clutter in a closet. Some ways to give back to the earth:
- Donate time or money to a charity in honor of the gift recipient
- Buy carbon offsets in the recipient’s name. These let you pay someone else to cut greenhouse gas pollution.
- Give a national parks pass or a membership to botanical gardens or aquariums.
- For an extra-special gift, plan an eco-vacation.
- Membership to a museum or nonprofit organization is always a good green idea.
- Help someone recycle – give a can crusher, a set of recycling bins or a recycling cart.
- Give a garden! Seeds, gloves, tools, etc.
- Make personalized “coupons,” such as a night off from dish duty, a foot massage, etc.
- Energy-saving light bulbs.
- Reusable lunch bag.
- Refillable pens.
- Reusable coffee cup.
- Gift basket filled with non-toxic household cleaners.
- Cloth napkins and rings.
- House plant.
- Solar watch or calculator.
Although annual holiday celebrations are among the most joyous times of the year, they can also be the least environmentally friendly. Even those of us who are careful about wasteful acts the rest of the year can get caught up in the chaos. Let’s unwrap some ideas for keeping your celebrations greener.
Every year, there are 2.65 billion holiday cards sold in the U.S. That’s enough to fill a football stadium field ten stories high! Look for cards that contain recycled content or are actually recycled materials. You can make your own cards out of scrap paper found around the house. You could use old cards as name tags for presents or for colorful artwork to decorate your house. Reduce, reuse and recycle.
Wrapping paper is often used once and thrown away.Try using colorful pages torn from magazines to wrap small gifts, and old maps or the Sunday comics for larger boxes. Avoid using paper entirely by using reusable decorative tins, baskets or boxes. If you do buy wrapping paper, look for ones made of recycled paper. Reusable cloth ribbons can be used in place of plastic bows. And the ultimate green wrap contribution for the environment is to unwrap gifts carefully and save wrappings for reuse next year.
If you’re looking for a gift-wrap alternative, you can use scarves, hankerchiefs or bandanas. Old posters and maps can be put to good re-use, as can pages from a child’s coloring book taped together. Try putting a present in a present, like a hat tucked into a matching scarf, jewelry in a wooden box, cookies in a reusable tin or cookie jar, barbecue grill utensils or picnic supplies in a tablecloth, kitchen gifts in towels or all-purpose cloths.
If you need packing material, some enviro-friendly ideas are popcorn, which can be scattered for the birds, or biodegradable starch packing peanuts and/or ads from the newspaper.
For a final touch on your wrapped gift you can reuse bows or decorate with reusable items like hair bows, ornaments, shoe laces or toys. Old neckties, scarves or spices, like bundled cinnamon sticks or cloves in mesh cloth make a special gift topper.
If you’re looking for green decorations to deck the halls and keep the holidays even greener, try using some treasured memorabilia, such as a child’s first shoe or grandma’s hankie scented with perfume. And an old full skirt can be used as a tree skirt and you can decorate your tree with old jewelry, like necklaces, earrings or bracelets and mall stuffed animals and toys, even cookie cutters.
A dressed-up doll as a tree-topper and the garland can be fashioned from popcorn and cranberry strings (can be eaten by animals after the holidays) or buttons knotted on a sturdy length of string.
Giving and going green for the holidays can have an environmental impact all year long, and better yet, your family will be caught up in the true spirit of the season by your good enrivo-example.