Everyone is different and things can change year to year, but there are many adults in the privileged position of not really needing much in the way of “stuff.” Of course there are times when we do need something and by all means, make it a holiday gifting opportunity! But so many times, we struggle with “What in the world am I going to get for Dad this year? There’s literally nothing he needs and he just buys everything he wants himself.”
Here are some things you could consider trying with your families and communities. Each group is different and you know them best, so pick what you think will work. Try not to force anything too wild on them at first.
- Give fewer, more high quality gifts. Pool your cash with a few others to get a big ticket item. This is often better than getting a bunch of smaller things that can prove less useful to the recipient.
- Buy sustainable when possible. Yes, that can mean secondhand! Let’s please (!!) break the stigma of giving secondhand gifts – just because they’re pre-loved doesn’t mean they’ve lost their value. I would be (and have been) so thrilled if someone got me a cool yard sale find and hopefully saved a little cash in the process. Of course, do your research to make sure the item still works, doesn’t have major damage, etc.!
- Shop small or go homemade. Especially now with Covid restrictions, supply chain issues, and for other sky-is-falling reasons, small businesses need our support. Amazon will survive without us. Target will too. Vote with your dollars, consider supporting BIPOC- and women-owned businesses, even if you have to go a bit out of your way. Also consider tapping into your own creative side. What can you make that’s useful to others?
- Gift sustainable swaps! There are a bunch of ideas here in the Zero/Low Waste category and there are so many more out there. If someone wants to dip their toes into a low- or zero-waste lifestyle, help give them a nudge. This is great too because we know that some swaps have a larger upfront cost, which might be more appropriate for a gift-giving situation.
- Choose experiences over things. That way, the recipient gets to enjoy the gift without having to worry about “stuff” piling up. Think vouchers for fitness classes, museum tickets, a spa day, even an Airbnb gift card to help fund their next vacation! A note on gift cards: try to avoid physical plastic cards if it’s possible. I’ve done a lot of research to find ways to recycle those and it’s nearly impossible for now, so they have to end up going in the trash. Paper is better, digital is best!
- Gift consumables. We all have basic necessities and those can be great gifts too. Food (either homemade or grocery store $$), soap, TP, you get the picture. If I’m going to be buying it anyways, why not help a girl out and buy it for me? I’d be happy to get any of these as gifts.
- Cash. Always. Works. To quote Cardi B, “There’s nothing in this world that I like more than checks.”
- Pay attention to the packaging. Traditional gift wrap isn’t typically recyclable because it contains “extras” (read: plastic) to make it shiner than regular paper. Plus bows, ribbons, etc. There are tons of creative ways to wrap gifts, like using extra brown paper bags you might have lying around, using the Japanese Furoshiki method of wrapping in cloth, or simply reusing gift bags year after year. Embrace your inner mother and save those bags, people! Remember, the most sustainable option is the one you already own.
Source: Some of these ideas were inspired by TerraCycle’s blog post “6 Sustainable Holiday Shopping Tips“.
For more tangible ideas on sustainable gift-giving, check out Kate Hall’s (of @EthicallyKate) blog post. It’s *mostly* relevant, just ignore the fact that they’re talking about lovely summer activities you can do during the holidays, since she’s based in New Zealand.
This website has a lot of great info on more ways to simplify the holidays without eliminating any of the cheer! If what you’ve already read has resonated with you, check it out.