We’re in the middle of the holiday season, and U.S. residents are expected to break spending records again this year. The National Retail Federation predicts that in 2025, total spending on year-end gifts will exceed $1 trillion for the first time.
Manufacturing and transporting these gifts takes a lot of materials, energy, packaging, and gasoline. All of these processes release global warming gases into the atmosphere.
However, many environmental impacts are avoidable. Making, baking, saving, or not using traditional wrapping paper are all ways to give gifts that are more earth-friendly. Here are tips for doing it all.
Homemade doesn’t have to be difficult
Indeed, if you have the skills to spin a wooden bowl or needle a Christmas stocking, then those gifts are guaranteed to be unique and meaningful. But not all of us have the knowledge or time.
Sandra Goldmark, associate dean of engagement and impact at Columbia Climate School, said one of her favorite options is an act of service to a loved one. For example, one year her husband organized all her passwords for her.
“It wasn’t easy to wrap it up and put it under the tree, but believe me, it made sense and really helped me more than all the extra stuff cluttering up my house,” she said.
Another winner is food. For example, if you have a long list of recipients, buy the ingredients in bulk and pack them into mason jars. Cookie mixes, soup mixes, sourdough starters, and spice mixes can all be easily sealed and transported. Add ribbon and cedar sprigs for a festive feel. Homemade baked goods and snacks are also available.
“It’s cheap, but it takes care, time and attention,” says sustainable living educator Sarah Robertson Burns.
Give an experience instead of buying extra stuff
The advice here starts simple. “Reduce the amount of things you buy.” The best way to give gifts in a more sustainable way is to buy less new items, Goldmark said.
Stockings are a common place for toys that break down quickly and end up in landfills. Instead, you can fill the stocking with things your friend or family member will need anyway, like a toothbrush or body wash, or treats like fruit or chocolate.
Having someone else do the experience for you is also a popular option. That could mean two concert tickets, a day at the spa, a gift card to a favorite local restaurant, a local news subscription, or a membership to a local garden or zoo, which the recipient can use as often as they like. Research shows that experiences are more effective than material gifts.
“There’s a lot you can do by just saying, ‘I’d love it if you cooked me a nice meal or took me on some adventure,'” says Atal Herziger, an environmental psychologist and assistant professor at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology.
She recommends local options like nearby hikes and staycations.
Not sure what kind of experience your loved one would prefer? Herziger says don’t make it too complicated and just ask.
go vintage
Second-hand gifts are easier on the planet because they don’t require the hassle of manufacturing, packaging, and shipping. Robertson-Burns uses Facebook Marketplace and local Buy Nothing groups to find items she would have bought new.
“Maybe someone has what you’re looking for and wants to get rid of it,” she said.
Goldmark is looking for small toys and mugs at thrift stores. Record stores, used bookstores, furniture stores, and antique shops are also options. And of course, big companies like eBay and Goodwill can also help you find rare and unique bargains.
If buying second-hand doesn’t work for the recipient, Goldmark said, focus on items that are high quality, long-lasting, repairable and truly needed. This will ensure that your investment is worth it and will reduce your chances of getting your money back. To reduce the distance your gift has to travel, buy locally instead of ordering online.
Wrapping is also important
Millions of pounds of wrapping paper end up in landfills every year. Many of them are mixed with plastic to make them shiny and cannot be recycled.
Robertson Burns says if you already have wrapping paper on hand, you should use it instead of wasting it. But if you run out, she recommends reusable furoshiki, such as furoshiki, a traditional Japanese cloth, to give as a gift.
Some experts recommend gift bags as long as they can be reused instead of thrown away.
Another cheaper and more earth-friendly alternative to wrapping paper is newspaper or brown paper bags. Tie on some reusable ribbons, pine cones, or candy canes and it suddenly feels festive.
Plus, brown paper is a blank canvas with endless possibilities for customization. “If you have kids, their drawings make great wrapping materials. They make the best wrapping paper,” Herziger says.
Wells writes for the Associated Press.
