Green Gifting Tips & Tricks
Over the holidays we can get a bit carried away and become hyper-focused on the gifts we give and receive. But this holiday season let’s slow down and try to focus instead on how we can make our gifting greener!
Green gifting isn’t difficult; it just requires a shift in how we think. To help you get started here are some things I try to consider while gift giving.
Keep it Consumable
My top green gifting tip is to keep gifts useful!
Nobody needs more “stuff” lying around the house. Think about the gifts you’ve received that you don’t use and end up laying around in a closet somewhere. Instead, try to keep it consumable. If you can consume it, it’s not going to be wasted.
Some consumable gift ideas are chocolate (or hot chocolate), jams, some holiday baking, or a handcrafted item like mittens or a scarf. If you’re not into these ideas you could even gift a potted plant.
Normalize NOT Buying
You don’t need to go out and buy a gift for it to be thoughtful or meaningful. There are plenty of great gifts you can give without going out and shopping.
Try regifting unopened or unused items. There’s nothing wrong with regifting an item – especially if it’s something you’ve never used. If there’s someone in your life who would love it and use it then don’t hesitate to gift it!
Gifting sweet second-hand finds. A second hand item is a great gift. You can give a thoughtful gift and give an item a second lease on life.
Homemade gifts. Who doesn’t love getting delicious homemade treats? You don’t need to think outside the box for this. You can also gift a handcraft like a handmade ornament or a tin of homemade goods.
Sustainable Gift Wrap
Giftwrap can be so wasteful. The wrapping paper we have is single use. We tear it up and throw it out without a second thought. But there are SO MANY amazing alternatives! Here are some recommendations:
Use cloth gift wrapping like furoshiki wrap, tea towels, or extra fabric.
Try reusable bags (cloth or paper). Do your best to avoid bags with glitter or plastic and try to get actual paper bags instead.
Use the newspaper comics (or the crossword).
Try measuring and being super precise with your wrapping paper to avoid wastage.
Purchase the paper wrapping instead of the plasticized kind. Plasticized paper often can’t be recycled and the brown paper parcel look is very cozy and cute.
Instead of using plastic bows, make your own cloth bows or decorate your gifts with items from nature such as pine cones or pine needles (as a bonus it makes the gift smell pretty).
Use festive tins (there are tons at the second hand stores).
Also, as I’m sure everyone is accustomed to me saying this by now, don’t throw out what you’ve already bought! Use it up, give it to a friend, trade it on a trading app or on Facebook marketplace - there’s always someone who can’t afford the alternative.
Hot tip for gift opening: Do so carefully so you can reuse tissue paper, or even wrapping paper if it’s a big enough sheet. I know some people hate that, but I’m that person. Sorry not sorry! Also - fold up your tissue paper so it keeps well.
Shop Local
This may be obvious, but when buying a gift for someone, try to shop local (or as local as possible). We have so many amazing local or even Canadian-made goods that there’s no reason not to support a local business over the holidays. Head online and see what local alternatives you can find or shop your local holiday markets.
When buying gifts for family far away I try to look up local shops in their area and purchase from them. This saves on shipping costs and avoids the worry of shipping delays.
Keep it Financially Sustainable
The holidays can be expensive, which can cause a lot of financial stress. We can all do our part to be respectful of the financial strain and recognize that not every family can afford to go all out.
Instead of buying gifts for everyone, try a re-gift swap where everyone brings a regifted item to a classic gift exchange. Or maybe for large families, try drawing a name. Have everyone draw a name at the start of the month and only buy for one person each year instead of for everyone.
One final tip I’ll leave you with is this: if you are purchasing items - consider if the item is good quality. Items that will last are always more sustainable than the alternative. Even if they’re from big box stores (gasp!) or made with plastic (double gasp!).
Now hopefully you are well equipped to head out and get green gifting!
