1) Choose green gifts.
-new items made from sustainable materials such as glass, wood, bamboo, metal, cotton, hemp, and silk. Avoid plastic.
-Give second hand items. When you buy a second hand item, not only are you giving it a new life (think reuse, and recycle), but you are not affecting the market for the production of the item. So if you want to buy an item that may not be made from sustainable materials, buy it second hand.
-Food items are always a great idea! They are practical and won't go to waste. Everyone eats. Just be sure that the item is not wrapped in excessive packaging materials.
-Give experiences. People love to experience life in fun ways. Tickets to an event, ice skating, rock climbing, and pottery painting are great gifts!
-Give lessons or classes. A cooking class is a fun way to learn new techniques in the kitchen. Dance, swim, or other lessons can be too pricey for some families to afford without help. These types of gifts will enrich a persons life.
-Give gift memberships to a local museum, zoo, or park. Show you care by giving these gifts that will provide benefits all year long.
-Give services. A gift certificate for a house or car cleaning is always appreciated. You can get creative with this one. Perhaps a young couple could use a couple hours of babysitting services. You can walk a neighbors dog, cook dinner for new parents. Services such as massage, hair cuts, mani- and pedicures are also great.
-Give gifts made from recycled stuff. For instance, I don't want to contribute to deforestation so this year I looked for Christmas cards that were made from 100% recycled material. There is enough stuff that humanity has already extracted from the Earth that it is completely reasonable to expect more things to be made from recycled material. Especially the disposable items.
-Home made gifts are a classic hit. I love anticipating what my mom has creatively imagined and made for us each year!
-Donate to a good cause in the name of your loved one. Many people will appreciate this type of gift more than getting stuff for themselves.
-Try to avoid disposable items. We don't need more stuff in landfills.
2) Decorate responsibly.
-Get a live tree. This one is debatable, but I believe that using a real tree (preferably a live one that you will plant after Christmas) is better for the Earth than a fake one that is reusable. Christmas tree farms are generally operated in a sustainable fashion, otherwise they wouldn't have trees the next year. Furthermore, a visit to a tree farm to choose and cut a tree is a great family adventure. If you are still not sold on this one, consider the health benefits a live tree would offer vs. a fake tree. Fake trees are made using chemicals, plastics, and other synthetic materials that emit pollutants into the air that we breath such a VOCs (volatile organic compounds). While live trees and plants absorb carbon and filter the air we breathe.
-Try not to buy plastic decorations. I have bins full of these things in the basement that I purchased before I fully understood the impact of my purchasing decisions. I'll continue to use these, but I am not buying them anymore.
-If you do buy new decorations by things that are made sustainably from 100% recycled materials or renewable natural materials.
-My kids love to make decorations from things around the house. This is a great way to re-use and recycle.
-LED (light-emitting diode) lights are the best type to use. They use the least amount of energy and provide a much longer life for the lights.
3) Gift wrapping can be fun, beautiful, and sustainable!
-First off, use what you have. I have a bunch of gift bags that I have saved from various events that I will re-use. My daughter likes to save the paper from her gifts to use again. There are many things that can be dressed up for use as gift wrap. To minimize contributing to the market for deforestation by purchasing wrapping paper, use some of these instead: newspaper, old maps, calendar pages, coloring pages, fabric, and magazines. Another idea is to wrap a gift in a towel or other item that can be considered part of the gift. Check out these ideas:
http://www.wisebread.com/15-cheap-clever-and-attractive-ways-to-save-on-gift-wrapping-paper
http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/green-home/10-stylish-sustainable-ways-wrap-gifts/
https://www.pinterest.com/ecoartware/diy-gift-wrap-eco-friendly/
one year Santa used artwork that the kids made on reclaimed paper to wrap gifts.
Thanks for reading and enjoy your holidays!
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