http://www.care2.com/greenliving/waste-less-this-gift-giving-season.html
Waste Less This Gift-Giving Season
With the holiday season upon us (or so the circulars tell me) I thought I’d devote today’s column to gift giving. Let’s face it folks, for a lot of us, its not going to be the big present year that we were hoping for. The economy is in the gutter, year-end bonuses have gone with it, and many people are trying to figure out what to do for the holidays.
For starters, let’s all take a deep breath, grab some couch, and think about the gifts that we have given and received in the past few years. Can you remember what you got last year? How about the year before? Can you remember what you gave someone eight years ago? If you’re like me, you basically have no clue.
Now, sit back, close your eyes for a minute, and think back to the first time you had dinner with your spouse, your child’s first school play, or the last time your entire family was together (well, maybe some don’t want to recall that one). If one of those specifics doesn’t apply, pick one that does. Does it make you smile when you think of it? Can you recall specifics of the particular event or happening? If you are like me, the answer to that question is yes because interpersonal experiences tend to hold much more long-term value than any plastic wrapped soon to break thing ever can.
So this year, how about breaking with tradition and laying off the stuff?
Instead of that new doll, electronic video game or stereophonic hi fidelity music replicator, why not give someone the gift of an experience. A lot of people have called me on the fact that if everyone stopped buying, the economy would collapse, and they might be right (I never really understood economics past my piggy bank so I’m assuming). Thankfully, giftless giving is a great way to bolster your local economy (emphasis on local there) and still keep yourself out of the whole production cycle.
Here are a few ideas for ya:
• Give someone a class that they never would have bought for themselves. I have an odd dream of someday learning to play the entire E.L.O. catalog on the bagpipes but for some reason have never looked into lessons. How psyched would I be if my wife read this and sent some kilt wearing Scotsman by the house to teach me how to play “Wild West Hero” (can someone please send this to the missus for me)?
• Clean up someone’s junk mail by signing them up for a junk mail reduction service. There are plenty of companies to take care of this for you, like Greendimes, who will actually plant five trees for you while they are at it. How cool is that? Eradicate their junk mail and plant some trees in their name–two gifts in one!
• Help someone else in the name of those you care about. By supporting a cause in someone else’s name, you not only help someone else, but you involve your recipient in creating a better world, and perhaps turn them onto something they might not have known about before. We send out a holiday e-card every year and let people know that we have made a micro-loan through Kiva to someone in a developing country. These loans (as small or large as you’d like them to be) help others pull themselves out of the poverty cycle by allowing them to build businesses. We link the newsletter to the actual persons page and the following year update everyone on how we did. Since we started this, every year we have been able to write that the loan we made the previous year was successfully paid back and then invest it in the next person. It’s a great way to share the holiday spirit and involve people in something good.
• Make something. Make a painting, a sculpture, dinner, their bed–whatever it is you think they might like. This is a much more personal way to show someone you care and has the added benefit of potentially costing little to no money.
These are just a few ideas and as always, I’m interested in hearing yours. The important point in all of this is that we show those that we love how much we care about them by NOT adding to the consumption/waste cycle. Let people know that you have strayed from the norm this year (whatever that is) and let them know why. My guess is they’ll appreciate it and you all the more.
Dave Chameides is an environmental educator, freelance filmmaker and regular contributor to Care2’s Healthy & Green Living. He also writes alternative fuel articles for Edmunds.com and maintains the blogs 365 Days of Trash and Achieving Sustainability. While he is presently saving all of his trash for a year to better understand his environmental impact, his main focus is sustainability through education and he believes that with knowledge all things are possible.
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19 comments
add your comment »I just found this list from the LA Times which was interesting: http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/food/la-fo-homemade10-2008dec10,0,2219134,full.story
We made a lot of homemade mince (no-sugar and fat-free vegan as well as traditional), pumpkin puree & toasted pumpkin seeds in reusable Mason jars...may toast and spice some pecans and almonds too!
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Magazine subscriptions, books, the arts are all ways to suppport the economy, give something useful and entertaining, and reduces the plastic junk. My brother has always been big on planning an outing with his nieces and nephews. That way you have present, outing and a time to remember all wrapped up in one, and you only need a hand made card or an envelope to wrap it in!
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I have always cut up old Christmas cards & used them as name tags on my gifts. As a child I wrapped my gifts in the comic section of the newspaper, my family made fun of me for doing that & I explained that the person could have a laugh while opening their gift. I still use plain brown paper for my gifts. I really don't like the garish colours under the tree. It looks so much nicer to see all the gifts wrapped in plain brown paper with just a simple ribbon, that way the tree actually is the main point, and the brown paper is recycable.
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If you are giving someone a present that needs to be wrapped you could make festive bags from scrap cloth and tie them with ribbon. Simply cut two pieces of cloth to proper size and sow them together inside out on three sides. Turn right side out, put your present in, and tie. Or you could get more fancy and line the inside with a different color cloth, this requires for similar sized pieces of cloth and a bit more sowing. They look really cute and they can be used over and over again.
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Hey Heather, Thanks for those links - I'll take a look when i have a free moment. i have had a pretty good experience with them, but that said, they ren't the only game in town. in fact, there is info on my site for how to do it yourself, just takes a fair amount of work.
Dave
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Greendimes may not be a great choice to go for. A little internet research comes up with quite a few less than satisfactory reviews... http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/market-movers/2007/08/14/revisiting-green-dimes
(and following article comments) might be worth checking out.
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We've re-used the same Christmas wrapping paper year after year. Some pieces are in tatters and have old labels and ribbons hanging off them -- it gets funnier and funnier to see these familiar patched-up wrappings, and adds humor, warmth, and nostalgia to the whole day! And of course -- saves trees and $$.
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Marcia G., the junk mail that's mentioned is the paper kind that you get in the mailbox that's at the end of your driveway - not the e-mail kind!!! You should click on the link and check it out. It's a great idea!
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In my family, there's a simple way to gift-giving: each person gets and gives only one gift. This includes the kids, of course - though they don't pay themselves, they help think up something special for the other person.
Among my friends (we're a pretty large bunch), we do the same thing, but we always give each other underwear - not very expensive, as a norm, but great for laughs!
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Nice article. We're exchanging donations in each family member's name of $25 per person to a charity of the family member's choosing -- except for the children; we're getting them books. The one suggestion in the article that I'd have a problem with if someone bought it for me is a junk mail cleaner. It's important to me to select my own software.
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