Month 7 #12challengePLASTIC: Gifts
In my family, we always kick off December with a day of “Holiday Extravaganza.” The day after Thanksgiving, my sister and her family, my parents and my family dive in to all-things-Christmas. We break out the Christmas pjs and tacky sweaters, play Christmas music all day, drink egg nog, mulled wine, cut out paper snowflakes, make Christmas pudding…we are all in. We laugh and laugh and act very silly. Welcome to the holidays!
When the kick-off festivities are over, it’s time to get down to business - time to decorate and make the gift list.
There seems to be a few phases in holiday shopping:
You start out with measured intention, thinking ahead.
You come up with some thoughtful ideas, feeling proud. What a nice list.
You start shopping, realize you’ve forgotten some things, then you just start grabbing stuff, ending up with some gifts you know are bordering on junk. Ugh. Check anyway.
You wrap the gifts and wait for the special time to share.
You open gifts, pulling off blister packs, fighting your way through the packaging in which some things seem to come imprisoned (hello, kid toys).
You haul out a big - big - pile of trash.
I don’t know about you, but that pattern causes me a lot of anxiety. And I love the holidays, so I’d rather pass on that story line and find a better way…but will creating new gift-giving habits cause even more stress this season?
It doesn’t have to…
Here are some easy ideas to give gifts without the waste!
1. Notice the plastic
Before you start shopping, or while you browse the shelves or shopping sites, notice what is made from plastic or packaged in plastic.
Is there another similar choice you can substitute?
Can you find an option that isn’t packaged in single-use plastic?
2. Explore easy ways to gift plastic-free
Make simple choices - It may be as simple as choosing the stuffed animal over the action figure, a book or game, a notebook set, a plant, a sweater, or the slippers that aren’t in a plastic pouch. Just review your options.
DIY - Give home-baked goods, soup mixes, bath salts, stamped dish towels, knitted items, art work… DIY can be an easy and meaningful way to show your love! Worried about a “pinterest fail”? Choose a DIY that you will enjoy and won’t stress you out.
Gift experiences - a dinner, a small vacation, a visit to a kid’s museum or zoo, a morning hike and brunch…whatever your person enjoys, see what you can offer. Experiences give a lot more memories than socks or toys!
Look for gifts that support zero-waste initiatives - there are so many great options out there, and they are serious about reducing waste. A quick google for “sustainable gifts” or “zero waste gifts” will yield you LOTS of great options!
Shop local and support small businesses - you’ll be working more closely with the creator of the goods, making it easier to request less plastic packaging. You will be supporting your local economy and giving something with a story and deeper roots than an item zooming in from Amazon.
3. Wrap responsibly
Steer clear of plastic bags, shrink wrap, glittered or plastic-coated wrapping papers, ribbons, stickers and bags - all of which becomes garbage after the few moments of gift-giving fame.
Choose natural materials, paper bags and wrapping, natural twine, tissue paper, reused, recycled or upcycled wrapping material - you can recycle it all after opening!
Choose fabric, dish towels, fabric napkins, reusable produce or shopping bags, and other materials that can have a second life after serving as wrapping.
Decorate the package with a sprig of holly, rosemary, shells, or other natural materials.
Take this month to examine what you give, where you shop and how you wrap, and look for plastic-free alternatives. Small choices make a big difference!
While you make your list and do your shopping, take a moment to consider the material and packaging of the gifts, and see what changes you can make to step away from single-use plastic one day at a time!
Take the #12challengePLASTIC and join us today!
This month:
Review your gift list. What experiences or lasting gifts can you give this year?
Choose gifts with the least plastic packaging. What types of plastic-free gift ideas can you come up with?
Remember your reusable bags when you shop!
Wrap gifts without the plastic waste.
Share about your journey on The Clean Up Project Facebook page!