We’re heading into the festive season and many of us are thinking about gift giving as an enduring part of our festive traditions.
Gift giving can be a way of acknowledging the people we care about and expressing our love for them. It can be fun to receive thoughtful gifts too!
But gift giving can be far from ideal. For the giver it can create stress with the pressure to find the ‘perfect gift’ and of course financial stress if you’re lucky enough to have lots of loved ones (or loved ones with expensive tastes)! As a receiver there is the pressure of pretending to love things you don’t, and doing something with all the stuff you didn’t really need.
The earth pays a hefty price with our gift giving habits when you consider the impact of this excess consumption. According to the Huffington Post Australians receive over 20 million unwanted gifts on Christmas day each year, and half of these wasted gifts end up in landfill. The carbon emissions from the production, transport, wrapping, disposal and returns of all these unwanted gifts would be staggering.
How do we hold on to our values when we approach the festive season? How can gift giving become a way to practice earth-care while showing our love to others thoughtfully?
Contemplating sustainable gift giving
Like most things, good decisions start with thinking time. Try spending some time contemplating questions such as:
- What are the best gifts I’ve ever received and why? You might notice they are not expensive ‘things’, but more meaningful and personal.
- Who do I need to and who do I want to give gifts to this year? Often we get into the habit of giving gifts to many people and it’s not really wanted or necessary.
- How does my loved one receive love and feel valued? For some people, gifts are really meaningful. For others, spending time together or helping them out with a particular task might make them feel more loved.
Sustainable gifts that don’t cost the earth
Let’s not forget the environmental impact of the gifts. A needed and beloved gift is great, a needed, beloved and earth-friendly gift is even better!
Here are some earth-conscious gift ideas to consider this Christmas.
1. Secondhand
The taboo around giving secondhand things is waning and should be gone forever because it’s so good for the planet and your wallet. Try op shops, garage sales, verge collections and online platforms like Facebook Marketplace.
2. Homemade
Nothing communicates appreciation more than a lovingly handmade gift. The trick is to make something the receiver will like and enjoy. Food items and homemade body products are a great choice since they’re readily consumed and unlikely to become unwanted clutter.
Check out our blog for recipes like fermented hot sauce or basil pesto. The Urban Nanna blog is also full of great ideas.
3. Experiences
Most of us have more than enough ‘stuff’ in our lives. Experiences are a great alternative, especially when it’s something you can do or share with your recipient.
We’re completely biased, but our workshops are the perfect gift for people who like acquiring new skills for kinder ways of living. Check out our Workshop Program or buy a gift voucher so your lucky recipient can choose something that delights them.
4. Locally produced
Choosing to buy your gifts from local businesses shouldn’t be underestimated. It helps keep our money in our local communities, giving it straight to small producers, not big corporations.
So hit your high street instead of a shopping mall this year, or head to a local farmers market.
We often have a range of amazing artists and creators at our Saturday Farmers Market, selling hand crafted soaps, candles, olives, sauces, toys and more. Our Festive Farmer’s Market on 21 December is a great place to nab some last minute locally made gifts.
5. Alive!
Gardeners love plants and so does the planet! You can choose them something nice if you know what’s useful to them, or a voucher to a local independent nursery is ideal.
We love Zanthorea and Trillion Trees for native plants and Tass 1 Trees for fruit trees. For one of the best selections of heirloom and open-pollinated seeds in Perth, head to Urban Revolution in Vic Park.
6. Your time
Have you got skills you can gift to a loved one that needs them? Weeding, house painting, resume proof reading, head massages, the list goes on. You could do the gift as a surprise, if you know there’s something the recipient will really appreciate. Or write then a handmade voucher which they can redeem later on.
To ‘wrap’ things up…
With a little thought and intention, we can all embrace sustainable gift giving this year.
A lot of these gift ideas will help reduce your impact on the environment while also improving the quality and thoughtfulness of the gifts you give. It’s about letting go of the parts of the tradition that aren’t kind to yourself or the planet, and making the most of the parts that really matter to you. Wishing you all a meaningful and joyous festive season!