A very merry eco-holiday to you! Starting in October, you’re barraged with holiday deals, decorations, and exhortations to shop early and save. While we salute the spirit of giving and the festive atmosphere this conjures, we’re all a little tired of the “buy, buy, buy” mentality. When we’re pushing our carts around in the store (or our virtual ones on the screen) searching for a gift that might make someone smile, we’re also thinking, “Is it worth it?”
Is it worth purchasing an object that may be loved for a week and then shelved the rest of the year (or years)? Is it worth bringing another non-biodegradable and non-sustainable object into our homes? What’s important here?
We all want to show our love and appreciation through gifts, and thankfully, there is a way to do this while also helping the planet. Welcome to your sustainable holiday! It’s a holiday where you can respect the Earth in the way you travel for, shop for, choose, package, ship, and enjoy your gifts. Your friends and loved ones will be grateful – and so will the planet.
So Where to Start?
- First of all, start with the gift ideas. Are you trying to guess good gifts? Or can you use a tool like the Amazon Wish List to avoid unnecessary returns?
- Second, is it worth getting a tangible “gift” at all? Can you consider experiences like a play or other event? Or a donation to charity? You could even volunteer your time as an act of love.
- Next, is it worth driving to a store, or can you skip that and instead shop online?
- Does the store practice sustainability and sell sustainable goods?
- Consider giving plants, reusable containers, and other sustainable items. This post gives lots of great practical ideas.
- Then consider presentation. Instead of buying more wrapping paper, can you re-use cool newspaper print (or the colorful comics?). Can you re-use a gift bag for the umpteenth time? Or even wrap a gift in another part of the same gift?
- Let’s also look at your home. Are your decorations sustainable? Can you upcycle scraps of paper into snowflakes or houses? Can you string popcorn instead of plastic?
At Double A Paper, we weave sustainability into everything we do. We wish you a very sustainable holiday. With just a few swaps, you can help the planet and feel the holiday joy all season long!