By Annie Malpass
Though it may still be November, we cannot deny the feeling of Christmas sneaking up on us. It’s a time of showing love towards friends and family and giving of gifts. It feels good to show love and appreciation in the form of thoughtful gifts. However, you can feel even better if you give an eco-friendly gift. According to a Stanford University study, we throw away 25% more garbage during the American-thanksgiving/Christmas period than any other time of the year. It is a fun tradition, and we really don’t need to change it much so that our friends and the earth are loved equally.
One way to cut down is quite literally realizing when you should be cutting down the crap- and by that I mean the packaging. Interestingly, a lot of our time is spent on wrapping the gift and making sure the outside looks pretty. But this wrap is thrown away right after it is opened. Try wrapping your gift in a reusable shopping bag or useful tote. A newspaper can be a unique way to present your gift also. Be really creative and hide your gift and design a treasure hunt to find it.
Make sure you’re actually buying them something meaningful and useful. It shows that you are paying attention to their interests and needs. Try to make it something that stands the test of time and is not disposable and wasteful. If you are not sure, then the gift of your time is always valuable. Do something together with friends or loved ones and make good memories and not garbage.
It’s Christmas, and it’s almost impossible to stop the traditions we’ve loved for so long, and quite honestly I’m not asking you to. We really just have to be more conscious of what we are buying and if it’s really necessary. Be conscientious and aware of the unnecessary waste that can come with Christmas.
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