From ‘going Grinch’ to rewrapping your mind around wrapping paper, here are five sustainable ideas for an eco-friendly festive season!
Global (14 December 2023) — The festive season can be a deeply confusing time for the eco-conscious gift giver. Yes, we want to give our loved ones gifts that make them feel as special as humanly possible. No, we don’t want the planet to pay the price. Nor do we want to outdo our budgets by seeking sustainable ideas.
It’s a doozy that can make you feel more stuck than traffic in Cape Town during the peak of Dezemba.
Fear not, festive friend. There are many simple (and cost-effective) ways to still give the gift of consideration to the planet. Bonus: when you gift sustainably, you’re also giving those on the receiving end something positively impactful to think about too!
Five Sustainable Ideas for the Festive Season
1. Rest and Reduce
Reducing how much you buy is one very easy way to not be problematic this festive season. Especially if you know it won’t be affordable to make every gift one that’s eco-friendly approved. As many of us know, sustainable goods can cost more (that’s why they last!). But, by reducing how much goes into your shopping cart, you’re also allocating space to shop with intention.
The key thing here is to make gifting less fun, and that’s where games like the White Elephant Christmas Gift Game come into play at the perfect time.
2. Relish in Reusing
Reusing things to make other, often cooler things, is an epic way to not only say ‘hey, I made this for you because I care a lot!’. It’s also the best excuse to get your creative juices flowing with a little upcycling.
If you know your way around a sewing machine, try making something new out of clothes you no longer wear. Fabric scraps make for great bookmarks. Or, maybe you have a bunch of glass jars you’ve been meaning to recycle. Say hello to a new mini terrarium.
How you turn waste into wonders is up to you. But, you can find a bunch of ideas on groups like The Up-Cycled Cloth Collective.
3. Rewrap Your Mind Around Wrapping Paper
If you don’t cautiously save wrapping paper like that one friend who takes several years to open gifts (commendably), the simplest sustainable route is to opt for a fabric that can be used later. This is the Japanese method called furoshiki, which also doubles as another gift. The fabric wrap can make for a great hair accessory, kitchen accent, or even just something the receiver can use for their own future gift-giving.
4. Go Grinch
No, you don’t need to steal Christmas. But, you are going to take people’s things.
Before the days of any big events you host, ask those attending to bring items that can be recycled or upcycled. In turn, you can drop them off with people who can do a lot of good with a little waste, like:
- Tops&Tags for Wheelchairs (bottle tops and bread tags)
- Bin to Beauty or Re.Bag.Re.Use
- Pre-loved clothes for charity shops
5. Encourage Gifts That Will Never Turn to Waste
Take waste out of the conversation completely, and opt to give a gift that begets giving. What could be more sustainable than that? Virtually adopt an elephant, turtle or penguin for someone who loves animals, gift a tree in a friend’s honour or pay forward a child’s future—a gift to our country.
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