Waste-Free Wonderland: How to have an eco-friendly, minimalistic holiday season
The holidays are a magical time of year: the joyous reunions with family and friends, the decadent dining experiences, and finding the perfect gift to show your loved ones how much you care.
During this time of celebration, it’s easy to get wrapped up (pun intended) in the madness of mass-consumerism and wastefulness without even realizing it. It’s not our fault-- advertising does a really great job at convincing us that our lives will be incomplete without the latest and greatest x, y, or z. And naturally, you’re not going to hand over a naked, unwrapped gift, are you? But once the holiday haze clears away, we’re left with lots and lots of stuff (and lots and lots of discarded wrappings) that might not end up adding a whole lot of value to our lives.
But there’s good news! Your holiday season could become profoundly less wasteful and more meaningful without breaking the bank or losing your mind. Here are four tips to giving earth-friendly, memorable, and unique gifts that you can feel good about!
Upcycle Your Wrapping Game
We all know the scene: it’s mid-morning, toys and tired bodies strewn about, surrounded by piles and piles of wadded wrapping paper and discarded boxes. Where does all of this paper go? Surely, it can be recycled, right? After all, it is just paper.
Wrong. Due to adhesives, dyes, glitter, and many other features that make wrapping paper perfect for its job, most wrapping paper cannot be recycled. You can check with your local recycling service to see what is accepted and what isn’t, or just avoid the trouble all together by wrapping your presents in a more sustainable way! Here are some fun, alternative options for present presentation:
Newspaper: it’s already in your recycling bin, why not give it one more job before you send it off? Cheap, easy, and cute, it’ll make your present stand out!
Shopping bags: reuse paper bags for a polished, solid look. Dress it up with some twine (compostable!) and an old holiday card for a little extra pizazz.
Burlap: a unique, rustic option that you can reuse or toss in the compost when you’re done.
Reusable bags/boxes: a no-brainer-- if you can use it again and again, you’re cutting out waste each time!
The possibilities are endless and the results are beautiful, unique, and help you shrink your carbon footprint all at once. What’s not to love? Check out Going Zero Waste’s post for more wrapping and embellishing ideas.
Now that we’re creating less immediate waste, it’s time to start thinking about how to create less long-term waste. Namely, I’m talking excessive purchasing of things we don’t really need. Here are a few of my favorite ways to cut back on just “stuff” and add value and meaning to the gifts that I give:
Gift an Experience
Some of the greatest gifts aren’t a physical gift at all. Gifting experiences is an awesome way to break free of ordinary box-bound presents and give someone a memory that they’ll never forget. It could be as extravagant as a trip to a faraway land, or as simple as a special dinner together. The best part is, if you plan to experience your gift together, you’re forging stronger bonds and memories with your loved one that they certainly couldn’t get from a Home Goods candle.
Some awesome experience gift ideas, based on things I’ve given, received, or would love to receive ;) :
Concerts
Escape rooms
Gift certificate for a massage
Indoor Skydiving
Sensory Deprivation Tank
Class package at a yoga studio or gym
Paint and Pour
Camping trip
A class for something fun (dancing, cooking, kayaking…)
Anything that makes you think, “My pal would really love this!”
Shop Small and Support Local
Sometimes, we still just want things. And that’s okay! Rather than spending your hard-earned money at a superstore, keep your shopping local to support small businesses. As an owner of a small business, I can really attest to the quote below. While the money you spend at a big chain is just a drop in the bucket, your purchase from a small business means they can feel a little more comfortable finding the perfect gift for their own family. It’s a great way to find unique gifts made with love, all while giving back to your own community. What could be better than that?
Make Something!
If you’re the DIY type, a homemade gift is a beautiful way to wish someone happy holidays. Making something from scratch with your recipient in mind is the best way to ensure a one-of-a-kind, personalized present to really show you care. From delicious, home-baked goods, to hand-crafted home décor, to easy, sustainable self-care items, you could go as far as your imagination and the internet can take you!
Here’s a recipe for one of my favorite “shower goodies:” an easy scrub that can be used for the whole body, but works wonders on dry feet in need of some love. The great thing about it is that it’s easy, you can find the ingredients in your kitchen already, and you can adjust the scent to whatever your loved one will like best.
Easy Homemade Body Scrub
½ c oil of choice (I used olive)
¾ c white sugar
10-20 drops of essential oil
Mix all ingredients in a mason jar and screw on lid tightly. That’s it! You can zhuzh it up and make it as cute as you’d like, like using twine to attach a little card. I like to include the recipe to share the love. Whatever you end up making, it will turn out exactly the gift that you want to give, and it comes from the heart.
What holiday hacks do you have to keep your planet, family, and wallet happy? Tell me in the comments!
