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GREEN LIVING BLOG

Minimal Waste Holiday Gifting

COMMUNITY CENTERGreen Homes & BusinessesDec 5, 2012Guest Contributor

Author: Guest Contributor

It’s the ‘Most Wonderful Time of the Year!’ And we all know what that means… PRESENTS! I don’t know about you, but I sure get overwhelmed with that daunting task of gift-giving. Who should I include on my gift list this year? What would be meaningful to them? How can I afford to buy something for everyone on my list? Where am I going to find the time to gather all these gifts? On top of all that, I always love the idea of putting my money back into the local economy and supporting businesses that stand for good causes and/or sustainable practices. Then I start thinking about the extra waste stream created by the excess packaging of all these gifts. So the stress builds and I push the entire endeavor to the back burner, and in the end I cringe when I have to buy some meaningless gift at the last minute. Sound familiar? Well, here are some gift ideas that we can all feel good about:

  1. A gift card to a local museum
  2. Homemade chocolate pretzels, spiced nuts, chutneys, cakes, etc… and in reusable containers
  3. Redeemable coupons for free babysitting, tutoring, house-cleaning or a homemade meal
  4. Homemade play dough with used cookie cutters
  5. Donation to a local charity in someone else’s name
  6. A candle or bath salts in a reusable tin
  7. A rechargeable battery-starter kit including the charger and a selection of rechargeable batteries
  8. Compost bin (one for the yard and a small one for the kitchen)
  9. A food share to a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and support your local farmers
  10. Art supply kit for your child including all sorts and sizes of recycled containers, material scraps and decorations
  11. A handmade photo collage
  12. Support a local artist
  13. Attend a local holiday bazaar
  14. Concert or theater tickets
  15. Local shops are always looking for ways to get your holiday business – walk in and give them a chance!
  16. “Green-themed” books
  17. Look for gifts made out of recycled materials
  18. Cleverly labeled/decorated reusable water bottles or canteens
  19. Gift certificate to a local restaurant or business
  20. Offer the gift of your time such as taking a friend hiking or birding

And instead of wrapping paper, try using fabric scraps, newspaper, reusable gift bags, cloth sacks, baskets or simply decorating the gift with a homemade card secured to the gift with natural fiber raffia!

Happy Holidays, Hampton Roads!!!

Article written by askHRgreen.org member Dawn Oleksy, Environmental Coordinator, James City County

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