Top tips for eco-friendly Christmas gifting
I really love giving people presents - both bought and handmade.
In fact, I used to spend hours and hours on Christmas boxes for people, trying to create the perfect mix of handmade goodies (usually edible, but sometimes crafted or painted) and little things I’d bought over a period of months. By gifting in this way, I could also be 100% sure of what something was made from and it also meant that I could reduce the environmental impact of the gifts themselves, as well as the wrapping and packing. A couple of big life events (having a child, a full-on full-time job and then giving it up to move across the country and start again as a mid-career, career-change freelancer) have made spending that much time on Christmas gifting unfeasible over the last few years. So I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve been doing more recently to try to ensure that my Christmas gifting continues to be as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible.
Be prepared
Don't leave your Christmas shopping until the last minute, when chances are that you'll be more likely to feel pressured into poorer choices. If you can, make a list of people and the sort of gifts you think they'd like at least a few months before the big day. It is also very much ok to actually ask people what you can give them - this way, you'll know that they're going to love and use their present, rather than putting it in a cupboard, or worse, the bin!
Buy less, but buy better
Although there is a part of me that hasn't outgrown the childlike delight in finding lots of presents under the tree with my name on the labels, I know that rationally I'd much rather have a few presents that are well-made and thoughtful and that don't add to our household clutter - and I try to put myself in the same mindset when I'm buying for others. Will this be used? Will this last? Will the person it is intended for love it for more than 5 minutes? This almost definitely means that I'll have to spend more on each present, but it also means I'm less likely to buy too much!
Set a budget - and stick to it
Another way to help stop yourself buying too many things that aren't of great quality, is to set a budget for your gifting and stick to it. You can either do this by each individual/family unit you're planning to purchase a gift for, or to set a general Christmas gifting budget. Again, being a bit more organised and having an idea of the sorts of gifts you want to purchase in advance means that it is easier to stick to whatever financial limits you've set yourself.
Materials girl
Do think about the materials that are being used in your gifts and try and keep sustainability in mind when you are shopping. Better quality materials can mean a higher price point, but if you've left yourself time to shop around you are more likely to find the perfect ethical and environmental compromise. Even if you simply try to avoid buying anything with single use plastics you'll be doing your bit to reduce pollution and waste.
Shop local, shop independent
We all know that our high streets are in serious decline and that the shops that remain are absolutely dependent on enough people rejecting the lure of the internet giants with their illusion of endless choice and high speed delivery. Try to do at least half of your Christmas gift shopping from local shops, particularly any independents (if you have them!). The money you spend stays in the local economy, which is good for everyone. And do give your local charity shops a browse, too - you can often find great gifts second-hand, which means less waste overall as well as your money supporting a good cause.
Tie it with a bow
Try to purchase gifts that come with minimal packaging. Again, most local shops as well as independent businesses you can find via sites like Folksy, or Not on the High Street, won't use lots of unnecessary packaging - and you'll often find that they go the extra mile to use/re-use recycled materials. When you're ready to wrap your presents, make sure you look for cards and wrapping paper made from recycled or FSC-certified papers, avoid plastic ribbon and tape, or gift wrap that uses foil or glitter as these things all make it impossible for your recipient to recycle. And also see if you can ditch the sellotape as wrapping paper with plastic-based tape attached still can't be recycled. There are numerous tutorials online for how to wrap without tape, or you can even consider using some sort of patterned material to wrap your presents (try vintage tea towels or second-hand bedding cut into smaller sections with some pinking shears to reduce frayed edges).
Need some more help with how to wrap your gifts sustainably?
If you're looking for some gift wrapping inspiration, I’ve made a video of how I wrap my gifts sustainably, including wrapping without tape, how to make paper gift boxes, and how to use cloth for the Japanese furoshiki method.