Your inner Grinch is welcome this holiday season, at least when it comes to questioning all the fuss about buying mountains of new toys, “must have” electronics and gag gifts for giggles.
Practising some level of restraint may, in fact, add to your cheer, and will definitely put a smile on Mother Nature.
It’s so easy to give into the temptation of all the sales this time of the year. From Black Friday to Boxing Day sales that last a month, this season of giving can often become the season of mindless consumption.
Being a conscious consumer does not, however, have to mean turning into Scrooge himself. There are plenty of ways to show kindness to our loved ones with gifts that are gentle on the planet.
At the top of your shopping list, you can write the sometimes taboo word “regift.” Yes, it’s okay. Nobody needs to know but you. There may be some perfectly great gifts from a birthday gone by taking up storage space in your home that you will never use, but someone else would treasure.
If you just can’t stomach this thought, there are many other options. Make something. Write a thoughtful card. Bake or gift wine or canning. Offer your time or your skills.
What parent out there wouldn’t like a night off with free babysitting by a good friend? Who would refuse a co-worker with carpentry skills from repairing that wonky dresser drawer that has been driving them crazy all year. And who would turn down a foot rub or massage from their beloved?
Craft fairs are abundant around Powell River right now, and they offer a great selection of local, low-waste gifts. Some even have gifts that prevent future waste, such as to-go cutlery sets, beeswax-infused cotton wraps (an alternative to cling wrap), and hand-sewn shopping bags.
Enjoy crafting yourself? Bring out your inner elf and spend a few cold, dark evenings pretending you’re at the North Pole.
Beyond actual things, gifting experiences is ideal. Tickets, a gym membership or music lessons could be the most talked about present of the year for someone special in your life.
For that person in your life who has everything or just isn’t into accumulating any more stuff, how about donating to a charity on their behalf or sponsoring a family in need? It just might be the most thoughtful gift for them and the earth.
With a little creativity, you may find you spend a lot less time shopping and stressing over finances and a lot more time feeling good.
Let’s Talk Trash is qathet Regional District’s waste-reduction education program.
