Sustainable Gifting

Tis’ the season for gifts and giving! Every year, we’re consumed by the wish lists, decorations, and food prep. While gifting and giving can be fun and a very beautiful activity, many families are left with immense amounts of waste. Waste from all the gift wrapping, toys that go unused, food waste, and decorations. To combat the large amounts of waste, give with a sustainable approach in mind! 

Here is a guide to sustainable gift giving for this year’s holiday season: 

Create Homemade gifts: 

Making homemade gifts is not only sustainable, but also cost effective. Homemade gifts can be anything from a knit scarf to a work of art! This is also a great activity to do with family and friends. Making homemade gifts can be personal and can be made with recycled materials as well.

Second Hand shopping: 

Many great gifts come from second hand shopping! This can be thrifting, utilizing facebook marketplace, or other modes of second hand shopping. This is a great option if you’re not as creative or don’t have the time to make gifts. Many items that are donated or resold are in perfect condition too. Shopping second hand allows for less waste and maybe even more unique finds. 

Eco-Friendly Swaps: 

This next option allows alternatives to items already in your cart. Swapping can be shopping locally/ethically sourced items instead of shopping at your usual retail store. While ethically made items can be more costly, these purchases tend to last longer with better disposal options as well. When purchasing eco-friendly items, a great option is to shop from BIPOC small-businesses. 

To conclude, the holidays can create massive amounts of waste. From clothing to holiday gifts, but by shopping sustainably or having a sustainable approach in mind can lessen the amounts of holiday waste. 

Here’s a list of markets where you can buy from small businesses and second hand shops: 

• Strength in Shades Market
• Urban Flea Market 
• Juniper Market 
• Atlelier Boutique 
• Marissa’s Books
• The Legendarium 
• Under The Umbrella Bookstore 
• The Hive Market 
• La Media Naranja 
• The Native American Trading Post 
• Poetry on Main
• Naturally NaQuai 
• Grounds for Coffee in Ogden 
• Falken Craft Shop 
• The Salt and Honey Market 
• Dancing Cranes

 

Written by: Zabrina Le. Nature Center Community Host.