Shop Sustainably this Holiday Season
Start Early
When shopping online, start sooner rather than later to avoid the need for expedited shipping, which often means more trips by delivery trucks and more packaging. If you’re not relying on expedited shipping, you can often request to consolidate your items into fewer deliveries.
Shop Local
Supporting a local business is great for your community, especially when small businesses have been hard hit by COVID-19. Small Business Saturday was this past Saturday, but there’s no reason we can’t support local businesses the rest of the holiday season. Due to COVID-19, many local businesses have established curbside pickup options and websites where you can shop safely from home. We recommend checking for these options to support local businesses this season.
Consider Used Items
I’m not talking about shabby castoffs. Think about distinctive collectibles, beautiful old books, vintage jewelry, and antique household items. Give well-made items a second life.
Make Your Own Gifts
If you’re one of the folks who has been honing your baking skills during quarantine or while you’ve been working from home, share your new talent! Edible gifts such as breads, cookies, canned goods, jams/jellies, or herbed vinegars make fantastic gifts. Or use your arts and crafts skills to knit a scarf, paint a watercolor, or make a homemade ornament.
Use Gift Wrap Alternatives
Gift wrap is generally recyclable, unless it is metallic, has glitter on it, or has a texture. Ribbons and bows are also a no-no in the recycling bin. One way to reduce the amount of gift wrap that ends up in landfills is to use gift bags, which can (and should be!) reused. You could also use paper from around your home, like newspaper comics or old road maps, or you could put your kids to work decorating paper bags for gift wrap. Think outside the box– gardening pots are easy to fill with supplies for your favorite gardener, or a mixing bowl or stockpot makes an excellent package for your favorite cook.
