Give a Green Gift this Holiday Season!
Helene Van Doninck, a wildlife veterinarian at the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and a regular contributor to the Nature Canada blog, shares 11 great green gift ideas for friends and family this holiday season.
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| Homemade jams. Photo: kayakeverwhere via Flickr |
The holiday season is rapidly approaching, and with it comes the task of finding gifts for loved ones. In my world, most people are trying to decrease the amount of “things” in their homes , so I honour that when selecting gifts. It is also important to me to pick items that are green or earth friendly. Doing this doesn’t mean changing my entire strategy or even the traditional categories of gifts for people. It just means altering choices to pick items that are less harmful to the environment, and many of these gifts end up being more meaningful to the recipient.
Green gift strategies can apply whether you enjoy the process of finding the perfect gift for everyone, or if you normally dread the decision making process and want it to be as quick and painless as possible. Gift suggestions will follow but some general guidelines for making your holiday spending ecologically responsible include:
- Buy locally, from independent services, stores, crafters and artisans. This will keep dollars in your community and decrease the footprint of your purchases. Farmer’s markets and craft cooperatives are fun places to shop.
- Choose products whose components are sustainably obtained.
- Consider gifts of experiences, events , or outings which appeal to the recipient. This supports local businesses and won’t add more possessions to the person who is trying to scale back.
- Avoid excessive packaging, both in your purchase and when you wrap the item. Tea towels and fabric throws make great re- useable wrapping and homemade cards can be fun for the giver and the recipient.
- Reduce, re-use, and recycle are always good principles to keep in mind.
11 Green Holiday Gifts:
1. Gift Certificates – Often thought of as the easy way out, but they are really the perfect gift: satisfaction guaranteed and no returns. Even better: support stores and services that have a good environmental record.
2. Concert/event tickets – Tickets to an event, series, or a gift certificate to a local cultural centre will give the music/arts lover on your list something to look forward to in the new year.
3. Outdoor Gear – Anything that encourages people to get out and experience wilderness is bound to convert them to active stewards of their little piece of the world. Consider things like binoculars, bird guides, backpacks, snowshoes, skis, and outdoor clothing.
4. Green Stars – Bicycles, bicycle gear, public transport passes, composters, wind-up radios and flashlights, re-useable insulated ceramic or steel coffee mugs, or anything that encourages a lower footprint.
5. Food – Choose items that are local and ethically sourced, or fair trade. Even better are items you make yourself such as a tin of cookies, preserves or anything homemade. Farm cooperatives are now widespread and a membership will provide fresh local vegetables and support farmers.
6. A Night Out – This can include movie passes, restaurant gift certificates, and even babysitting services.
7. Donations/Memberships to Environmental Organizations – These can be very meaningful to both the organization and your loved one. Consider symbolic adoptions of animals for rescue/wildlife groups and concepts like symbolic donations of medical care, education and sustainable food/enterprise to developing countries. Our wildlife rehabilitation centre produces a wildlife calendar as an education tool each year , featuring past patients . Supporters have purchased this as a holiday gift and it has become a major fundraiser for us. Supporting Nature Canada is a great a way to help protect local wildlife and habitat.
8. Green Up Your Traditional Gifts – If you generally buy clothing or bath products , purchase items made from organic cotton, bamboo or hemp, and choose bath and cosmetic products made from ethically sourced ingredients that are not tested on animals. Local crafts are always good choices too.
9. Wildlife Friendly Gifts – A gift certificate for trees, shrubs , plants or gardening services redeemable in the spring will provide habitat for local wildlife. Tuck this in a basket of gardening tools. Bird feeders and nest boxes are great presents too and will provide years of enjoyment.
10. Educational Gifts – Think about books on environmental topics, vegetarian cooking, or even an e-reader. Gift certificates to workshops, courses, or lessons that fit your recipient are also fun. Maybe they have always wanted to learn to ski, make pottery, build bird houses, cook, weave, etc.
11. Gifts of Time and Memories – Creative gifts include handmade gift certificates for things like babysitting, cooking a meal, pampering, or yard care. A CD , DVD , or album featuring a compilation of family photos or videos is a cherished gift. Also remember that the holiday season is a particularly difficult time of year for some people , so remember to visit, contact, or include these people in festivities if possible.
