Reduce and Rejoice!

The Christmas shopping season is upon us. Christmas can be extravagant and expensive for many households. And let’s face it – a lot of gifts are unnecessary. A celebration that is supposed to be about non-material values has become rooted in materialism. It’s a thriving industry, but at what cost? The more money we spend, the more we invest in the mass-marketing practice that blossoms this time of year. If we want to protect the environment and diminish the materialistic values of the holiday, let’s stop feeding the industry. Protecting the environment should be an integral consideration as we celebrate.

Christmas shopping can harm the environment. Greenpeace revealed a troubling aspect of its impact. According to their findings, the production process of a single kilogram of wrapping paper generated 3.5 kilograms of CO2. The whole manufacturing process requires 1.5 kilograms of fossil fuel, and these number don’t include the resources for packaging and transportation, which also leave a significant carbon footprint.

Canadians spent almost $99 million on gift wrap and cards in 2016, according to Statistics Canada. We use 6 million rolls of tape to wrap presents every year. Household waste can increase by more than 25% in the holiday season. We use 540,000 tonnes of wrapping paper each season. Much of the wrapping paper, and most of the ribbon and tape, cannot be recycled. Most of it will end up in our almost-at-capacity landfill.

Rethinking Gifts

• Does everyone need 5 gifts? – consider less but meaningful gifts
• Pull names from a hat and give a gift, with a spending limit, to only one extended family member
• Give the gift of time or an experience with your loved ones
• Reconsider “Secret Santa” gifts at work or feeling obligated to give to everyone who touches your life.
• Support your local businesses rather than the mega-brands.
• Consider making your own gifts
• Rethink traditions, not stuff – Creating traditions and rituals can offer comfort and security. Values can be imparted and reinforced with traditions and rituals. Traditions are not really about the stuff but the action or experience.

Reduce and rethink gift wrapping

• Ditch the glitter – decorate with nature instead – Use fallen pinecones and string as adornments for your wrapping
• Use reusable household items as wrapping – for example, wrap the gift in a tea towel for the cook in your family
• Use reusable gift bags
• Challenge yourself to learn how to wrap without using tape
• Save the “still-useable” wrap for next year

Giving is a wonderful way for us to connect with those in our lives. Giving builds families, friendships and communities. Arguably such connections are needed more now than ever. But let’s give mindfully. Let there be gifts this year – but not to everyone