Once upon a time, seeking to embody the spirit of giving, loved ones began sharing thoughtful presents with one another on Christmas. A beloved tradition that made Christmas extra special for the gift getters and givers.
At some point, society decided that gift giving, and therefore shopping, was the norm. Gifts for kids, parents, partners, friends, aunts, cousins, grandmas, yourself - everyone gets a gift. And that holiday shopping should begin as soon as the day after Thanksgiving. Hence Black Friday was born. Nowadays, Black Friday begins even earlier, sometimes weeks before Thanksgiving. Soon, it might even precede Halloween!
Now I love presents so I'm not complaining, however, I do want to acknowledge the large amount of overconsumption that has become trendy in today's world. Cheaply made goods from plastics and other chemical byproducts (often toxic) by severely underpaid workers abroad (sometimes slave labor) have flooded our feeds and our stores. These items don't last long before breaking, however the suffering of the workers and the pollution generated from these short-lived purchases long outlast the product.
So I want to provide you with 5 alternative options for a low-waste and ethical holiday!
1) A Local Experience - Give the gift of a local experience! Research shows that experiences tend to provide more happiness and leave more memories than material goods. They also create no pollution end of life, because they are intangible! Make the experience a local one to avoid travel emissions. Get tickets to a baseball game or a local play. Avoid flying or long transit as waste is bound to accumulate (ex. having to buy packaged food while traveling or high emissions caused by air travel).
2) Regift - Now I’m not saying use this as an excuse to declutter (I’m also not not saying that), BUT if you happened to have items you know they’d like, for example a book you’ve read that you don’t plan to reread or a piece of jewelry that is really more their style, this is a great time to re-home some stuff! Plus its free!
3) Thrift / Buy Second Hand - A little more expensive than giving your own stuff away, give someone else’s stuff away! But in all seriousness, a great option is to find cool second hand stuff. Thrift stores, facebook marketplace, yard sales, and eBay all have awesome gifts in great condition while also contribute to reduced waste.
4) Refill from a Local Refillery - Refill shops are community icons of sustainability. Browse your local refillery, support a small business, and load up on everyone's favorite products. Make sure to ask for Gaia's Garden Goods when refilling!
5) Gaias Garden Goods - Gaia's Garden Goods is our low waste brand of essential goods. Our goods come in minimal packaging and made with low waste ingredients.
Sources:
Rubio: Investigate Shein and Temu for Slave Labor https://www.rubio.senate.gov/rubio-investigate-shein-and-temu-for-slave-labor/
Toxic chemicals found in popular Shein and Temu products https://www.ehn.org/seoul-finds-toxic-chemicals-in-popular-shein-and-temu-products-2668971939.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAo5u6BhDJARIsAAVoDWvELz7vfYeQtvTp2B2HUJfKcaOzeJwoRshTERpWOVXDXNor-cefjEoaAidREALw_wcB
The Science Of Why You Should Spend Your Money On Experiences, Not Things https://www.fastcompany.com/3043858/the-science-of-why-you-should-spend-your-money-on-experiences-not-thing