TL;DR: This is the ultimate Christmas gift guide for un-consumers! With principles for eco-friendly gift buying, links to sustainable products and lots of ideas. You guys, we're about to enter the most over-consumey, wastey, planet-hurting time of year. And our planet cannot handle it this year. Enough is enough. No more landfill, no more energy expended on producing things we don't need, no more over-consuming. We have hit the limit and we need to start limiting our consumption urgently - even at Christmas time!
My heart hurts when I think about... ...gifts that will be appreciated for a few days, weeks or months, then thrown away. ....toys that will break after a couple of uses. ...joke gifts that will go in the bin straight after the office Secret Santa party is over. ....items that come in heaps of plastic packaging, are shipped from very far away, and/or require batteries. ..."not quite right" items that will sit unused in cupboards, then eventually be donated to over-stuffed charity shops or thrown in the bin. ...gifts that are really awesome/enjoyable/appreciated, but are totally unnecessary, add extra clutter to our homes, encourage over-consumption and don't really add any quality to our lives. (Like, do I really need multiple kitchen appliances? Another item of clothing? More Christmas ornaments? A fragrance diffuser?) So with that in mind, I hereby present THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR UN-CONSUMERS. (Related: A mindset shift towards un-consumerism.) 1. Non-material gifts. A few years ago my mum suggested that we only exchange non-material gifts or things we could consume (see #2), as opposed to "stuff". This was a fantastic suggestion that has reduced SO much stress and clutter. By "non-material gift", we basically mean an experience: get somebody a voucher for something they'll enjoy doing, or organise an outing. This type of gift usually takes about 5 seconds to buy, can be organised online at the last minute and is great for sending to distant friends and family. Here are the things we ask for year after year:
Obviously consider the impact of the "experiences" you're purchasing and try to support businesses that operate on sustainable principles. 2. Eco-friendly consumable gifts. By "consumable" I just mean things that will get used up, as opposed to eventually ending up in landfill. Think food, drinks and cosmetics. And by "eco-friendly" I mean things that are ethically produced and don't come in plastic packaging. Here are some ideas:
3. Second-hand gifts. By "second-hand", I mean anything that honours the notion that everything we could possibly need or want already exists somewhere nearby, unwanted and unused, and we just have to find it. "Second-hand" doesn't have to mean "used". People often get rid of brand-new items because they weren't quite right. In the past month I've purchased the following items on facebook marketplace: an apple-brand lightning port adapter, a BaByliss hair straightener, and a Pela phone case. All brand new, unused and in original packaging. If you're looking for a particular gift, check out facebook marketplace or gumtree before you head to the shops. Tiny kids will NOT notice or care if their gifts are second-hand. Spoiler alert, my friends' toddlers are all getting pre-loved toys and books this year - gifts that I lovingly selected for each of them through hours of combing through op shops. And I found some really special things that you wouldn't be able to get new in the shops today! "Second-hand" covers refurbishing and repurposing too. There is no shame in picking up a piece of furniture from the side of the road and redecorating it especially for somebody you love. Or you could tailor a piece of clothing for them or help them renovate something in their home. This gift will be one-of-a-kind! I am totally fine with receiving a second-hand gift (in fact, I prefer it) and you should feel totally fine about giving one. 4. Useful eco-friendly gifts (new). If you possibly can, use this option as a last resort. The first three sets of ideas above have far less impact on the planet than buying new. That said, some things beg to be bought new, like shoes and underwear and other essentials. These items are perfect choices for Christmas gifts, since the item was going to be bought new anyway, so you're not increasing the number of brand-new purchases that would be made on behalf of the gift-getter. Most of the companies below do gift vouchers, so you can let your loved one select their own gift AND introduce them to an ethical company.
To honour the principles of un-consumerism... Consider ways that you can delight your loved ones without INCREASING their usual consumption. Get them a gift card for 10 coffees from their usual coffee spot or replenish some of their favourite beauty products. Put some money towards a favourite hobby or a holiday they have planned. Pay for a few sessions with their regular personal trainer. Get a voucher from their favourite hair salon. Repair or redecorate something around their home. They're going to be using that stuff anyway. And they'll probably be touched that you gave something so exactly tailored to their personal circumstances. When choosing a gift, think about the impact of its packaging, transport, ingredients and production methods. You don't have to get this perfectly right. I'm just encouraging you to start getting in the habit of thinking about the impact of the gifts you buy. Where did it come from? And where will it go when it's no longer wanted? That's it! Anybody have any other thoughts? Questions about the lowest-impact option for obtaining a particular gift? If you have ideas for great environmentally friendly gifts, I want to hear them. Happy un-consuming! xx Kamina P.S. I forgot to mention - please also consider doing some of your Christmas spending in ways that lift up the less fortunate, like through Red Cross's Real Good Gifts or Tear's Useful Gifts.
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