The holidays bring us joy, celebration and connection — but they’re also a time when waste skyrockets. From plastic packaging and wrapping paper to unwanted gifts, the season of giving often generates a significant amount of waste, with many items ultimately ending up in landfills. Fortunately, there are ways to make your holidays both memorable and sustainable by embracing savvy gifting ideas.
According to the Ecology Center, nearly five billion pounds of returned, unused gifts end up in U.S. landfills. It may surprise you to learn that less than half of returns are repackaged and resold at full price. Some end up at thrift or discount stores while the rest are needlessly thrown in the garbage.
One of the easiest and most meaningful ways to reduce waste is by giving experiences rather than physical items. Marblehead and the surrounding area are brimming with opportunities to gift memories instead of materials. Consider the following:
— Tickets to local events: Treat your loved ones to a show, music performance or movie. Check the Marblehead Current’s “Best Bets” section each week for ideas.
— Classes and workshops: Think about gifting a pottery class, art lesson or yoga class from a local business. These not only support our community but create lasting memories and might even spark a new hobby.
— Memberships: Give a gift that can be used all year with a membership to a museum, zoo, aquarium or nature area.
Another idea to consider is embracing the growing trend of thrift giving, which is increasingly viewed as savvy, sustainable and stylish. Giving pre-loved gifts is good for the planet because it extends the life of items that might otherwise end up in landfills, helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing and shipping a new item, and keeps goods in circulation, supporting a system that values reuse and repurposing over single-use consumption. Explore local thrift stores such as the Magic Hat or St. Michael’s for jewelry, clothing or home decor items that reflect your recipient’s personality. Also visit the online thrift retailer ThredUp.com for great finds on clothing brands you know and love.
Have a friend or family member who loves to read? Why not try a pre-loved book from one of our local thrift stores or Sail Away Book Shop at the Abbot Library for the perfect gift. Combine the book with a unique greeting card from a local shop and include a personal note about why you chose it. Your recipient is sure to love your thoughtful choice.
Finally, you can never go wrong by giving homemade treats. Opt for a great combination gift that is also thoughtful by adding a few thrifted finds like tea cups or mugs with homemade cookies or bread. For an added personal touch, place your gifts in a found wicker basket or decorative box for a beautifully curated, low-waste gift.
When packaging your sustainable gifts, reduce waste by incorporating some creative wrapping methods. Americans use approximately 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper annually, with the majority used during the holiday season. Since most shiny, metallic or glittery wrapping paper is lined or manufactured with plastic, it often cannot be recycled and instead ends up in the landfill.
Instead, try something more earth-friendly like repurposed, home-decorated or stamped brown paper bags. Consider having your kids decorate plain white paper gift bags or boxes now and everyone will cherish them in the years to come. You might also try a beautiful Japanese method called Furoshiki wrapping that reuses clothes or other fabrics to wrap your gifts. You can tie the fabric to look like a bow, or top it with seasonal foliage like pinecones or twigs from a pine tree. Many families also use the same store-bought gift bags and decorated boxes year after year to reduce waste. According to a study by Stanford University, if every American family wrapped just three gifts in one of these alternative methods instead of traditional wrap, we could save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.
When you give sustainably, you might inspire others to think about their impact, too. Sharing the “why” behind your thoughtful choices can spark conversations and encourage more people to embrace eco-friendly practices during the holidays and beyond. Wishing you and yours a happy and sustainable holiday season.
Elaine Leahy is the executive director of Sustainable Marblehead.
