Dreaming of a green Christmas
FAMILIES ARE EMBRACING NEW TRADITIONS, LOW-COST AND NO-COST PRESENTS TO HELP THE WORLD
Growing up in the ’80s, Christmas for Rebecca Evered meant a mountain of presents under the tree, always store-bought and usually plastic. Now, with two children of her own, Evered and her husband Jim have made a conscious decision to bypass the season’s excesses in favour of second-hand finds, homemade goodies and experiences.
The Evered family is among those embracing the joy of a lowgift – or no-gift – Christmas, with research from The Australia Institute revealing that almost half of all Australians would prefer not to receive presents.
Bringing truth to the humble “you shouldn’t have”, the latest Unwanted Gifts Report by Gumtree found more than 50 per cent of Australians received at least one unwanted gift, equating to $572m.
The environmental cost was the main incentive for Evered to rethink gift-giving.
“Reducing waste is important to me in our daily lives, so it’s also important to me at Christmas,” says Evered, who asks relatives to limit themselves to one gift each for her children, Abby, 7, and
Liam, 5.
“I love Christmas and don’t want to take the magic out of it, so we’ve created our own traditions.
We like to make biscuits, jams and chutney to give as gifts, and we grow things to give people.”
According to Clean Up Australia chairwoman Pip Kiernan, reducing Christmas waste is about shopping more mindfully and focusing on quality over quantity.
“Australians produce 550kg of household waste every year, per person, which is something to be especially mindful of at Christmas, a time when we consume more than usual,” she says.
“It doesn’t mean taking the joy away, it just means stopping and thinking about it, and finding new habits.”
VOUCHERS JUST THE TICKET
Gifts received little value in the recent Festive Forecast survey by Afterpay, with only 12 per cent of respondents listing giving or exchanging gifts as a reason for feeling excited about Christmas.
The majority said time with family and friends, and “putting Covid behind us”, were the main sources of Christmas excitement this year.
When asked what gifts they would like to receive, most said they preferred gift cards and vouchers, followed by sentimental handmade items and sustainable products. Event tickets also ranked highly, well above candles, air fryers and beauty products.
“Rather than lots of cheap novelty trinkets, look at what will endure, or buy an experience, rather than a product,” Kiernan suggests. “You might take someone you care about out for a nice meal, or get them a theatre ticket.”
BUY SUSTAINABLY
The pandemic has prompted many people to reflect on how they live and what they value, and, according to Claire Bell, Planet
Ark head of operations, this has influenced our approach towards Christmas.
“Many have realised that stuff doesn’t make us happy,” she says.
“We can be more thoughtful and sustainable about the way we purchase.”
Gumtree Australia spokesman David Low agrees, saying: “Sustainability and the pandemic are shaping the way Aussies think about Christmas gifts, and this year we’re seeing that the majority of Australians are more open to buying or receiving pre-loved gifts.”
RECYCLED PUSH
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has thrown his weight behind the push towards a greener Christmas, with this month’s launch of the Remade in Australia campaign. With an estimated plastic recycling rate of less than 12 per cent in Australia, the campaign features a label to identify Australian products manufactured with recycled materials. In addition, Clean Up Australia’s Buy Recycled collection, available through its website, lists products that are made and packaged from at least 20 per cent recycled materials, by weight. “There are bowls made out of bread tags, belts made out of bicycle tubes, through to cosmetics and food – it’s up to all of us to create demand for recycled products,” Kiernan says.