FRESH TAKE ON GIVING
Sustainable and reusable gifts and wrap keep it green for the holidays
The frenzy often associated with holiday gift giving can fill people with dread, and rightly so. At this time of the year, we hear a lot about people spending more than they can afford on gifts, and going into debt because of it. Added to this is the rising stress some are feeling about what they’re buying and where it might end up — clogging up our homes or, worse still, the landfills.
The good news is there seems to a shift in the way some retailers are approaching the Christmas season, and if approached right, gift giving can be a fun and satisfying tradition.
“This year, we want to put an emphasis on sustainable gift ideas that we can truly feel proud about and, in return, that our loved ones can cherish,” says Ikea spokesperson Heena Saini.
One example, says Saini, is choosing products that are designed according to a circular business model, meaning they’re made from renewable, recycled materials or designed for reuse or repair, as opposed to being disposable. Ikea’s Tanum rug, for instance, is made from recycled textiles.
Choosing products made from renewable materials such as bamboo is another sustainably minded option, says Saini, noting this also looks stylish and chic in the home.
At Ikea, they also favour items that have some social impact or which “give back” says Saini, such as their Sagoskatt range of soft toys — six different soft toys designed by kids — with proceeds from sales going to the Ikea Let’s play! campaign.
(For Let’s play, Ikea has partnered with Handicap International, Room to Read, Save the Children, Special Olympics, UNICEF and War Child, with their mandate being: “to provide even the most vulnerable children with safe places where they can play, develop and simply enjoy being kids.”)
Other changes people can make when it comes to gift-giving is to reduce gift wrap by creating a gift basket from a container that can be reused or by wrapping a gift in a blanket, says Saini, perfecting the “hygge” touch for the holiday season.
“It’s also important during this gift-giving season to cherish the products we already have. Re-gifting can be controversial, but can also be a great solution to divert a product from landfill,” she says.
Jared Brown and Quinn Buchanan, owner-operators of Bowen Island’s Phoenix toys and books store in B.C., say they’re taking a mindful approach to what they’re carrying for Christmas this year. Brown says they like to carry product lines that inspire creativity, such as the Canadian brand Great Pretenders, which specializes in costumes.
“They’re a great gift because when you’re done with it, it can go to another kid,” he says.
Playing cards and puzzles are their No. 1 seller, says Brown, and they’re a great choice year round because they’re something people can do together.
What has been surprising is the rising popularity of adult “gamer games,” says Brown, such as Exploding Kittens, Sheriff of Nottingham and Cards Against Humanity. Dungeons and Dragons (popular in the ’80s) is also experiencing a huge comeback, he says. “It’s good, because you’re socializing with your buddies, and not in front of TV,” Brown says.
Brown says if you’re wanting to buy gifts that won’t likely wind up in the landfill, a great choice is sporting goods such as baseball gloves, basketballs and anything football or soccer related.
He says people are definitely shopping more consciously, with reusable gift bags, stainless steel straws and organic dish towels all big sellers. “Something that’s selling really well is the kids Goodbyn lunch boxes that are recyclable and last forever,” he says.
Vancouver candle company Brand & Iron produces biodegradable soy wax candles, and owner Jordan Derhouson says as a company, they do their best not to contribute to landfills.
“One way is by encouraging customers to reuse the candle vessels. I have one on my desk that I use as a pen holder, some other ideas are turning them into a small plant pot, or cleaning them up and using them as drinking glasses,” he says.
In an effort to be more sustainably minded, he says, they ship their products in biodegradable packaging “peanuts.” “these are much more costly than the foam version of packing peanuts, but unlike the cheap foam variety that will inevitably end up in landfills for years before they start to break down, the biodegradable type are non-toxic, and made from cornstarch. They’re so biodegradable they actually dissolve in water,” he says.