Rethinking Christmas Presents

Christmas presents can either be a hit or a complete miss. In fact, in 2019 $15.2 billion were spent in unwanted Christmas gifts and an estimated 4% were sent to the trash. Let that sink in for a moment. 4% of the gifts gifted in 2019 ended up in the landfills.

Everything purchased for gifts affects ecosystems around it. It takes energy, natural resources and raw materials to produce that gift. If those gifts are sent to the landfill, materials like paper or food emit greenhouse gases as they decompose, plastics release dangerous chemicals as it biodegrades not to mention the generations it can take to decompose, and textile waste also releases harmful greenhouse gases and can also release toxins and dyes into the surrounding soil or groundwater. 

Rethink christmas presents.

It’s time. Perhaps it’s time to really think of something that the recipient really needs or wants, instead of what you think they’d like. Perhaps it’s time we start gifting thrifted gifts, or locally made presents, or gifts made out of recycled material. How about Garson & Shaw’s favorite Christmas present for a change, experiences! Gift your significant other a romantic picnic or a trip to spend time together, gift your children activities you can do together such as going to the zoo together or their favorite bounce house; gift your friends a dinner together. If we start gifting experiences then we stop accumulating materialistic things that will eventually end up in landfills.