7 Reasons For Responsible Holiday Shopping

Responsible holiday shopping should no longer be a fad or trend in 2021, it should be our way of life especially after events of the 2020 pandemic affecting every facet of economic livelihood.

From annual Black Friday deathly stampedes in the U.S. that herald the begin of the holiday gifting season and subsequent returns and trashing of unwanted gifts in January, to Cyber Monday deals and every major holiday year round sales event, it is more evident that we need to switch to responsible holiday shopping to combat our over-consumption.

Thus, a roundup of reasons for responsible holiday shopping meant to convince you to eschew rampant consumerism and embrace needed sustainable, zero waste gifts.

If you haven't been paying attention, sis, the world is broken - maybe indefinitely. Click To Tweet

 

#1: Eschew Single-Use Plastic Toys

There is no doubt that parents and guardians will buy toys for children below 10 – after 10, they will demand their own iPhone and Broadway orchestra seat tickets – and majority of these toys will be plastic, because they are not only sturdy and easy to clean, but also unrecycleable and uncompostable. Alas, kids get bored easily and they will tire of these plastic toys by Q1 of next quarter, leaving adults to trash them during the annual spring clean.

There are enough articles on the blight of single-use plastic waste in our environment and sadly, ~80% of toys will end up in trash, with some tragically finding their way to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch island. If you wonder about the existence of zero waste toys made from natural products that either recycle, compost, or can be returned to the manufacturer, wonder no more for there are many eco-friendly brands on the sustainable platform, Earth Hero.

Since we still need products at every level of our lives, at least purchase them from an eco-friendly platform with zero waste gifts that are plastic-free, chemical-free, recycleable, compostable, cruelty-free, and with options to return to manufacturer at end-of-life for proper disposal.

 

#2: Anti-Black Friday, Gift Experiences

Well, what should I buy children, if not toys? Click To Tweet

Of course, toys are not the only plastic items gifted during occasions. From cosmetics to cooking, casings, and everything in between, plastic is ubiquitous in its role in our daily lives, hence the need to consciously abstain from plastic products and gift intangible experiences that last forever.

Examples of experiences that will be will be highly appreciated are:

• vegan and plant-based cooking subscriptions for delicious recipes like vegan Italian pastries and desserts
• organic produce boxes for your food insecure family or friends
• theatre tickets, resort passes, return flights to Mauritius (I’m manifesting this)… you get the idea…

There is the moral quandary of affecting jobs of thousands of low and middle-income earners who work at *insert Brazilian rain forest named global shopping platform* and numerous factories in the global South if we limit over-consumption of goods, and that is where we as a society need to re-evaluate the linear economy (take-make-waste) and revamp it for a more sustainable circular economy where waste is incorporated into a new manufacturing process.

In recent years, many brands like Allbirds and Patagonia, have gone the anti-Black Friday route and encouraged consumers to invest in long-lasting sustainable items and contribute to practical environmental causes like ocean cleanup, tree planting etc.

Skip the long lines and trample fest that is Black Friday and holiday gift shopping and exchange throwaway items for responsible holiday shopping experiences that will be remembered with genuine pleasure and appreciation.

Alternative Holiday Gift Guide: Sustainable Food, Skincare, Accessories

#3: Supply Chain Crisis

“It’s the supply chain, stupid!” chant store owners, farmers, the government, your mama… when queried about the unavailability of food items and products.

Ever since the pandemic hit in 2020, factory shutdowns in Asia, loss of millions of global personnel, under-production of packaging & storage containers and materials, Evergreen blockage of the Panama canal, 100 ships waiting to unload off the coast of California, no long-haul truck drivers etc, we’ve been in very short supply of everything from toilet paper to Hallowe’en costumes. Add to that, suppliers hoarding existing stock because of the uncertainty of availability and current inflation, this virus definitely exposes our weak supply chain system and over-reliance on foreign-made products.

I mean...people are still awaiting Pelotons ordered in May 2020 that will arrive in 2022...maybe Click To Tweet

Even as the backlog on ports are slowly easing, imagine not being held ransom to the whims and caprices of the global supply chain for something as basic as toilet paper. Remember early 2020 when people were being shivved over toilet paper and sanitizers? Those were some dark days…

Since the bulk of products originate from overseas factories, experts warn that if you have not purchased holiday gifts by September, chances of their arrival (if not available in-country) before December are slim to none. The best way to avoid being stuck is to buy locally made products from manufacturers that produce sustainably made items and do not exploit workers. They may be a tad more expensive but you can be confident in its quality and longevity.

What better reason for responsible holiday shopping than a supply chain crisis?

 

#4: Carbon Footprint Reduction

Believe it or not, online shopping emits more greenhouse gas emissions than in-store shopping.

Think of it: items ordered the same time arrive in separate boxes on different days, more packaging waste, increasing operations and cost, additional trucks and vehicles for transportation etc. If you want to fall down an existential crisis black hole, think of all these factors and their associated e-waste, potential landfill, textile waste et al that result from fast fashion, transient trendy products, tech upgrades every six months and so forth. That is a lot of waste.

If you want to practice responsible holiday shopping to reduce your online carbon footprint, re-orient your mindset to re-gift past presents, fight the urge to upgrade devices bi-annually, thrift clothing and some household items, and repair clothing in lieu of trashing them. Your environment will thank you for it.

#5: Invest In Zero Waste Gifts

Don’t you love it when you receive personalized gifts that are both wanted and practical? There is much less chance of trashing them and adding to our unsustainable waste epidemic.

Personalize zero waste gifts for the new parent, the plant lover, and the vegan, and watch eyes light up as they open gift boxes. Zero waste gifts are not just eco-friendly but are cruelty-free, chemical-free, recycleable, and part of the circular economy that aims to design out waste and keep products in a circular loop. An example of affordable zero waste gift is this reusable beeswax food wrap which compared to foil paper, is compostable at its end-of-life.

Other ways to invest in zero waste gifts for loved ones or even YOURSELF are:

• donate to social or environmental causes
• invest in a useful skill e.g. sewing, art, or cooking classes.

6 Top Unique & Sustainable Holiday Gift Guides For All Budgets

#6: Give Back To Local Businesses

How often do you shop responsibly within your local community?

If you’ve never done so, begin patronizing local farmer’s markets, holiday markets, and small businesses, because the money most often stays within your community. These businesses usually employ locals and they utilize other small businesses within the community, thus keeping money within the communal loop. Even better, you will stand out with unique products and clothing in a sea of identical, throwaway items.

 

#7: Cleaner and Healthier Communities

You remember the magic that happened when the world stopped?

Dolphins returning to Venice, rivers and streams clearer, cities free of smoke and smog, fresher air, daily mantras of “Earth is healing; we are the virus!” and so on…but, we also saw a rapid increase in single-use plastic waste and disposable masks as reusable items were shunned for disposable ones.

Fast forward almost two years later, we are more conscious of waste, climate change, and societal inequalities that plague the global economy and we are changing long held irresponsible habits for sustainable ones. It shouldn’t take another global pandemic for us to realize that incorporating a zero waste lifestyle and switching to responsible shopping will contribute to cleaner communities via lower emissions, less waste, more product reuse, upcycling, and re-manufacture.

I realize that it is a privilege to be able to shop locally made and slightly expensive products when you can get cheaper alternatives in 6-packs online but when we can afford to, we should shop responsibly to reduce waste and our carbon footprint, and prioritize non-tangible gifts over disposable products every time.

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Hope you enjoyed this piece and took salient points from it. Don’t forget to comment, share, and Pin too, and see you on the social streets! xxx

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