One of the best lines from Paul Kelly’s song How to Make Gravy is: “Have a merry Christmas, I’m really going to miss it, all the treasure and the trash.”
While piles of Slinkies, scented candles and beach cricket sets might seem like a rite of passage, unfortunately for the environment, research from the Australia Institute suggests when it comes to Christmas presents, in the balance of trash versus treasure, we are giving each other too much of the former. Nearly a third of Australians expect to receive Christmas presents they will not use or wear, amounting to $921m dollars’ worth of presents that will end up in landfill.
This year, to help you engage in the festive season joyfully but also sustainably, we have compiled some expert advice: a green guide to gift-giving.
How to reduce your environmental impact at Christmas
The number one thing you can do to reduce your environmental impact at Christmas is to buy less stuff and cut back on for-the-sake-of-it gifts by having an open conversation with the people in your life about what they really want.
“Share your budgets, your needs and desires with your loved ones,” says Lottie Dalziel, the author of 365+ Ways to Save the Planet and Your Money at the Same Time. “If you don’t want a thing then let them know early on.”
If this seems cheerless to you, there are digital Secret Santa platforms like Elfster that can help. You agree on a spending limit and everybody has to make an account and write a list of presents they want. You can even provide links to the exact product. The platform then emails you the name of the person you’re buying for and their curation. My family has been doing this for a few years. We don’t do it for the kid, but for the adults it’s a sure-fire way for everyone to get something they will use and enjoy and eradicates the miscellaneous bath bombs, notepads and hand creams – ie the trash.
Dematerialise gift-giving
Dr Kate Luckins, the author of Live More with Less, says you can avoid adding to someone’s ecological footprint by taking “unwanted stuff” out of the equation and giving non-material options such as services, experiences, donations, digital magazine subscriptions, zoo or museum memberships and edible gifts. “I’ll often treat a friend to a meal out, massage or movie. My husband will likely score concert tickets or special chocolates to devour,” she says. For delicious locally made chocolates, try Loco Love or Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie.
Vouchers make the gift of an experience pretty seamless. Lots of saunas and spas offer vouchers, as do restaurants and even some bakeries (including Lune and AP Bakery). Most publications offer gift subscriptions (including the Guardian). You can also buy gift vouchers for services such as sneaker cleaning or handbag restoration.
What is a sustainable gift?
When you do need a physical present for an office Kris Kringle or a relative you haven’t seen in a long time, aim for gifts that are both practical and gentle on the planet.
“A sustainable gift is one that will actually be used and loved for years,” says Dr Anita Vandyke, author of A Zero Waste Life and A Zero Waste Family. “Choose items made from natural materials [such as wood, rattan, cotton or wool] or recycled materials, support local makers to reduce transport emissions and look for small businesses that prioritise ethical production.”
While often certifications are not perfect, “they indicate that a brand is making measurable efforts in ethics, sustainability and transparency”, Vandyke says. The key is to get familiar with standards that involve auditing by a credible authority, such as Fair Trade, Global Organic Textile Standard, Forest Stewardship Council, Global Recycled Standard and the Australian Certified Organic Standard.
Since less than 10% of all plastic is recycled, try to avoid products made from it unless they are effectively removing plastic from the waste stream and recycling it locally. Banish make a range of refillable pens and garden tools from recycled bottle-tops and Transmutation produce a range of homewares made from recycled bread tags.
Buy local
Buying locally produced products has multiple benefits. Since shipping accounts for 2 to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, “Australian-made, artisan products mean fewer air miles to get it to you,” Dalziel says.
Australian manufacturers have to adhere to strict workplace employment standards and environmental regulations, which often include responsible waste management and production processes with lower emissions compared with offshore.
Another benefit is added transparency. “Being able to chat to the person who made the gift is a shortcut to reliable information,” says Luckins. “Scour a maker’s market before you hit the department store.”
If you don’t have time for markets, try dipping bowls or coffee cups from Mud Australia, blankets from Waverley Mills, Crispy Chilli Oil from Chotto Motto or Noosa Basics lip balm.
When in doubt, turn to vintage homewares
Although it can feel fraught to gift someone a secondhand product if you’re not sure about their relationship to the circular economy, it is the most straightforward way to “save resources and find unique personalised gifts that stand out from mass market monotony”, says Luckins.
One way around the stigma of secondhand is to seek out things that were better quality and more beautiful in the past. Think a vintage chess set, some Italian glassware from the 1980s or stainless steel mid-century salad servers. Etsy and eBay are good options, while the Salvation Army and Sacred Heart now have online homewares departments that make for a fun browse.
Beware of greenwashing
Since we are inundated with marketing messages all day, it can be tricky to discern truly green products from those that have been greenwashed. Two of the most common tactics are vague language that overstates the impact, and diversion tactics designed to draw your attention away from what’s really happening in a company’s supply chain.
“Words like eco-friendly, green or natural [are often] used without proof. If a company can’t back up its claims with data, certifications or a sustainability report, it’s probably greenwashing,” Vandyke says. “Another red flag is when sustainability is treated like a side campaign rather than built into the company’s DNA. Real sustainability shows up across everything they do, not just in one ‘green’ product line.”
