Our Guide to Sustainable Gifting: Ideas for Mindful and Ethical Gifts this Season!

Experiences

Instead of material items, choose gifts with a lower impact. Make sure to be conscious of waste and transportation for these experiences.

• A massage, facial, or wellness service.
• A kayak/canoe rental or another outdoor adventure. 
• Entry to a botanical garden or arboretum.
• Local restaurant gift certificate.
• Concert, comedy show, or sporting event tickets.
• Tickets to a class, such as for cooking, art, or yoga.
• Subscriptions to entertainment services like Netflix or the New York Times.
• Subscriptions to a gym or workout studio. 

Shopping

• Shop locally owned, small businesses (prioritize businesses owned by women & people of color).
• Support fair trade items.
• Shop from thrift stores and online secondhand stores.
• Shop at an antique store for rare and unique pieces.
• Provide a gift receipt so folks can return/exchange anything extraneous.
• Gift reusable items like portable bamboo utensils, reusable straws, water bottles, travel mugs, canvas bags, and more! 
• Wish lists aren't just for kids; create one to limit unwanted gifts and increased returns. 
• Participate in Secret Snowman or White Elephant games instead of purchasing gifts for everyone.

DIYs

• Create a DIY scrub, cleaner, or other upcycled item: check out our instructions and tutorials. 
• Save and repurpose glass jars to create kits- such as hot chocolate or cookie ingredients (buy the ingredients in bulk!). 
• Bake something like cookies, bread, granola or energy bars and repurpose a reusable container.
• Ferment something like kombucha, pickles, or sauerkraut for a less sugary, probiotic treat.
• Refill empty candle jars with soy wax to create a brand new candle.

Nature Based

• Grow something to gift, such as herbs or microgreens. 
• Propagate cuttings from your plants. 
• Gift a planter kit by bundling seeds, soil and a planter.
• Make an upcycled planter by painting a container (such as a tin can or glass jar), or repurposing a mug or tea cup.

Gift Wrapping

• Repurpose paper grocery bags or newspapers to create your own reused and recyclable ‘wrapping paper’ (note: metallic wrapping paper and tissue paper cannot be recycled).
• Some wrapping paper is recyclable in Maryland– just make sure it is plain without metallic, glitter, or other coatings. 
• Reuse gift bags rather than disposable wrapping paper. Use scrap paper instead of tissue paper for filling gift bags. 
• DIY gift tags from scrap paper or the front half of old cards. 
• Place gifts in a reusable canvas bag, basket or bin instead of wrapping.
• Wrap gifts in cloth such as a throw blanket, shawl, scarf, or pashmina that can be a bonus gift as well. 

General Tips for the Holiday Season

• Reuse decorations from previous years. 
• Use LED lights and a timer to save energy. 
• Cut some sprigs from an evergreen tree or holly for festive decor. 
• Send out online holiday cards to limit paper consumption. 
• The holiday season, especially Thanksgiving, generates lots of food waste. Remember, sometimes less is more! If there are leftovers, split them among the guests and freeze some food if there’s still too much. Encourage guests to bring their own container to take leftovers to-go.
• Black Friday and gift shopping significantly increases consumption, so try the 24 hour rule: wait 24 hours to buy a good, and maybe you’ll change your mind about making an unneeded purchase. 
• If you celebrate Christmas and use a real tree, check whether it can be collected by the state to be properly disposed of.