With this being the holiday season, our plastic-free challenge this month is going to be focused on eco friendly gifts. The 3 strategies we’ll use to achieve this goal are: shopping locally, easy homemade gifts, and wrapping alternatives. This week is going to be all about the first strategy, shopping locally (sorry I’m getting this article out later than planned).
How does shopping locally cut down on waste?
To cut down on waste when buying presents, you need to look for items that have minimal or reusable packaging. For me the first things that come to mind, are items made by local artisans. This can be anything from pottery, soap, crocheted stuffies, candles, you name it.
Now, I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t shop at the big box stores. Because even at the regular box stores, you can still find many gifts with minimal packaging. Since the overall goal here is to cut down on waste, just being mindful about what an item comes in is a big plus.
I tend to push for shopping local because it helps build stronger communities and more sustainable economies. And I’m all about sustainability 🙂 Granted, shopping locally doesn’t automatically mean the gifts won’t be loaded with styrofoam, plastic, and cardboard packaging. But the odds are better at finding more sustainable and eco friendly options when shopping local.
Here’s some of my favorite local shopping venues:
- Craft shows and festivals
- Artisan markets/coops and flea markets
- Independent businesses
- Fair Trade businesses
- Bookstores
- Thrift Stores
- Downtown gift cards
Shopping local with Downtown gift cards
I want to give a special mention to Downtown gift cards. If your gift recipients live in an area with an established downtown, then more than likely you can get a downtown gift card for them. I love these cards because it feels more personalized to the recipient and you’re giving your loved ones a fun shopping or dining experience.
A bit about shopping at thrift stores
Do you love giving an actual gift? Try out your local thrift stores! Not only are thrift stores a vital part of the circular economy, but they usually support good causes. Sometimes you can even find specific wishlist items when you shop thrift. Or at the very least find the components you’ll need to make a handmade gift. And guess what, they’ll be for a fraction of the original cost. Plus, you’re not adding any additional waste to the landfill when you buy something second-hand.
Bookstores are a great resource too
Don’t forget your local bookstore! Many bookstores also carry additional items that make for great gifts. Not sure what book to get? You can put together themed gift baskets and make the whole thing complete by adding a book. Cookbooks, gardening books, and craft books are great themes to work with for gift baskets.
How shopping locally is better for the community
Now that we’ve covered ways to shop local, let’s get to the impact side of things…
Personally, I feel like the Small Business Saturday campaigns have done a lot to raise awareness regarding how important small businesses are to the local and the overall economy.
“$0.68 of every dollar spent at a small business in the U.S. stays in the local community and that every dollar spent at small businesses creates an additional $0.48 in local business activity as a result of employees and local businesses purchasing local goods and services.” (American Express, Small Business Saturday Studies)
How shopping locally is better for the environment
We know that shopping local is better for local economies, but what about the environmental impact? The articles I found covering this topic state that shopping local has a lower carbon footprint than the big chain stores. One reason for this is because small businesses tend to source local products instead of from half way around the world. Another reason is that small businesses tend to be in the middle of town instead of on the outskirts. This cuts down on travel distance for customers and employees. Both of those factors lead to less carbon emissions from transport and travel for local shopping.
When you shop local, as opposed to online, the items don’t need yet another layer of packaging to get to their final destination. So, shopping locally cuts down on redundant packaging and potentially the overall packaging.
I also came across some studies about how small, independent, businesses are more eco friendly because they have the advantage of being more adaptable. This adaptability allows them to implement more environmentally friendly and sustainable practices for their businesses. This is in addition to being more likely to carry eco friendly products to meet customer demand.
In summary – shopping local
Our main goal is to cut down on waste from gift giving. The most effective way to cut down on waste is to either make the gift yourself (which isn’t always realistic), to give gift cards, or give experiential gifts. If you want to give gifts but not make them yourself, then your best eco friendly option is shopping locally. You just have to look for gifts with minimal packaging. This advice goes for big box stores or local independent stores. Small businesses are more likely to carry eco friendly products and have a lower carbon footprint. Not only that, but small businesses are a critical part of the local economy.
Have fun supporting local this season! Tell me in the comments below where you love to get local gifts.
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