10 Ways to Green Up Your Holiday Shopping
The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and... shopping! We are all for spreading cheer, supporting the local economy AND making green choices, so we've come up with ten ways to make holiday gift-giving more sustainable this year.
LEARN
The average American will spend $1014 on holiday gifts, up from $923 last year, according to Gallup. That’s a lot of greenbacks with a lot of impact. Here are ten ways you can use that impact and green up your holiday and the local economy!
Shop Local! This is our favorite. Support our community and reduce the environmental impact of your purchases by shopping locally. This also reduces the carbon footprint of online shopping/shipping or driving to the mall.
Bring your own bags. You know you have some! This saves on single-use plastic.
Plan Ahead. Last-minute shopping often leads to rushed, less thoughtful purchases that may not align with your eco-friendly values. Planning ahead allows you to find gifts that are both meaningful and sustainable and then you can choose shipping options that can group deliveries, or have longer shipping times.
Thrift your gift. There are beautiful second-hand items that make amazing gifts: a concert tee from back in the day, a thrifted pot with a plant, an out of print book or album. It does not bring something new into the world and is also buying local - check out Treasure House, SCARCE, Purple Manatee, STARS and others!
Think homemade. A homemade gift comes from the heart. Bake, crochet, carve, draw, etc. Pro tip: Utilize the Glen Ellyn Public Library’s new makerspace to embroider a hat, etch a water bottle or put a design on a mug or a t-shirt!
Give experiences. One of our favorite low-waste gifts that also creates memories is to give an experience, like tickets to a show or concert, membership to a museum, or say, a cooking class at Marcels. There are also online subscriptions to classes, e-books, online kits for creating a memoir, etc.
Shop your 'gift closet' first. We all have them, the gifts we receive that are just not right for us. Give them a home by finding just the right recipient. You will have saved by not buying something new AND will have cleaned out your closet, simultaneously!
Make a donation. If your loved one has favorite charity, donate on their behalf. There is even a day to remind you: Giving Tuesday on Dec 3rd. Again, think local! Many local nonprofits need your help. We can even think of one that is already green! ;-)
Use Eco-Friendly Wrapping. Traditional wrapping paper often contains plastic or foil, which cannot be recycled (don't get us started on the micro-plastics in glitter!) Instead, use reusable options like fabric wraps, kraft paper, or even old maps or newspapers. Tie it all together with natural twine or some greenery for a unique presentation.
Support EcoShip for small businesses. Save your shipping/packaging materials for a future Go Green GE EcoShip Drive (more on that below!)
Back to our purchasing power impact: Small intentional changes to your holiday shopping habits can make a big difference. By supporting local businesses, minimizing waste, and making more sustainable choices, the joy of the season can green up our economy and our planet!
DO
Small Business Saturday is 11/30 but you don't have to wait until then! Not only do more of your shopping dollars stay in the community when you shop and eat here, a 'multiplier effect' has your dollars recirculating through our local economy 2-4 times more than money spent at non-local companies. We have so many great local stores and restaurants in Glen Ellyn so let's show them some love!
Over the three years of our existence, Go Green Glen Ellyn has been proud to partner with many local businesses, as well as the GE Chamber and Downtown Alliance, who are working hard to support local commerce. Check out all of their holiday events that help keep your dollars in GE!