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“You give but
little when you
give of your possessions. 
It is when you
give of yourself
that you
truly give.”

—Kahlil Gibran,
The Prophet

“The manner
of giving is
worth more
than the gift.”

—Pierre Corneille,
Le Menteu

Going Green Publications
P. O. Box 3164
Wilmington, NC 28406
910.547.4390
send us an e-mail

2009 Holiday Giving Guide

quick links to areas on this page
gifts you give | gifts that help others | gifts you make
gifts of experience | gifts that help conserve | the big day

An Approach to Eco-friendly Gift-giving

by Mary K. Robertson, Eugene Contributing Editor

Did you know that Americans produce 25% more trash than usual between Thanksgiving and Christmas? This is lot of extra stuff. Do we really need all of it? Let’s look at some ways to make our gift-giving this year easier on the earth. Although we’re focusing on holiday gifts in this article, these principles apply all year long.

There are many factors to consider when choosing gifts that are environmentally-friendly. A minimalist model might be to not give gifts at all. And buying gift cards online and emailing them to the recipient is certainly fuel- and resource-efficient. But most of us still love to give and receive gifts—from the anticipation of choosing just the right thing, to trying to guess the contents, tearing open the wrapping paper and seeing what’s inside! How can we reconcile the sheer fun of gift giving and receiving, with making things a little easier for the earth and those on it? (Hint: just by reading this online you are taking a step in that direction.)

First, think about the gift itself. Who made it? What is it made of? How far did it travel to get here? How far does it still have to go? Will the person truly use the gift? What is it packaged in? How did you order and pay for the gift? Looking at these issues will help you choose gifts that matter.

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Gifts you give people

Sometimes a sweater is the perfect gift for your niece. Look for clothing and accessories made of recycled, reused or organic fabrics—especially those produced without harsh chemicals. It’s amazing what you can find made of recycled tractor tires these days! 

Most everyone has access to a local craft fair or market, or even a year-round gallery devoted to local artisans. Buying locally not only makes environmental sense, it helps keep money in your community. Talk to the craftsperson and find out your gift’s unique story. It will make it that much more special to the recipient.

One of my most cherished gifts is a small basket my father bought from a streetside vendor. Dad stopped and chatted with the maker, and inside the basket is a photo he took of the weaver with a short note to me. How more personalized could this be?

Shop for kitchen accessories made of quick-growing bamboo, reusable cloths to replace paper towels, or muslin bags to buy and store produce. For the cook, how about a share in a local Community Sustained Agriculture (CSA) or a gift certificate to the local farmer’s market? Or lessons to encourage home cooking of all those yummy local items? A visit from an eco-friendly cleaning service, one that doesn’t use harsh chemicals, might be just the thing for Grandma.

Kids will always want their toys. But each year there are more versions made of recycled and non-toxic materials. Or how about a kid-sized microscope to examine that bug up close, or a star chart and a pair of binoculars to get the whole family outside and looking up? School music programs have been cut drastically in recent years, so make music at home. A drum or maracas are fun for the younger kids, instrument rental and lessons suitable for the older ones. While you’re shopping, look at how heavily the toy is packaged, and whether it will need regular infusions of battery power. A third of the waste Americans toss each year is packaging.

When giving food items, look for locally-produced items. The range of jams, jellies and pickles is stunning! For items we don’t grow domestically, such as coffee, consider fair trade versions. Visit www.transfairusa.org/ for more on why fair trade practices matter.

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Gifts that help other people

Regardless of your political or social views, you have to admit that we live in one of the richest societies on earth. The rest of the world doesn’t. Aunt Ellen might not appreciate a bunch of chickens in her back yard…but how about giving a flock in her name to help feed a Guatemalan family?

Numerous organizations allow you to buy animals, equipment, or training to help families be self-sufficient. You can give anything from a sewing machine and lessons to a pair of milk goats to a well-drilling service for fresh water; the organizations send a card to the recipient or provide one for you to send. Try www.heifer.org for ideas.

There are also gifts of service. Tibet, thanks to its high-altitude bright sun, has the highest incidence of cataracts, the leading cause of blindness, in the world. A surprisingly small donation can help send doctors there to perform sight-restoring surgery. Can you imagine what a gift it would be for a woman to be able to see her grandchildren for the first time? Visit www.tibetvisionproject.org for more information.

AIDS has left many African children orphans—and caring for their younger siblings. Tariro—which means “Hope” in the Shona language, helps support Zimbabwean girls finishing their high school education. Visit www.tariro.org for more information.

Microloans and the internet are changing the way we connect with the world. Even $25 can make a huge difference to a small entrepreneur. Sites such as Kiva make it easy to match “loaners” with needy entrepreneurs—you can even track their progress online. Gift certificates allow your gift recipient to pick who they’d like to help. Visit www.kiva.org/ for details.

If you prefer helping those closer to home, how about a donation to your local food bank or energy-share program? You can contribute to Progress Energy’s Energy Neighbor Fund, at progress-energy.com/, to help those having temporary difficulties paying their power bill. You can visit wilmington.foodbankcenc.org to see how your donation to the Wilmington Branch of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina helps them serve Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender counties. Or commit to helping one afternoon a month at the food bank or delivering meals to shut-ins. You can still design a wonderful gift card to mark your commitment.

Gifts you make

It’s not just those ashtrays you made your parents in second grade. Most people love to receive personal gifts—make your own, or visit local craft stores and buy one-of-a-kind locally made gifts. Visit www.buyhandmade.org/ to get great ideas.

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Gifts of experience

Not all gifts are “things.” Some of the most meaningful can be those that open up new vistas for the receiver. How about a National Parks Pass?  It admits the holder to the wonders of our National Park system. Visit www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm or stay closer to home and give a membership to a local park, arboretum or museum.

Encourage the “do-it-yourselfer” in your life by giving a course at a local community college or home-improvement center.  How about art lessons? Or music lessons? They can be stimulating and just plain fun for folks of all ages. For example, www.makingmusicmag.com offers ideas for recreational music. A skein of yarn and knitting lessons from Mom might open the door to a lifetime’s pleasure.

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Gifts that help conserve resources

How about a low-flow showerhead, or fluorescent lighting? A tankless hot water heater? These may not sound glamorous, but their design will help save the recipient money while helping save the world. A reusable lunchbox can save dozens of trees otherwise destined for paper bags and encourage healthful, homemade meals. A subscription to a movie-rental company such as Netflix can save an awful lot of trips to the video store. There’s even a “smart” power strip that turns things off when you forget to.

Perhaps your mate has been thinking about biking to work. A bike tune-up at the local shop, or a set of panniers and a good rainsuit might help make this a reality.   

Maybe you know someone who wants to be “greener” but doesn’t know where to start? Ready, Set, Green: Eight Weeks to Modern Eco-Living, by Graham Hill and Meaghan O’Neill, (240 pp, Random House) offers an easy-to-follow program. Or try Where Our Food Comes From, by Gary Paul Nabhan, for a fascinating look at the politics and future of food. See www.garynabhan.com for more details. Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea, by renowned chef Alice Waters (Chronicle Books, 2008) might get them thinking about school and nutrition a bit differently. Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products and Services, by columnist Adria Vasil (Norton, W.W. & Company, 2009) helps the reader cut through the “green noise” when making daily choices. Your local bookstore owner would be happy to order any book she or he doesn’t have in stock.

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The big day

On Christmas morning, especially with kids in the house, it is tempting to just rip into the gifts under the tree. But a little preparation can make clean up easier. At our house we have a bag for recyclables, one for ribbon and paper that can be reused (my Mom makes the best bows) and one for “trash:” bits of ribbon, Mylar and other materials that can’t be recycled.

After the holidays: what to do with the stuff? Recycle or compost cardboard and paper. Check plastic packaging for recycle codes. Block Styrofoam? See if your area recycles it. If not, lobby your town for a one-day gathering up of block Styrofoam. If enough people request it, it can be done. Check packaging “peanuts;” if they crush easily or dissolve in water they are made of cornstarch and can be easily composted or just thrown on the garden bed and watered in. If not, then reuse them or offer them to a local packaging store.

Should you end up receiving gifts you just know you cannot or will not use—think of those who might. Internet lists such as Freecycle and Craigslist makes it easy to find an eager taker for that ….well, whatever it is!

The options are as endless as you imagination. Give of yourself this holiday season, and there will be more for all of us.

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