Christmas time means office parties, social functions and family get togethers. A common, fun part of these social gatherings is gift giving. And who doesn’t love to give and receive? Isn’t that what the spirit of Christmas is all about?
The concept of gift giving at work related functions usually requires buying gifts under a certain dollar value determined by group organiser—typically under $20. The recipient may have been chosen prior to the event or it’s a lucky dip type of arrangement, where the gift could go to any member of the party. It’s done in the spirit of fun times, however these fun times usually also represent something not so fun. And those that broach the topic of the not so fun aspect of gift giving, are usually looked upon as being a “party poopers”.
What could possibly not be fun about giving gifts?
The fun part many enjoy is to give a gift that is silly and unwanted. The gift is only intended to give a few giggles to the crowd for five minutes and will be promptly thrown away once the recipient gets home. The not so fun part is that it’s either all made of plastic or wrapped in plastic.
What should be an inexpensive, fun way to celebrate and give gifts has now turned into “what can I buy that’s cheap?” And typically when we think of cheap, it involves some junky plastic item that you might pick up at the dollar shop.
Let’s face it, we’ve become a throw away society, purchasing gifts simply based on a dollar value. How much will it cost — not how much will the recipient “value” this gift?
It's easy to avoid unnecessary waste by simply selecting gifts that will last or can truly be appreciated by the recipient.
Need some plastic free gifting inspiration?
Skip the plastic wrap and make your own bouquet of flowers.
Head to your local markets (or our online store) and pick up a bar of x-mas soap —everyone can use a bar of soap!
Support your local beekeeper. At the last secret Santa event I attended, a jar of honey was the gift everyone wanted. (Filling an empty wine bottle with honey also makes the gift more interesting). Prefer wine to honey? Wine also makes an excellent plastic free gift!
Have you been saving your seeds from your garden? Why not place the seeds into a small paper bag or glass jar and add a label. It's another gift that keeps on giving. Don't have seeds but have been storing up dried herbs? These can be placed into pre-used glass jars, and every time your recipient uses your herbs they'll be reminded of the great xmas gift they received.
Looking for something small, eco-friendly and unique? Something that everyone can use is a bamboo toothbrush, why not also add some plastic free dental floss.
Chocolate is often on the cards for Christmas gifts, and it’s rare that anyone is disappointed when they receive a box of chocolates. The issue with chocolates is — the amount of plastic the chocolates are wrapped in. Plastic packaging wrapped around the cardboard box, a plastic sheet protecting the chocolates on the top and a black plastic tray to house the chocolate. All this plastic is headed straight for landfill. We’ve got some better plastic free chocolate gifting options:
- Purchase a block of chocolate that’s packaged in cardboard and foil.
- Head to your local refill store and select some delicious chocolate coated strawberries or chocolate coated nuts. Place these in a glass container and you’ve got the gift of chocolates.
- Looking for a DIY option? How about adding a jar of dehydrated strawberries to a jar. Grinding down dehydrated strawberries also makes for a beautiful powder to sprinkle over some plastic free ice-cream.
Need a last minute gift and don’t have time to hit the shops or wait for an online delivery? Purchase a gift voucher — this could be for an eco-adventure, a relaxing massage, sponsoring an animal, or for purchases at an eco-store – such as Eorth.
