One of the eco challenges I have set myself this year is for all gifts given to be made predominantly from recycled materials, including the card and wrapping.
I find it relatively easy to buy environmentally friendly and ethical goods when I buy for my immediate family. For example, we now buy the majority of our clothes and furniture second hand when possible; we always look for local and fair-trade options; and we go for quality rather than quantity. However, I find that when it comes to gifts for others, all my good intentions go out the window. I worry that gift recipients may think we are just being ‘cheap’ rather than eco or ethical. Not any more! From now on the gifts I buy will be as green and ethical as all my other purchases.
What is so good about recycled anyway?
One of the buzz words in environmentally friendly products these days is ‘organic’. However, organic products still have an ecological impact. For example, growing and processing of organic cotton still uses a huge amount of water; and the manufacture of fabric out of organic cotton still generates greenhouse gas emissions during farming, processing, manufacture and transportation.
It is also difficult to sort out the genuinely green gifts from those that are just greenwashed.
One way of guaranteeing a gift has a relatievly small ecological impact is to buy products made from recycled material and to buy as local as possible to minimise the ecological impact of transport.
Each time I give a gift made from recycled materials rather than new I reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save water, reduce pollution, decrease land clearing, and keep fabric or other recycled materials out out of landfill. I cannot imagine a better gift!
I would love others to join me on this challenge or even just give one recycled gift. Simply introduce yourself in the comments and come back and tell me about your recycled gifts. Feel free to link to your own blog posts regarding gifts made from recycled materials.
Do you make and sell products made from recycled materials? Feel free to post a link to your site in the comments. I need more gift ideas!
Click here to view my progress so far and see some great ideas for gifts made from recycled materials.
Happy recycling!
