The tradition of gifting has been around for eons. No major occasion is complete without fancy and ravishing gifts. Every time a festival pops up or an occasion is nearing, we rush to online platforms or other stores to grab the most amazing gifts for our near and dear ones.
Since gifts are heartwarming and are a wonderful gesture overall to spread love; their flip side is often ignored. The shipping of gifts requires mounds of materials, which leave a carbon footprint. Additionally, glossy and fashionable gift wraps are always preferred to present the gift due to which they dominate the gifting industry. All of this is significantly detrimental to our environment.
It had been estimated that over 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper ends up in landfills and since it is not recyclable, it has a major impact on the environment. All of this calls for adoption of sustainable strategies of gifting.
Here we have enlisted 4 alternatives you could opt for if you are willing to gift sustainably:
1] Shop local
If you have been into online shopping platforms, you must be aware of the intensive packaging strategies that these platforms follow. Most make use of plastics, which are disposed off and end up in the landfills. Therefore, it is a good idea to shop locally as and when possible, to minimize the packaging waste or you can switch to online platforms that are eco-friendly.
2] Choose sustainable gifting options
Realizing the need for eco-friendly gifts; many manufactures are formulating products that obey the environment standards. Go for gift hampers with self care products or customize gift boxes according to your needs. Zero Waste Hero eco friendly gifts for instance offer a great deal of choice which ensures your gift is unique and loved.
3] Go digital
Another trend that has recently been observed with the pandemic times is gifting digitally. This completely eliminates the chances of waste generation.
4] Wrap smart
Utilize eco-friendly wrapping options and go for recyclable or compostable wraps like newspaper or brown bags.
It’s time you get beyond the stereotypical gifts and wrapping. Replace the glossy with eco-friendly and go green! Your contribution no matter how small matters a lot. So, next time when you are gifting your loved ones, consider the above-mentioned alternatives and make the gift even more special by doing your bit for the environment, contributing to the life of minimum wage workers and of course, spreading a smile across your dear ones face!
