Trying to green the holidays
- Randi Pokladnik
- December 14, 2018
- 1361
As I contemplate another year of gift giving, my hubby and I have decided to follow a friend’s advice and give memories and experiences for the most part. If we give a gift, we are trying to make sure it is needed, wanted and as “green” as possible.
Just cruising around the internet, we have found there are several possibilities. In an effort to de-plastic our lives, we tried to find soaps not packaged in huge plastic bottles.
We found a laundry soap called Dropps. The soap has no fillers, artificial dyes or synthetic fragrances and comes packed in eco-friendly, dissolvable pods made from an alcohol base rather than plastic. They are shipped to you in a cardboard container with no Styrofoam peanut packaging.
We also found a company that makes toilet paper from bamboo or 100-percent-recycled paper without inks, dyes or scents. The company donates 50 percent of its profits to building toilets in poor countries. They note on their webpage that “2.3 billion people worldwide do not have access to toilets, and 289,000 children under 5 die each year from diarrheal diseases caused by poor water sanitation.”
The used box from Christmas orders comes apart and can be folded into a small Christmas tree. The company’s name is “Who Gives a Crap.” I’m serious. That’s their name. They have donated $1.3 million to charity and as they state, “saved a heck of a lot trees, water and energy.” I especially like the fact the rolls are not wrapped in plastic.
Gift cards are a good idea as well, even though I know they are made from plastic. Memberships to eco organizations are a nice idea. We adopted two endangered species for a year as part of our granddaughters’ birthdays recently.
Every year I get a membership to Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. I have been going there for more than 20 years as it was one of my mother’s favorite places to visit. The flower show at Christmas is spectacular, and it is only about 80 minutes from our home.
A gift of wine is another possibility, and because my family and friends know I make wine, they can count on a bottle or two during the holidays.
I also bake cookies and sometimes give away something I have canned from our garden. This year I had an abundant crop of cucumbers, so homemade pickles are on the gift list.
Homemade gifts, especially ornaments made by children, will be cherished as the years go by. I still have our son’s macaroni and glitter Styrofoam ball. That ornament, according to today’s eco standards, is not green, but as it was made almost 35 years ago before we knew about the impacts of plastics and glitter, I’ll keep hanging it on our tree.
We often grapple with ordering things online because of the fossil fuels used to transport them. Even the eco gifts I purchase, like the beeswax-coated cotton food wrappers, have to be shipped via the mail or UPS. It is often a tradeoff, and we try to make the best choice possible.
Being aware of your carbon footprint is half the battle. Trying to reduce the impact of the holidays is not always easy, but each small change has a positive effect.
If you have an avid reader in the house, a Kindle is a great choice. I downsized my science library a few years ago and literally had an entire car full of books that I donated to the library. My kindle is a 2010 model and has well over 455 books on it. (I am an avid reader.) I cannot imagine having physical copies of all of those books.
A photo album on a thumb drive is a nice idea. I have an enormous box of old black and white photos from my parents that I want to scan with my computer and make copies of for my siblings. I hope I can get it done before the holidays.
Gift certificates for local restaurants, wineries, breweries or movie theaters are a good choice for the older members of your family. I have even made up my own coupons to be redeemed for household chores like lawn and garden work, flower planting or car detailing.
Whatever you do decide to purchase, my best advice would be to follow the teachings of the Minimalists: Look at that item before you purchase it and ask yourself, will that bring joy to this person’s life? Will it be in the giveaway pile by June? Is it worth the resources that were used to create it as well as the energy to manufacture and ship it?
Sometimes the best gift of all is the gift of ourselves. Spend time with old friends, family members or your spouse. Take a hike or schedule a recurring game night or a special date night. As the years go by, we often see less and less of our family as they move away or grow up. We can never recover the time that goes by.
For me one of the best gifts I have been given is the friendship of my readers. Some of you have written me or even called me. I never imagined how many people were concerned about the bobcat trapping issue last fall. I talked to several folks from all over the state, and a few even came to the ODNR meeting to provide testimony. For some it was their first foray into activism, and I was so proud of them.
Because of this column I have new groups of new friends all over the state. Some of those include The Mohican Memorial Forest Advocates, Friends of Perry State Forest, Keep Wayne Wild, pro-renewable energy groups and anti-fracking activists all over Ohio.
I have learned so much from all of you, and hopefully I have taught you a few science or eco facts.
It has been nearly four years since I started writing this column, and although some environmental issues have gotten better, we have a long way to go.
Because of climate change, we are in a fight for our lives and for our planet. But knowing I have people out there who are with me and support me makes all the difference.
Wishing you all a happy, environmentally friendly holiday season.