Tis’ the season of overconsumption. Christmas is soon arriving, and with it comes the obligation to purchase gifts for others. You may consider this a nice tradition; to show love for your friends and family. In turn, you receive items that you enjoy. For many, it is the best part of the holiday. But what are the negative impacts of gift-giving and how does it affect the environment?

To understand the gift-giving culture surrounding this holiday we must first look at its origins. Christmas was believed to be celebrated for the first time in 336 CE. It is believed the Roman Catholic Church started the holiday to replace a pagan holiday people previously celebrated. This was called the Twelve Days of Yule. The holiday began on the eve of winter solstice. During the twelve days, crops would be harvested and people would exchange candles and gifts with loved ones. Catholics decided to adopt the gift-giving tradition into Christmas. The justification is from the bible; when the Three Wise Men gave gifts to baby Jesus. The tradition of exchanging presents has continued over the years. It has arguably become the main purpose of the holiday. 

So why do we get so excited over gifts? The reality is in our society we place too much value on items. Now that many families can easily buy their essentials it has become increasingly normal to buy an excess of unnecessary things, to show their status. As we see others with new and shiny things, it is only normal to desire them for ourselves. So when Christmas comes around, most of us can easily produce a list of gifts we would like others to purchase for us.  But the things that we want are rarely essential. 

Buying too many luxury items is damaging the environment and increases your carbon footprint. Manufacturing and production are responsible for a fifth of global carbon emissions and over half of the world’s energy usage. The gifts you may be purchasing this Christmas are part of this category. As greenhouse gases, like carbon, continue to blanket the Earth they trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere. This is what is causing climate change. Climate change is the cause of more intense weather, rising sea levels, and the melting of glaciers which are destroying our environment. 

Another greenhouse gas responsible for climate change is methane. Over 14% of methane emissions come from landfills. And inside these landfills, there are many discarded gifts. In fact, 19% of Christmas gifts are thrown away and go straight to the landfills that emit these greenhouse gases. An additional 20% of gifts are forgotten and unused, meaning they will likely become waste in the future. Each one of these gifts took valuable resources, labor, packaging, transportation, and energy, just to be thrown away. 

Fortunately, there are ways to minimize your carbon footprint over the holiday season. A great way to get sustainable gifts is to buy second hand. You can find clothes, household items, books, records, toys, and much more at thrift stores. You may have to dig a little more to find what you’d like, but it is more affordable and by reusing these items you are saving them from the landfills. If you’re crafty you can even repurpose secondhand items by sewing, painting, and more. Many people prefer to order gifts because it is more convenient. Thankfully there are countless eco-friendly options for clothes, household items, and more online. Many websites have very similar things to popular brands but use recycled and sustainable materials. You just have to search for them. 

Another thing to consider is whether or not the way you package your gifts is eco-friendly. If you are going to use wrapping paper make sure that it is pure paper. If it has glitter or a layer of foil or plastic it cannot be recycled. If you are gifted wrapping paper make sure you dispose of it properly. You can test for plastic by scrunching the wrapping paper into a ball. If it stays in the ball shape you can recycle it, if it bounces back you should not. If you receive presents in gift bags or boxes make sure you save them and reuse them the next year. You can also be creative and wrap gifts in old newspaper, or repurposed fabric and scarves. 

This Christmas if you try to reduce your carbon footprint, you will have not only given gifts to your friends and family, but a gift to the entire world. If we can all make an effort to reduce consumerism and manufacturing emissions we can make a real difference. I hope you encourage your friends and family to participate with you. Have a wonderful holiday season!