Gifting Green

The Palisadian-Post has teamed up with locally founded environmental nonprofit Resilient Palisades to deliver a weekly “green tip” to our readers.

There are myriad opportunities to be festive while lowering your holiday footprint. Here are a few tips on gifting green:

Gift experiences: Although outings are quite limited now, plenty are still available and more opportunities are on the horizon. Experiential gifts are the gifts that keep on giving. Some have the added advantage of sharing the experience with others and making memories that last a lifetime. Such gifts include museum and botanical garden memberships, annual national park passes, online courses like MasterClass, or maybe an annual compost pick-up service with compostablela.com.

Wrap with love: Purchase 100% post-consumer recycled paper to help support our dwindling recycling industry (the demand for post-consumer products is still far less than the output). Also, always avoid glitter. Alternatively, wrap gifts with downcycled materials such as magazine pages, old newspapers (including copies of the Post) or even pretty burlap bags that can later be reused in the home. Opt for yarn and cloth ties over masking tape, which can also be stored and later reused around the home.

Quality, not quantity: Spend more money on fewer gifts to ensure you’re buying quality products that will last a long time. Wherever possible—from food to clothing—choose the environmentally and socially responsible sourced option. These will not only be kinder to the world but will also contain fewer harmful toxins. Avoid false claims such as “natural” or “free-of,” and instead look for third-party-approved certifications such as 100% Fair Trade Certified, EWG Certified, GreenSeal, USDA Organic, BCorp, etc.

For more information about Resilient Palisades, including opportunities to get involved, visit the organization’s website: resilientpalisades.org.