Reducing the wastefulness of our gifts
Media Leaders
Now more than ever, the thoughtfulness of our presents will be about whether the planet has paid too high a price in its production.
Whatever your culture or faith it is likely that gift giving plays an important role at various points throughout the year. However, it has been pointed out for years that billions of pounds are wasted on unwanted gifts, many of which are likely end up in the bin.
This year I hear more and more people worrying about how to make any season of gift giving, like Christmas, less wasteful and more sustainable. It is too miserable just to have a blanket ban on presents.
That kind of puritanism doesn’t win friends to the cause of environmentally responsible behaviour and seems unnecessarily extreme.
So, at a time when our consumption is under scrutiny how do we eliminate waste, buy responsibly and still demonstrate thoughtfulness and generosity to our friends, family and colleagues?
Giving to a charity rather than spending in a shop
A widely reported YouGov survey found that over half (57%) of Brits who celebrate Christmas receive at least one unwanted gift on average at this time of year, with 37% claiming they would be happy to receive a charitable donation as a present. This insight has led many charities to encourage people to donate to them instead of buying presents.
Many organisations and people have stopped sending Christmas cards and let people know by e mail that they have donated the money they would have spent on cards and stamps to their chosen charity instead.
An act of generosity towards strangers that is very much in keeping with the Christmas spirit of kindness and hope. Instead of sending a message of ‘goodwill to all mankind’ sending the gift of money to people in real need.
Perhaps those brands and organisations will be even more generous this year of yawning inequality?
Recycling through charity shops
Charity shops are also more than delighted to take unwanted presents off your hands. Specialising in second hand or the ‘previously loved’ market, being the recipients of new and unused items is even better.
It will give them the opportunity to raise some money and their shoppers access to new things at a discounted price. A win, win if you can just make the effort to take everything to the shop rather than putting them out of sight in a cupboard.
The hidden price of cheap presents
I reckon that the office ‘Secret Santa’ has a lot to answer for in the wastefulness department. All those £10 presents that rarely hit the spot unless you know your work colleague incredibly well.
I suspect the world will not miss presents in the form of plastic daffodil lights, or a Donald Trump toilet brush, which can seem so hilarious in the moment, but squanders resources not reflected in the price.
Perhaps just avoiding plastics and man-made fibres altogether should be the prerequisite of today’s office presents?
Passing on things you don’t want, profitably
eBay have been on the case for some years, with campaigns promising to help people ‘find loving homes for millions of unwanted gifts and make you money in the process.’
A clever way of incentivising the profitable recycling of those well-meaning presents rather than them languishing in drawers or finding their way to landfill sites.
And, as long as the person who gave it you doesn’t notice that it’s missing from your home, an elegant solution to the problem.
It’s easy to find eco-friendly gifts
The first place I went to of course was google, where I found all sorts of sites like ‘Friendly Turtle’ who promise that their range of eco-friendly gifts are ‘100% zero waste. They claim that ‘not one single piece of material from your purchase will have to go to landfill, and can instead be reused, recycled, repurposed or composted.’
Their range comprises of health and personal care products and even stretched to kitchen and bathroom cleaning (although I’m not sure how well that would go down as a present.)
Subscribing to reforestation programmes
Then there is the website ZeroSmart with the promise to make it ‘easy for people to support scientific climate solutions and to create systemic change for the good of all humanity’.
Through an individual subscription of either £6 or £18 a month enrolling ‘allows an individual to follow the scientific consensus to reduce their personal carbon footprint to zero’.
Firstly, by supporting reforestation because planting trees helps sequester CO2 and secondly, through carbon offsetting by investing in reduction and removal projects that have an immediate impact on our climate.
Doing more than changing personal behaviour
This kind of idea appeals to people who recognise that their personal behaviour and recycling efforts has limited impact on their overall carbon footprint. Many of us don’t have a garden in which to plant another tree, or land to ‘rewild’ and so contributing to big projects elsewhere is a meaningful way to get more done.
The site allows you to direct your subscription to specific projects such as planting mangroves in Madagascar or turning rice husks into energy in India. So, you can choose a project you think the recipient of your gift will particularly appreciate.
Valuing experiences over things
Another school of thought is that we should give each other ‘experiences’ rather than ‘more stuff’. By effectively encouraging the greater utilisation of services that already exist we are by definition reducing waste.
Ideas range from visits to the theatre and art gallery memberships to indulgent spa treatments and vouchers for anything from weekend retreats to driving a supercar. Virgin Experiences may be the best-known provider, but these days so many brands offer gift voucher schemes you can also construct your own gift package.
Luxury food and drink, locally sourced
And then of course there is the old favourite of giving special food and drink. Places like Fortnum & Mason and The Fine Cheese Co do brisk trade in the gift giving season as people trade up in jams, chutneys, cheese, chocolate, champagne and wines for their friends and family.
This year I imagine people will be looking even more closely at options and hampers that are locally sourced, and packaging that can be reused or recycled afterwards.
Cherishing what is homemade
Of course, you don’t have to go to the luxury end to provide thoughtful food and drink treats for people. What could be more satisfying than brewing your own gin as Tracy De Groose (former executive chair of Newsworks) has with her premium Dulwich Gin. Named for the meadows of dill that used to grow in Dulwich and distilled in south London, it certainly represents something out of the ordinary.
A neighbour of mine recently brought me a couple of bottles of juice “made from apples grown in Balham”. I love the idea of people collecting unwanted apples from their garden tree and a collective effort that turns it into juice. Not to mention the industry of talented friends and family who I know have been hard at work making homemade marmalades and chutneys. Something I can’t do and am grateful to receive from others.
Thinking hard before spending
Now more than ever the thoughtfulness of our presents will be about more than whether we buy something someone will appreciate, but also the extent to which we can judge that the planet has not paid too high a price in its production. Worse than receiving something you don’t need or want, is receiving something that has a big carbon footprint attached to it.
Welcome as gifts will always be, irresponsible consumption is no longer tolerable.
Jan Gooding is one of the UK’s best-known brand marketers, having worked with BT, British Gas, Diageo, Unilever and Aviva. She is also chair of PAMCo, Given (London) and LGBT equality charity Stonewall. She writes for Mediatel News each month.
Media Leaders: Mediatel News’ weekly bulletin with thought leadership and analysis by the industry’s best writers and analysts.
Sign up for free to ensure you stay up to date every Wednesday.