Black Friday is just days away, and even if you don’t plan on plunging headfirst into the insanity of mass consumerism, it does represent the ‘official’ start to the holiday shopping season. So, as you prepare to search for the perfect green gifts for friends, relatives and co-workers, don’t let the general chaos of the whole process stop you from being your usual eco-friendly self. Here are a few quick green holiday shopping tips to keep in mind.
Remember the three W’s – who, where and what, as in “Who made it? Where did it come from? What’s it made out of?” Just because you’re in a hurry to get your shopping over with doesn’t mean you should forget about important things like whether the item is fair trade and/or made locally, or if it’s made from sustainable materials.
Cut back on the madness with a Secret Santa system. Instead of buying a gift for every single friend, family member and colleague, why not do the Secret Santa thing instead? It cuts way back on the amount of gifts everyone has to buy, so you’ll save money, resources and be able to put more thought into each gift. Establish a spending limit, pick names out of a hat and you’re set for a much more relaxing December.
Don’t forget your reusable bags! It’s all too easy to walk out the door with them and come home from a holiday shopping spree with dozens of plastic bags. Reusable bags are a really easy way to be green during the holiday season. And as a matter of fact, they make a great gift as well, so why not pick up some extras while you’re out?
Hit up the online sales. Yes, it’s true that the items you buy have to get to you one way or another, but shippers like UPS are far more efficient than the average consumer and that UPS truck is headed to your street anyway. And, if you buy several items from the same online store, you save packaging. Lots of online retailers will have major sales this weekend, giving you plenty of selection and eliminating the need to drive all over the place looking for that perfect gift.
Just stay home on Black Friday. Participate in ‘Buy Nothing Day’ in protest against mindless consumption, or try your hand at making some homemade gifts. But, especially given the current economic climate, no one can blame you if you’ve just got to get a couple must-have gifts at the greatest discount possible. Lessen the impact by carpooling, and give a wide berth to anyone with a crazy look in their eyes and a death grip on the last $99 flat-screen TV.
Image via Seattle PI
Good tips there, I prefer to shop online as to avoide crowded stores. Most companies like to list their deals a few days in advance, however sometimes those deals leak. You might want to check out the Black Friday deals ads of Circuit City, Sears, Best Buy, Kmart and Walmart at Retrevo’s Black Friday guide, take a look if you are interested in great deals – http://www.retrevo.com/content.....early-year
11/26/08 » 12:38 am »
Great tips. This year I’m making cowl and beanies for family out of bamboo/wool or soy/wool blend yarn in their favourite colours. But, if I know they wont wear it I’m just making a donation in their name to the World Food Programme (wfp.org) in the Fill a Cup programme. I’m asking them to do the same for me instead of getting me more-of-the-same that I never use or get too many of.
For those killer deals on what our family needs I’m going online or Saturday. Stores are hurting so badly they are carrying the BF sales through the weekend.
11/26/08 » 11:32 am »
Thanks for the good tips. I am definitely more of an online shopper – unlike my sister, I try to avoid shopping on Black Friday.
But please note, just because you order multiple items from one place, doesn’t mean they will ship them together. I ordered two items – the company shipped them separately and put them both in oversized boxes. One item was a small rattle put in a box large enough for a toaster.
At least I plan on re-using the boxes to wrap my presents in.
11/26/08 » 2:50 pm »
My husband and I are engaging in Buy Nothing Year. So far it’s been interesting . . . but we’ve found it means less stress, more time on our hands and a better appreciation of the tons of stuff we already have. Oh, and I’m learning how to sew.
11/28/08 » 2:36 pm »
I am a believer in simply buying less (nothing at all may be a bit extreme for most people). My family is infamous for almost ignoring birthdays, anniversaries etc.
One other way to offset (as we do with carbon emissions) the “insanity of mass consumerism” is to make a point of buying of buying fair trade. I feel that the term ‘Offset’ is fitting in the context as the majority of Christmas gifts (correct me if I am wrong), are typically mass produced in the least fair / eco friendly possible, taking advantage and cutting costs off of everyone from the raw material manufacturers to the distributers. Those of us who are conscious about these matters may see a growing improvement, but I think that if we look a bit further around us we will see that we are still a minority.
11/30/08 » 9:54 am »