Give experiential holiday gifts
Why This is Green
To paraphrase Annie Leonard, the sustainability and consumerism expert best known for her short film, The Story of Stuff, we live in a world that's obsessed with stuff. Our constant consumption of materials is beginning to have a negative effect on the environment and on our health.
Holidays and birthdays are stuff-centric. In an effort to reduce the amount of stuff you give at these times of year, try giving experiential gifts. By offering a present that has not been manufactured and transported (or only minimally so), you help avoid the use of limited natural resources, reduce waste in landfills, and often lower total energy required to manufacture and transport the products. While not shopping at all has the potential to harm the economy, purchasing experiential gifts still helps businesses.
Let’s face it, a lot of the stuff we get for holidays and birthdays winds up trashed shortly thereafter. Experiential gifts are often remembered for long after traditional gifts are forgotten, broken, or thrown out.
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How To
If you’re not sure how to shop for an experiential gift—or even what it means—here are some great ideas from The City of New York:
* Homemade items (cookies, crafts, artwork)
* Entertainment (tickets to show, museum memberships)
* Learning (language lessons, an art class, dance class)
* Time/talent (babysitting, home repairs, pick up and drop off day)
* Fitness (gym membership, personal trainer, classes)
* Pampering (spa treatment, massage)
* The greater good (charity)
