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Eco Conscious Holiday Gifts

November 18, 2019 3 min read 1 Comment

The holidays are a time filled with so much love, family, and friends, but in the whirlwind that is the holiday season, it's easy to forget about the impact this season has on our planet. We are often reminded that “it’s the thought that counts,” so let’s put a little more emphasis on the “thought” being aimed at Mother Earth! It doesn’t have to be hard, and to prove it today we are sharing some tips that can help you easily incorporate eco-conscious gift giving into your holidays!

Give an experience!

Tickets to a concert or a sporting event, dinner and a movie, a yoga class together (like at our Lake Effect shop!) All make great gifts! The gift of quality time with your loved one not only prevents them from getting something that may just add to an already full or even cluttered life, but will also help create memories that will last long after the holiday excitement and festivities fade away. You could also consider volunteering together or gifting to a charitable cause near and dear to those you love - we of course would encourage supporting FLOW, or another org that supports our Great Lakes!

Items: Palo Santo, Incense + trinkets, Beach towels

Focus on quality over quantity

Getting one quality, well thought gift that will have a long and well loved life is a much more meaningful gift compared to giving a bunch of cheaper, lower quality trinkets that won’t last or be used as frequently.

Item: Northerly Vibes crewneck (organic cotton). We focus on sourcing from responsible, high quality makers and are always working to evolve these standards to reflect improvements that align with the needs of mama earth.

Watch how you wrap!

Wrapping gifts is one of the most waste producing parts of the holidays! There are a few things you can do to help reduce the amount of wrapping paper we are tossing:

Re-use!

By saving gift bags you were given and using them again or wrapping gifts in old newspaper with a pretty twine bow you are not only helping to extend the life of those things a little bit longer, but you are also helping to reduce the demand for new things!

Recycle!

If you absolutely can’t imagine your holiday gifts without the festive paper then aim to purchase wrapping paper made from recycled materials and ones that are able to be recycled again! It is becoming increasingly easier to find these kinds of paper anywhere you would normally buy wrapping paper!

Incorporate the wrapping as part of the gift!

Instead of a paper gift bag opt for a reusable, canvas tote! Not only are you reducing the amount of holiday waste you are also helping to reduce the amount of waste created while shopping daily! We’ve also used towels and tees to get creative with wrapping! Plus, who doesn’t love when their gift has a little bonus?

Support local and small businesses!

By shopping at local small business you are not only helping to directly impact and support members of your community you are also likely to find special, unique gifts and help the planet while doing so! Many small, local businesses are stocking from other local businesses therefore requiring less transportation and much less traffic pollution (be it by car, truck or plane)!

Visit us in-store to see our locally-sourced gear - both of our brand and of other Midwest or US-based makers.

While it’s encouraged to focus on the love, joy, and magic of this season, it’s also important to do so with this extra gentleness, love, and joy towards the very earth that sustains us. Our actions create impact - let’s impact for the better. We’re excited to support you and our planet during this, and all, seasons!