Tips for Having a "Green" Holiday Season
By Pamela McDormand, NSEN Journalism Volunteer
As the holidays are approaching and 2024 comes to a close, you may be wondering how to enjoy this festive time of year while minimizing your impact on the environment and combating the over-consumption of cheap, mass-produced items. Here are some tips to help you find more sustainable ways to enjoy the winter season.
Choose a real tree over a synthetic one, and check your local area for tree lots that are spray-free. Nova Scotia is one of the largest producers of balsam fir trees, so there are plenty of trees to choose from. A tree lot that has positive ecological practices will work to maintain biodiversity and protect water sources. You might even be able to bring home sheared branches to decorate your home inside and out or turn into a wreath for your door. Another option may be to purchase a potted tree that can be planted outside in the spring. Either way, Natural decorations are biodegradable and can also give wildlife a boost.
Choosing a balsam fir tree from a spray-free lot in Lunenburg County. Photo credit: Pamela McDormand (2023).
Instead of single-use paper wrapping products, try reusable gift bags or even festive canvas bags that are available in stores that can be used year after year. If you're especially handy with a sewing machine, you might try making your own reusable wraps that can be fastened with ribbons or hook and loop closures. Another fun tip is to wrap items in clothing that is part of the gift, even a good quality used sweater can make a creative wrapping. Just make sure to secure any loose items inside pockets or with ribbon.
If you have unwanted items in good condition, it's best to purge now rather than after the holidays. Community sharing groups, little free libraries, charities, thrift shops, and other used stores can accept donations that can then be used as gifts for others. Items in good, used condition can be re-gifted without shame in a world plagued by over-consumption.
Seek out local artisans - our province is so rich in talented and creative artists and artisans. Check out your local holiday markets for Nova Scotian-made gifts for everyone on your list. While you're at the market, consider picking up local produce, meats, cheese, wines, beeswax candles and treats for your holiday dinner. Choosing locally made gifts cuts down on the emissions needed to produce and transport goods, while supporting our local talent. Go to https://farmersmarketsnovascotia.ca/events/ for a list of dozens of local markets to check out.
Consider the whole lifecycle of products you buy, no matter where they're from. Is it made of a natural fibre, such as wool, hemp, linen, organic cotton, or wood? Can it biodegrade or be effectively recycled when its usefulness has ended? Can it grow with the user or fill multiple jobs? For children, open ended toys like wooden blocks and art supplies require them to use their imagination more than a plastic toy that requires batteries and is simply designed to entertain them passively, inevitably ending up in a landfill. Another tip is to seek out products that are fair-trade and produced with environmental values in mind.
Gifts of giving can be great for that person on your list who already has everything. Donate to a charity or environmental group whose values align with your own can be a great way to spread festive cheer. The food bank is always looking for a boost, and with food prices and, subsequently, food bank users on the rise, this can be a great start. Charities that provide warm clothing, shelters for the unhoused, or even toys for hospitalized children are also great choices.
Focus on experiences rather than items. Maybe your family would rather have fun together and make lasting memories than pass around a handful of items they might rarely use. Plan a fun outing together, perhaps a family hike or winter picnic to a special spot, stargazing around a bonfire, a theatrical or musical performance, or even a movie night at home with fresh popcorn. Gifts of time with your friends, family, and loved ones can be a great way to feel the joys of the season without adding to commercialized aspect of this time of year. Start a new holiday tradition that emphasizes connecting with loved ones rather than buying and giving objects.
For the craftiest of us all, you might even choose to give homemade gifts from the heart. Even if you don't consider yourself that creative, take stock of your skills and hobbies, and what you might be able to give of yourself to others. Consider knitting, sewing, baking, tech help, errands, house cleaning or maintenance tasks, shoveling snow, woodworking, musical performance, and so much more, can become a unique and individualized gift.
Image designed by Freepik and used under Creative Commons license (www.freepik.com).
Lower the pressure. The holidays can be stressful or even triggering for some people. None of this is meant to make you feel like you have to do all of it to have a fulfilling holiday season. Do what brings you joy, but also consider a more simplistic holiday focused on being together, having a good time, and celebrating the beauty around us, while honouring and protecting that natural beauty with choices that will allow generations to come to continue to enjoy the nature around us.