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It’s that wonderful time of year . . . to stress out about holiday gifts. People throw away more trash than normal this time of year and billions of dollars are spent on unwanted gifts, creating unnecessary environmental problems. Whether you love or hate gift-giving, we hope this guide helps you make more conscious, equitable, and sustainable choices this holiday season.
Gift-giving is a core part of humanity. It’s a way of giving surprise and delight, a way to show people you care. And often, the simplest, most economical and usable gifts are the ones that are the most eco-friendly—and the most loved. EarthEmpower Trading Co. is here to help you embrace radical gifting that puts people and the planet first over profit—without hurting your wallet.
Tip 1: Put yourself in their shoes
When deciding what to buy for a friend or family member, it is essential to think about their needs, wants, and desires, not your own. To avoid waste while gifting, it is important to give something the person will actually use, but does not already have. This can be hard sometimes, so try to think about their secondary or tertiary passion or hobby. For example, if your dad loves hiking he probably has all the gear, so he doesn’t need anything new. But, maybe he also loves grilling, and would love this delicious seasoned salt mix from Love&Tea that uses black volcanic salt from Guatemala.
And if you don’t know the person well or don’t know them at all, that’s ok! Put yourself in their shoes, and remember that everyday essentials and homemade, delicious food always goes a long way. Almost everyone loves a hot beverage in winter, so consider De La Gente coffee or this warming Apple Cinnamon herbal tea!
Tip 2: Upgrade a classic!
Some people are easy to find gifts for - that friend who loves pumpkin spice lattes or your brother who loves spicy food. There are endless options to choose from for these classic gifts, but what if your choice directly supported farmers, creators, fair trade, and environmental conservation?
For your pumpkin spice loving friends, check out Diaspora Co’s Pumpkin Spice Masala which boldly chooses to decolonize spice sourcing and unleash the freshest flavor with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, mace, and more—all sourced from fairly-paid Indian family farmers who practice 100% ancestral regenerative agriculture. Use local winter squash to create this swoonworthy Pumpkin Spice Latte in your own kitchen.
For your giftees who love spicy food, try this delicious Salsa Macha by La Commandanta. This company identifies, rescues and promotes native and ancestral foods made by rural producers using traditional methods, paying a fair price for them so that they do not abandon what they do best. Salsa Macha boasts savory, spicy, nutty flavors, mixing seeds with chili and oil for a delicious addition to pizza, grilled meat, roasted vegetables, tacos, and more! It’s worth learning about its rich culinary history too.
Tip 3: Keep it small and multiply the impact
A gift doesn’t have to be expensive or big to show someone you care. Sometimes something small, like these stickers from The Peach Fuzz, are a powerful gift. Also, when you buy from a small-business, instead of a large corporation, your money makes a huge difference on peoples livelihoods and wellbeing, instead of big CEO bonuses. Elizabeth Hudy’s business The Peach Fuzz creates amazing art, inspires action, supports entrepreneurs, and donates money to diverse charities. The stickers might be small, but they have a BIG impact!
Tip 4: Give the gift of self-care
For the people in your life who really need to take a step back and just breathe, tea can be a wonderful reminder to pause and enjoy life. Drinking tea has many benefits for health as well, so giving the gift of tea really does support self-care. Love & Tea is 100% regeneratively grown by indigenous Mayan women (who are paid 2-3x the market price for economic empowerment!) in the highlands of Guatemala & picked at peak ripeness. The fruits, herbs, and spices are dehydrated within days of harvest—locking in freshness and flavor.
Tip 5: Go thrifting for gifts
There’s nothing quite like finding a gem smushed in between an ugly Christmas sweater and a shirt that looks like it had five cats sleeping on it. Thrifting is an incredible way to get more bang for your buck—and less bang on the environment. If you are worried that someone might turn up their nose at a thrifted gift, consider combining it with something new - thrift a mug and combine with a tin of Love&Tea loose leaf tea, thrift a bag, and fill it with a new hairbrush, solid shampoo, and all-natural soap.
Tip 6: Zero-waste this holiday season!
Can’t stand the idea of contributing to the holiday garbage pile? Challenge yourself to a zero-waste holiday season, from the gifts to the wrapping! You can find great zero-waste gift ideas at our store and you can use the wrapping from the package to transform into gift wrap! Use old packing materials, old newspapers, old clothes, shoe boxes, and more to keep your holiday waste-free. You can add dried plants and strips of colorful fabric to make your gift even more beautiful.
As for the greeting cards we all know and love (and America throws out 1.6 billion cards each year—sheesh), make your own! Use buttons, thread, leftover yarn, dried flowers, watercolor, magazine cutouts, Sharpies, and sincere notes to create stunning cards. Inspiration here and here!
Have fun, gift well!
We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy the new challenge of shopping for sustainable and impactful gifts. If you still have no idea what to give someone, you can always opt for a gift card to our store!
