It seems every month brings an occasion where we feel obliged to buy someone a gift. And the consumer marketing we read in the newspaper, see on TV, and listen to on the radio presses us even further to the malls and shopping centers. But do you or does anyone else really need more stuff? Not only is excess consumerism destroying species, consuming resources, and altering the climate, it's also cluttering our lives!

Gifts are thoughtful, but before you choose a present, think about some greener alternatives.

How about giving green?

Giving green means giving with simplicity in mind. Since simplicity is about reducing personal consumption to improve quality of life, how about giving opportunities rather than things? Or if you give someone a product, make sure it is environmentally friendly. Why not?

• Give tickets to concerts, plays, or sporting events. Paying for someone to attend an exciting event is a great way to enrich and inspire his or her life.
• Prepay for a month's worth of cooking classes, gym access, art lessons, yoga instruction, or music lessons. Learning new skills increases self-esteem and can improve one's social life.
• Buy the lucky friend a National Parks Pass or gift certificates for their favourite restaurant.
• Adopt a humpback whale, beluga, or a piece of forest or wetland on their behalf. World Wildlife Fund Canada can help.
• Purchase them a bird feeder and birdseed so they can enjoy the sights and songs of these feathered creatures.
• Give your friend or relative who is always on the move an electric scooter. These cool devices are silent and are an environmentally friendly way to get around.
• Give energy efficient lighting products, a low flow showerhead, a faucet aerator, or timers for lights and heaters.
• How about a composting kit or a worm bin?
• Purchase your friend a battery charger complete with rechargeable batteries.
• Bestow your favourite book, or shop for a book at a used bookstore.
• Give them a sturdy reusable shopping bag to reduce the need for plastic bags.
• Surprise them with a coffeemaker with a washable filter and some fresh organic, fair trade coffee?
• Treat them to a reusable lunch bag.
• Buy your favourite car owner a tire inflation gauge. Properly inflated tires save fuel, reduce pollution and don't wear out as quickly.
• Prepay for a year's subscription to their favourite magazine.
• Donate money to his or her favourite charity.
• Buy a membership to an environmental organization to enable your friend to learn about local environmental issues and support an important cause.
• Seek out recycled gifts such as glass tableware and picture frames.

Wise Wrapping

We see it at birthday parties and at Christmas – used wrapping paper and holiday decorations look like mini-landfills in our living rooms. If you have to wrap, get creative. Try wrapping in newspaper, leftover wallpaper, store bags, or magazine pages, or make the wrapping out of part of the gift (like a towel). You can tie gifts with string, recycled ribbons and scraps of wool or cloth. Be sure to save the gift cards you receive as these can make great gift tags for the next special occasion.

Environmental Choice Program

Canada's Environmental Choice EcoLogo symbol represents consumers, industry, and government working together to help consumers identify products and services that are less harmful to the environment. You can find it on over 1,400 products like appliances, office products, and even mutual funds. Learn about the criteria and range of EcoLogo certified products available.

To ensure you are buying an ecologically sustainable product, look for this logo.

Source: Environment Canada