Ethical Gift Giving for You & Me
They’re nearly here: the holidays. And with ethical gift giving on the rise, it’s no surprise that discerning shoppers aspire to support sustainability with their dollars.
But how, exactly, to give ethically?
Although shoppers are becoming more brand conscious + 1 in 5 Gen Z’ers are taking extra steps to shop with intention, confusion abounds over what ethical gift giving really means.
The Ethical Hierarchy of Gift Purchasing makes reminds us that the bulk of the gifts we give should be memories in the form of event tickets and experience days as well as giving your time via “special time” with children or cooking lessons with loved ones. Not only are experiences eco-friendly gifts (nothing’s wasted!), they’re also a minimalist’s dream gifts because there’s no unnecessary clutter.
If gifting memories is infeasible, The Ethical Hierarchy advises to upcycle, buy secondhand or make. Not surprisingly, buying new is always at the bottom of the inverted pyramid, with a distinction between ethical purchases versus unintentional ones.
On this week’s show I outline the nuts and bolts behind the Ethical Gift Hierarchy. Then I divulge 5 DIY ideas that are actually awesome and not at all lame; I feature 7 eco-conscious brands dedicated to sustainability, too, so we can easily and mindfully check everyone off our lists.
Enjoy!
* Access this week’s Show Notes here.
* Want more episodes like this one? Check out .#149: Sustainable Gifts for Everyone on Your List.
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2 thoughts on “Ethical Gift Giving for You & Me”
Great ideas! This Christmas I’m giving books for the kids in my life, donations to charities, gift cards (especially ones I printed out myself for online subscriptions- no plastic!), and handmade knitted stockings (most of the yarn I found at thrift stores)! That’s not everything, but it’s most.
Plus on birthdays I give kids a donation to their RESP (college education). They all live far away from me so it’s easy to transfer the balance online without paying outrageous shipping costs for toys.
I love ALL these ideas, thank you for sharing them!
How early in the year do you start knitting the stockings?
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