your [sustainable] christmas guide

written by rocket science

christmas is often a time of overconsumption. overconsumption of food and overconsumptions of goods. but it doesn’t have to be this way, i’ll be sharing four ideas on how you can make this christmas season more planet-friendly and also wallet-friendly!

1. gift experiences

this year has been a shock to the system for many people, the coronavirus pandemic has shown us how important it is to spend quality time with family and friends. whilst in lockdown, many of us experienced what it was like to be isolated from our loved ones. this is the season of coming together and gifting an experience such as a dinner, movie night or a high tea at home, is a lovely way to spend time with your loved ones. you can make an “i owe you (iou) voucher” or you can buy a voucher from your favourite restaurant, movie theatre or café. a fun idea for families is to gift an experience such as a visit to the zoo, aquarium or a museum pass. gifting an experience allows you to give the gift of time, which is much more valuable than more “stuff”.

2. secondhand can be chic!

don’t be afraid to embrace the secondhand economy and make secondhand finds chic! get creative with your secondhand finds. i also love gifting beautiful vases with some cut stems from the garden, or secondhand jars filled with treats from the bulk store. wrapping paper is a waste of resources and waste of money, find creative ways to wrap your presents instead. an easy way to do this is to wrap your presents it in a vintage scarf or tea towel and decorate it with upcycled ribbon and a brooch. secondhand finds are also a great way to prevent items ending up in landfill and it allows you to buy quality pieces for a fraction of the cost. embrace op shops, markets, facebook marketplace or gumtree to find secondhand treasures.

3. make your own gifts

there are so many excellent diy recipes for homemade body scrubs or body oils which you can make at home and decant into upcycled jars. these make a decadent gift for any family member and it’s a great way to use what you have in the pantry and prevent food waste. you can combine a combination of homemade goods such as cookies, jams, body scrubs and put them in a secondhand basket, decorate it with some ribbon to make a gourmet hamper. this will be such a special homemade gift and will be an excellent present for your family and friends. you can get creative with the recipes and get other family members involved in the making process. gifting consumables or items which can be used up, is a great gift idea for the person who “has it all”.

4. donate and contribute towards something bigger

christmas is the time to give as well as to receive. the easiest way to give is to donate towards a worthy cause and donate it in honour of a person. another way to gift money is to put money towards a bigger project that the person wants, such as a financial investment, holiday or other large purchase. the easiest way to approach this is to ask! ask the person what they would like, if they would like money towards a holiday, a financial investment, or money towards a special cause. in this day and age, most people don’t have room or the need for more “stuff” in their homes. by asking about their needs, you’re helping them achieve a financial goal and preventing excess junk from entering landfill. it’s a win-win for all.

this holiday season, giving presents should be centred on gifting items that are memorable and thoughtful. tokenistic gifts often end up in landfill and it’s a waste of your money and waste of the planet’s resources. let’s make this christmas a seasons of sustainable gift giving!

anita vandyke is a qualified rocket scientist and medical doctor (bachelor of engineering – aeronautical space and doctor of medicine) and, most importantly, mother to vivian. she was born in guangzhou, china, raised in australia, and currently splits her time between sydney and san francisco. her first book, a zero waste life: in thirty days, won gold at the nautilus book awards in 2019 and has been translated to seven languages. anita writes about motherhood, zero waste living and minimalism on instagram, at @rocket_science, or at anitavandyke.com.