By: Laura McLively for The Dirt
The holiday music is playing, which means I need to get a move on my holiday shopping. Usually this would involve opening my Amazon app and clicking some toys into my cart for my kids, grabbing some cozy sweaters for my dad at Costco, hitting up the Dollar Store for stocking stuffers, and rounding it out with a Target run for last-minute decorations. Except this year I can’t do any of that stuff. This year is different.
This past summer I participated in “Plastic Free July”, a global movement encouraging people to cut out single-use plastics. It required a major shift in how I shop, so I figured why not go all the way and commit to doing a Buy Nothing month in July as well. That’s right—only food and basic necessities allowed. It was incredible how many times a day things popped up that I or my kids “needed” and, because of this no-buy challenge I had to either do without or find other ways.
There are many of us who feel we are truly at an inflection point—that our society cannot sustain this level of consumption, both from an environmental standpoint and an existential one, and even though it is initially going to be more work to set out to create a new culture around consumption, it will save us and our planet.
July’s Buy Nothing challenge was so revolutionary and illuminating, I decided I needed more time to really break my consumption habits and rewire my brain. I’m now almost five-months into a Buy Nothing year and at the threshold of my first holiday season without my usual apps, having to create a special holiday for my kids, myself and my loved ones.
With some forethought and a little extra effort, I’m already on my way to creating a memorable holiday for my family—without the unnecessary waste or harm.
Here are some tips on how to reduce waste, buy less, and break the cycle this holiday season:
- Buy used. Nearly everything you want to gift is already out there! Look on your neighborhood’s Buy Nothing Facebook group, post on Nextdoor, or text friends and neighbors what you’re looking for. My daughter wants roller skates for Christmas and I got a nearly-new pair on Facebook and changed out the laces so they look fresh.
- Decorate with what you have. Most decorations are usually full of plastic, chemicals, and are not built to last. Fresh cuttings of evergreen or holly look beautiful as decorations. Forage pine cones, acorns and greenery for tablescapes. Make garlands of popcorn, cranberries and dried oranges.
- Wrap naturally. Use reusable bags or a pretty cloth to bundle up a gift. Decorate with natural products like raffia, twine, or pine cones instead of plastic ribbons and bows. Write directly on the package instead of using tags.
- No single-use plastic. When entertaining, use reusable cutlery, cups, dishes and napkins. Don’t have enough? Hit up thrift shops. Everything doesn’t need to be matchy-matchy.
- Normalize regifting. I remember feeling a little weird about gifting my friend my copy of Demon Copperhead last year because I felt like if I’m giving a book as a gift it needs to be new. But why? That’s insane. Giving her a book I knew she would love proves that I know her well—spending money proves nothing.
- Seek the unique. We can all click and buy the same sweater from The Gap, but it takes time and care to seek out interesting finds from thrift stores and consignment shops like a fabulous vintage scarf or an interesting wooden keepsake box.
- Host a pre-holiday swap meet. My friends and I got much of our holiday haul last week by pooling our gently used belongings and taking home whatever suited our fancy. I scored earrings, a lap art desk, a Star Wars game, and some puzzles for my daughters.
- Give intangibles and homemade gifts. Quality time, acts of service, and fun experiences are also memory makers. Gift a lesson in a skill or craft you excel at, take someone on your favorite hike, or offer to plant someone’s garden.
- Slow down. Before you buy something, really pause to decide if you need it. And if you need it, maybe set a rule for yourself that you only click “purchase” on stuff at certain intervals, like the last Sunday of the month. When you add stuff to your cart and let it sit for a while, sometimes by the time that Sunday comes around the item seems obsolete.
- Spend dollars locally. We’re modern people in a modern world and sometimes we need to make a purchase. When those occasions pop up, spend your money where it matters most—with our locally owned and operated businesses in Yolo County.
Laura McLively is an award-winning author (“The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook”) and correspondent for The Bay Area News Group. For more sustainability tips and plant-based recipes follow her on Instagram at @myberkeleybowl or at www.lauramclively.com.
