Low carbon Christmas present ideas

[StrongLegs]

Hi,

I wondered if anybody might have good ideas for Christmas presents that don't increase our carbon footprint and fill the house with stuff that takes up space and isn't used?

I wondered if the best thing would be to just buy things we need like clothes and duvet covers and kitchen utensils, and wrap those, so we have something to unwrap. Maybe I could wrap the Christmas pudding and the crackers??

One time I bought us all pillows for our beds and wrapped those, and that was epic looking on Christmas morning.

This year I've also bought some nice seeds so we can all have something interesting to grow in the coming winter/spring. Mostly cacti so they can grow indoors in winter.

ds likes computer games, but he downloads those, which makes them hard to wrap.

Sorry I'm not sure if this is really an AIBU.

Christmas doesn't need to be practical and unexciting. Just buy locally and sustainably: lovely local candles soaps or essential oils/ clothing/ treat food like chocolates, chutneys, jams, cheeses/ household treats like linens, picture frames, artwork/ an experience which is local like restaurant/ theatre/ activity.

Kids' presents could include activities/ clothing/ wooden toys/ treat foods. It's not hard to think of!

Garden

• bird house/ feeder/ bath
• insect hotels
• plant/ fruit tree

Home

• indoor plant
• nice photo printed and in frame

Edible

• cheese/ chutneys/ drink/ sweet snacks

I don’t think you can wrap household objects unless you’ve got the okay from everyone else in advance, otherwise they’re going to be
A) dissapointed, and
B) assuming you’ve gone bonkers.

Low “stuff” options we’ve done:

Potted plants planted by us in nice pots which can be transferred to the garden when a bit bigger.

Snack surprise monthly subscription, when you get a cardboard box of treats from a different country each month.

Wine & Chocolates & socks - standards for a reason.

For those with small kids - Sending some sentimental clothes to an etsy shop to get them made into a quilt or soft toy. Technically you still have as much “stuff” in your house, but now it’s in a useable state.

Second-hand books - i would give a small bundle of books i genuinely think the recipient will like, with a note attached saying that as part of the present i promise to collect and return to a charity shop any they don’t want to keep.

Well, that all sounds rather joyless. I don’t buy much during the year so Christmas and birthdays are fun. I don’t buy excessively and with abandon, just some special things that will be enjoyed.

I think my year-round way of living means I can treatment my family at Christmas time.

Buying nothing won't increase your carbon footprint and takes up no space at all.

This sounds great but I’m not sure jetting foodstuffs in from around the world and then delivering it each month is particularly low carbon. 😬

@Getyourownback

Well, that all sounds rather joyless. I don’t buy much during the year so Christmas and birthdays are fun. I don’t buy excessively and with abandon, just some special things that will be enjoyed.

I think my year-round way of living means I can treatment my family at Christmas time.

Or even ‘treat’.

The best thing is to get rid of the idea that adults need presents. If you can't then do lists and ask people to pick something, so it's still a surprise. Wrapping household items, means wasted wrapping paper, so wasted resources.
Working class Christmas in the 70's was people getting together and having a drink/food. Women had the least of the household budget so presents were nice for them, especially because we didn't eat chocolate etc weekly. Life has changed and we have been fooled into thinking it means gifts.
As for children, don't buy what they don't really need/want. Save it for days out.

Reduce, reuse, recycle.

So buy a bit less, buy second hand where possible, give away what you dont use.

Buying nice, locally made stuff is fine if you want and need it but otherwise it's just excess consumption for consumption sake.

All these options are high carbon if you won't like or use them. Half of these suggestions I'd give away. Or kill (house plants).

I like Oxfam goats. Give me 4, please and one nice bottle of wine.

I agree with PPs. It doesn't have to be practical and boring.
Think of Christmas gone by. Fewer presents, you don't need to buy for adults except nearest and dearest. Think local supplier, local produce. The biggest carbon impact of what we buy is often the transport.
And no gimmicky shit that's destined for the bin or even charity shop in January. Even charity shopping something doesn't negate the carbon generated when the item was manufactured and transported to you.

Buying nice, locally made stuff is fine if you want and need it but otherwise it's just excess consumption for consumption sake.

All these options are high carbon if you won't like or use them.

This is the nub of the matter, excess consumption is always bad for the planet.

wellllll... wool yarn, handspun from local sheep... wool addict

Razors that are wooden and re usable with blades.
Eco soaps and candles.
Oxfam gifts such as choc, insense ,soap.
Handmade candles.
Food from local farm shops.
A good quality item of clothing that will last and last.

Well, you’re all right of course, my suggestions weren’t very low-carbon and i take them back. I was concentrating on what the OP said about not wanting stuff around, and was thinking of things that get “used up.” Apologies.

However, i do wish people wouldn’t respond with “Well I would personally HATE those…” because, yes, everyone is different and we all like different things. If i knew you, i would presumably know your likes and dislikes and gift appropriately. Rubbishing gifts i have given that have been loved and well received does nothing but make me feel a bit crap.

Second hand stuff.
Locally sourced stuff.
Get creative. Find out what they want/need and adapt to that.

For example for your son , you could reuse boxes you already have , and tear up paper/adverts/magazines for him to root through to find a voucher or even a paper IOU amount of money for his games. That's what we did last year. Took DD 20 frustrating and hilarious minutes to find her robux code.

Don't buy stuff just for the sake of buying stuff that's the main thing and stop concerning yourself with how epic it looks.

But @RubaiyatOfAnyone literally no one has reacted like that.

For adults, secondhand books they would really love, lovely ethically made soaps/candles or art.

Thanks so much for those suggestions. They are great.

Weird, I now really want a goat.

Actually....

We have a fox in the garden. Maybe this Christmas we could celebrate by making cool things for the fox in the garden, and when we get up in the morning we'd get to see if he enjoyed them. It would be like elf on a shelf, but with a real elf.

I think part of the challenge, which I should have said, is that we're all ASD-types so have really set special interests and specific diets, no smelly things like soaps or candles, no fancy food like chocolates or sweets, and all that.

If I buy something that fits someone's hobby, it has to be exactly the right thing or there's no point.

So dh would like electrical components which cost 27p each and I can wrap them, but they are very small.

ds likes games which we download, so I could wrap a photo of the game, but again very small.

The flip side is that if I buy useful things that are really boring, then they will say "hey, that's not going to inconvenience me in the slightest. I love it. Thanks"

Maybe for each Christmas present I could estimate the carbon footprint and we could be pleased with the low carbon-ness of it all? That might be fun, in a weird, low-carbon fun kind of way.

Downloads have got to be super-low carbon haven't they, and I'm sure getting diodes in the post from the UK must be okay-ish. I think cactus seeds are probably low carbon.

Now I think about it, my wrapping paper is not recyclable, so that's probably bad isn't it?

Nice quality food, or toiletries, or a voucher for an experience eg a meal out, national trust membership, tickets for an event, theatre tokens, cinema annual pass

I’m really trying to ask and buy things people need. So nothing more than would be needed/consumed anyway but trying to make it a bit special - maybe from a nicer shop or ethical brand than they’d get for themselves. Also some second hand/antique shop, charity, useful, homemade and edible bits in there too.

I have a word with myself if I’m ever drawn to wards any sort of gift set in a bulky plastic carton.

@Chipsinthewoods yes I'm the same. I think part of the issue here is that it's the first Christmas when ds has been a bit too old to be really into unwrapping really big boxes of things just for the sake of it. I'm a bit confused about what I'm meant to do now. Maybe just chill out and put my feet up?