5 tips for a more sustainable Christmas

This Christmas, make sustainable gifts!

The scene surely sounds familiar to you. The appointed day arrives. The doorbell rings, the family is arriving. There has been a stir in the kitchen all day. The table is bigger than ever. All of them are loaded with bags. And the moment arrives: we give the gifts! The house is filled with wrappers and boxes, the boys and girls accumulate dozens of toys…STOP! This Christmas you can experience more sustainable festivities. If you do it during your trip, why not do it at home?

We share 5 tips for you to give in a sustainable way these holidays. Take note!

1 Look for gifts with less impact

We confess it: on these dates we are excited to give gifts and we do not want to give up seeing the surprised faces of people opening gifts. But that doesn't mean we can't do it responsibly. The ideal would be to make our own handmade gifts (in pinterest you have many ideas, from surprise eggs to bags and soaps). But if we are not handy or do not have enough time, there are also alternatives:

• You can take a look at the Gift Guide for a conscious Christmas by Ecovamos
• Search in the Social Market catalog from your locality the product you want.
• Visit the website Alargascencia.org of Friends of the Earth. You will find a search engine for second-hand and barter items.
• Take a look at catalog of ecological fashion brands Positive Impact Fashion.

The boys and girls of the nepalese project congratulate us on the holidays.

2 Look for solidarity gifts

In addition to not wasting resources, your gift can contribute to financing social or environmental projects. Many NGOs take advantage of the holidays to sell precious gifts loaded with meaning that they serve to finance themselves. They can be supportive, emotional, demanding... we give you some ideas!

• Read the stories of CIWY Advent Calendar  and make a small donation so that the animals rescued from this center can continue to recover in decent conditions.
• Participate in the campaign This Christmas is Justice of Amnesty International. Also, you can take a look at the Online store of this organization, where you will find "brave" t-shirts, calendars and agendas that make visible the rights of girls in the world or cloth bags to change the world.
• Give life. Buy the UNICEF Blue Gift and you will be investing in vaccines, educational material, malnutrition treatment for boys and girls who need it.
• Give away a solidarity trip of Tumaini! You will offer solidarity, adventure and learning 🙂

3. Research and reuse

If you prefer to buy in a regular store, before making a decision, ask yourself a few questions:

• Am I sure that to produce the gift they have not carried out bad practices such as child labor, exploitation, unworthy working conditions, etc.?
• How much of waste generate the product? What materials is it made of? Can you buy something similar but more ecological?
• That values convey the gift? Does it reproduce gender stereotypes? Does it incite violence, discrimination or inequality?
• ¿in which store am I buying the gift? Will the benefit fall on a multinational or will it promote local and neighborhood commerce? Am I favoring the development of the people closest to me?

Sara gave a potato omelette to the girls of the kenya project.

4. Toys: reuse!

Your children, nephews or grandchildren are unique and deserve a Christmas gift, but... Let's not fall into the madness of filling them with dozens of toys that they will only use once! Also, the best gift for them may be the simplest: the adventure of "rebuilding" an old toy.

• Consult with the rest of the family what do you plan to give them so as not to repeat type of toy.
• Choose didactic, handmade toysthat help them learn.
• Choose experiences also for the little ones: an excursion to the mountains, a snack with his cousins, a day at the beach, etc.
• When a toy breaks or is no longer used, invite them to play "transform". Some ideas: make a fruit bowl or lamp with Lego pieces, turn a toy truck into a flowerpot, transform a book into an original clock, etc.

5. Wrappers

Avoid using store-bought wrapping paper, as it used for a very short time and generates a large amount of waste:

• reuse the paper of other gifts.
• uses fabric wrappers, it is much more ecological and original!
• Use andreusable wrappers Like the ones of Renaturis.
• This year, give gifts in a more original way. Hide them in various corners of the houseGo leaving clues and play with the family to find them. It will be much more fun and you will avoid unnecessary packaging.