Give our planet a gift this Christmas by purchasing eco-friendly Christmas gifts and save money at the same time which is more important than ever during these tough economic times, all while still having a truly special Christmas season.

The average American spends $750 on Christmas gifts. Ouch. That’s a lot of money, especially this year when unemployment rates are high and people are worried about their jobs. Not to worry with a few strategies you can purchase eco-friendly Christmas gifts that will save the planet and keep your money in your wallet.  Another benefit?  By buying fewer Christmas gifts you will have more time to spend with family and friends and enjoy the Christmas season.

For Friends - I have an agreement with friends that instead of buying presents we will spend one on one time together. This gives us more of what we truly want – quality time together. It could be meeting for a glass of wine after work or going for a walk. I love this tradition and plan these meet ups with friends throughout the Christmas season so that I always have something to look forward to. By not purchasing gifts we’re saving the environment (reducing our consumption), saving money and reducing stress since purchasing fewer gifts means less time in a crowded shopping mall.

For Colleagues - Instead of purchasing small trinkets for colleagues which end up collecting dust for a few months before they make it to their final resting place in a landfill, I recommend bringing in some homemade cookies, or if you don’t cook, some chocolates, or another treat that everyone can enjoy. Send out an email saying that in lieu of Christmas gifts you’ve brought in a treat for everyone to share. This thoughtful gesture will be appreciated by everyone, helps make for a happy Christmas season and also avoids the awkward question of which colleagues to buy for. Not to mention that it is also an eco-friendly Christmas gift which will save money.

If your colleagues insist on a gift exchange, try recommending a Chinese gift exchange, in which everyone brings in one gift, and then you draw numbers. The first person chooses a gift and opens it and everyone can see what it is. Then the second person has the option of opening a new gift or stealing the gift from the first person. If they steal it, then the first person chooses another gift to open and so it continues. This is a lot of fun and there is usually a lot of gift stealing going on. You may want to set some parameters around the gift each person brings, in terms of cost and perhaps a theme, i.e. eco-friendly Christmas gifts. By buying fewer presents for colleagues you are helping the planet and your pocket book

For Family – Many people feel obligated to buy presents for all of their family members which can be expensive if you have a large family. I would suggest setting a price limit so that each person is limited on what they can spend. This makes you more creative with your present and is something my family and I do every year, which we enjoy. You may also want to consider drawing numbers and only buying a Christmas gift for the person whose name you draw. Or you may consider forgoing Christmas gifts altogether and using the money you would have used for gifts to do something special together as a family such as a volunteer vacation. While a volunteer vacation is a truly eco-friendly Christmas gift for the planet, it may not be for your pocket book.

By changing the emphasis of the Christmas season to being less about gifts and more about spending time together as a family, you will have a wonderful Christmas season and save money regardless of the activity you decide to do.

After whittling down your list of who you will be buying Christmas presents for, there will still likely be some gifts that you want to purchase. Here are a few eco-friendly Christmas gift ideas:

Give an experience in lieu of an actual gift. I.e. snow shoe, cross country skiing, kayaking or rock climbing lessons. You will then get the gift of time together, have fun learning a new activity, spend time in the great outdoors, not to mention that you will be reducing your consumption.

Purchase an eco-friendly mode of transport such as a bike, skate board, inline skates, or a pair of running shoes to encourage family members to become more active and drive less which is great for the environment and for their health.

Shop locally by purchasing Christmas gifts from craft fairs or farmer’s markets. These usually run throughout the Christmas season but I frequently do most of my Christmas shopping (albeit it’s minimal) at just one great craft fair. It feels great to support the local economy, which is more important than ever, and you’ll be helping the planet by reducing the consumption of fossil fuels used to transport other products from across the globe.

Purchase environmentally friendly products. These include shade grown coffee, free trade products, organic cotton for clothing and reusable products. You can also purchase gifts from nonprofit organizations where the proceeds directly benefit that charity. One of my favourite gifts was a print of artwork done by a chimpanzee in a sanctuary (available for purchase at IDA Africa In Defense of Animals). As much as possible try and avoid buying gifts made of plastic. Plastic is not easily recycled and takes somewhere between 500 to 1000 years to decompose. As wonderful as your gift is, it is probably not going to become the next family heirloom for the next five generations and at some point will end up in a landfill.

Try a few of these eco-friendly Christmas gift ideas and you will be helping to save our planet while saving your money, a winning combination.

I would love to hear your ideas on eco-friendly Christmas gifts. I wish you a wonderful Christmas season!