Sustainable Holiday Shopping

The snow is coming and it’s getting chilly outside; it’s almost that cozy time of year. During the winter holidays we like to spend time with family and friends, play board games, eat yummy foods, and best of all, open presents. Now, while it might be the best time of the year for commercial purposes, there is a special somebody amongst the holiday bustle that is just too overtaxed - the environment.

Many environmentalists argue that Christmas is the world’s greatest annual environmental disaster. If you think about it, they’re kind of... well, right. From the gas guzzled from our back and forth trips to the mall, to the mountains of packaging shredded on Christmas Day, to the disposable plastic decorations, that’s a lot of stress on the environment! Once you add in 2 billion people from 160 countries all over the world doing similar things, you start to wonder how Earth can sustain such destructive behavior. It’s about time we make an effort to be more eco-conscious during the holidays.

I know that it’s hard for us to give up our holiday traditions, but it doesn’t hurt to make them the tiniest bit more eco-friendly. For example, make a list of EVERYTHING you might need before you go out shopping and use reusable and eco-friendly decor and wrapping material, buy environmentally friendly gifts for your friends and family - and... we’re just going to leave you hanging! Before you leave, take a look at this awesome infographic and amazing posters with gift ideas for your eco-friendly holidays!

To get a better idea of how splurging ultimately harms the environment, watch The Story of Stuff:

For further reading, check out these cool Environmental Christmas articles! Click the Pics!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and have a fantastic New Year from the OCV Environment Club!