Article 11: ‘Tis the Season for Meaningful Giving
by
Lavanya Rao – Seeker; Aspiring Environmentalist
It’s that time of year again! In addition to celebrating Navaratri and Dipavali with new gifts, we have Thanksgiving (or post-Thanksgiving Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday) as well as Christmas to look forward to so we can get that gadget we have been eyeing or that outfit that was too expensive to buy otherwise.
However, fast forward a few months and that fancy gadget or cute outfit just does not bring us the lasting happiness we thought it would…and worse, after a few uses it is ready to be disposed of. Unfortunately, in the United States, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is one of the worst times in terms of creating a negative environmental impact.1
According to a study by the US Environmental Protection Agency, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, household waste increases by 25% which equates to about 1,000 pounds of trash.
When considering the environmental impact of a gift item, it’s not only the physical product itself but also the supply chain that goes into making and delivering the product – the chemicals, water, energy, raw materials and fuel, just to name a few broad categories.2 According to a recent study, “on average across sectors, 45% of the total value chain carbon emissions arise upstream in the supply chain, 23% during the company’s direct operations and 32% downstream.”3
Further, when the gift is disposed of, the ecological impact continues on. Plastic (from our gadgets or toys) can take generations to decompose, if at all, and release harmful chemicals in the process. Textiles can emit harmful greenhouse gasses and bleed harmful toxins and dyes into the soil and groundwater.2
Raising awareness about the negative impacts of buying new ‘stuff,’ does not mean we cannot celebrate the season of giving! There are many alternative ideas for meaningful gift giving. Is a loved one asking for a new shiny outfit? See if you can purchase some parts, if not all, secondhand. When you are getting ready to present the gift, try to avoid reaching for the sparkly glitter bags and wrapping papers full of plastic and non-recyclable materials. Instead, try using newspaper or colored catalog pages. Additionally, spend some time researching where your products are coming from- is sustainability part of their business model? Is the company transparent about where the product(s) are being made and who makes them?4
This month for our Prthvi Sevasanga Workshop, we will be hearing ideas from our commUnity on how to celebrate the holiday season of giving in environmentally-friendly AND meaningful ways.
References:
- https://cleanair-stlouis.com/the-environmental-impact-of-the-holiday-season/
- https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/how-holiday-gift-waste-impacts-the-environment
- https://www.coclear.co/news/coclear-chief-data-scientist-christoph-meinrenken-publishes-scientific-journal-press-release
- https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/12/16/buying-stuff-drives-climate-change/
Action to Implement
Post your reflections & observations in the comments section below ⬇️
🌱 November 2022: ✅Make a list of the gifts you usually give during the holidays.
Past Months Action to Implement
🌱 October 2022: This month, add 1 or 2 regional plants from the Xerces Pollinator Conservation website to your landscape!
🌱 September 2022: This month, review the Green Building list & commit to 1 simple and 1 challenging item to implement in your community/center.
🌱 August 2022: This month, read the Prthvi Seva Guide & commit to at least one practice to make your center/community more sustainable.
🌱 July 2022: This month, take a closer look at your travel impacts:
🔢 Estimate the carbon emissions of your mode of travel, lodging, food, and purchases
🙋🏻♀️ Commit to making one change to reduce your carbon footprint
🌱 June 2022: This month, take a closer look and identify your food waste as:
🍌 food prep scraps
🍽️ plate waste (unfinished food)
🤦🏻♀️spoiled or unwanted foo
🌱 May 2022: Implement the following actions.
- Reduce food Packaging.
- Learn about local and seasonal foods.
- Support a local grower & shop at Farmer’s Markets.
🌱 April 2022: Sahasra Vrksha Sankalpa – As a CommUnity, bring your heart and hands to the ground to plant 1000 trees together. Track and share here.
🌱 March 2022: Contribute to the health of our planet and the health of beings by doing the following:
Each day take inventory of what goes in the trash.
Identify the most common item.
Find an alternative that eliminates this waste.
🌱 February 2022: Implement the following and encourage others to follow:
- Unplug chargers when not in use
- Use the ‘Energy Saver’ mode on phones & laptops
- Use cold water for laundry & line dry
🌱 January 2022: Identify 3 actions you do that help the environment and 3 actions that harm it
Our November PS Workshop
CommUnity Reflections
When we think of the holiday season, we think of family, food, shopping, travel and Gifts. But learning that, “The production and use of household goods and services is responsible for 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and that Americans produce 25 percent more waste than usual between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day”, has made me reach out to my family and friends to share these articles and discuss the options to buy used when possible and Not to Gift to anyone who can afford it themselves.
~ Prashanti Gogineni
There are many alternative ideas for meaningful gift giving. Gifting Experiences such as dinners, concerts, online classes, donating to someone’s favorite charity are some options. Sponsoring meals for families in need, serving as a family in a soup kitchen are some of the ways we can share our privilege and have a satisfying and wonderful holiday season.
Typically our family travels during the holiday season. But this year we are going to stay local. And No Shopping for ourselves or Giving others unnecessary goods.
Until a few years ago, I loved the thrill of shopping on the night of Thanksgiving. I was a sucker for good deals and would buy a whole bunch and choose one or two of the lot and return the rest in a week’s time (unopened, unused boxes). I learnt that some of these returns do not go back to the shelves but are thrown away (perfumes, fast fashion). As customers, we get the money back but there is a huge environmental impact from the “free returns”. Since then, not only I have stopped buying randomly but also cut down on buying clothes and perfumes for myself.
~ Shree Rekha
When it comes to holiday giving, we have switched to gift cards and giving gifts in reusable bags. Every action and (sometimes inaction) of ours has an impact on the environment. We must act responsibly. This holiday season, we will be sharing home cooked meals with friends and family, making some handcrafted gifts and donating to local food banks and shelters.
Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season!