On the Twelfth Day of Christmas…

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas my Green Friend Gave to Me...

Too Much Stuff Christmas is coming... yes, we know it's not green - just look at all the people in the overcrowded shopping centres, buying all sorts of tatt that no one could ever want. Yes, that remote-control spider may have seemed hilarious at the time, but I bet it seems a little less entertaining by February. And admit it - how many times did you get round to playing that new board game, and would you secretly have preferred to watch an old film with mince pies and a glass of brandy?

Yet we never learn, and next year will herald a new remote-control creature and a new board game. Then there's the cards, the wrapping paper, the crackers, the extra food you always buy and end up throwing away... it's environmental madness.

We can all do our bit, by using reusable gift bags, being careful in our food buying, and thinking hard about the presents we give. This last one is the hardest part - what on earth can you give those difficult-to-buy-for people that will actually be appreciated? It's easy to go for the ‘novelty, amusing for all of five minutes' approach. In some cases, this can turn out to be surprisingly successful - my parents (and their grandchildren) had years of entertainment from a parrot that repeated everything they said, but I expect my parents are the exception and not the rule.

I firmly believe that gifts don't have to be traditionally ‘green'. The least green gift is, arguably, one that isn't wanted and languishes at the back of a cupboard or ends up in landfill, regardless of what it's made out of or where it came from. The greenest would be one with little environmental impact that is loved, cherished and/or used as much as possible. In between these extremes, you have to balance the greenness with the pleasure or benefit it will bring a loved one and I believe it's fine to give someone something that isn't so green but you know is exactly the right gift for them and will give them pleasure. Of course, this is something that you will have to weigh up for yourself.

So, what options do we have?

Give nothing

Do you find you end up giving someone a box of biscuits or chocolates and they give the same to you, year in and year out? Why not agree to stop giving presents? This will give you more time and more money, both in short supply at this time of year. Alternatively, how about agreeing that you will only give home-made food items? This would be so much more personal and there's no risk that you'll swap identical gifts!

Give a service

How about giving someone a promise of a service? You could give a less culinarily skilled friend an IOU for a home-made cake, a child could give their parent a promise to do some chores, or to be good for an entire day, you could promise a friend an evening's babysitting, lovers could... well, I'll leave that one to your imagination. These ‘cheques' can be ‘cashed' at a time convenient to the giver and the recipient.

You can in fact buy ready-made books of these cheques, though of course you could easily make your own which would give you much more control over what you're letting yourself in for! Have a look at a selection from Amazon - you can find plenty more on their site.

Give to charity

Not everyone is happy to hear that you've given to charity instead of giving to them, but many people would be thrilled to know that you've bought a goat for an African village, or nets and training for people who rely on fishing for a living. Oxfam Unwrapped has a huge range of such gifts.

Another alternative is to sponsor an animal for someone. Many organisations offer this, from ducks and tapirs to lions and elephants. Typically, the recipient may receive a picture of ‘their' animal, a newsletter, possibly a season ticket to where the animal lives (if in a sanctuary or zoo), and a cuddly toy - all without the worries of house training! Simply search for ‘sponsor an animal' on the Internet and see what takes your fancy. You may want to search for an animal that lives close to your recipient so they can go and visit it.

Santa sheep

Home-made gifts

Home-made foodie gifts: chutney, jam, biscuits, flavoured oils, chocolate truffles, home-made wine - they'd certainly be welcomed by me! Why not pack them up in a hamper with a festive ribbon or piece of holly? Another idea perfect for children is to pack the dry ingredients for biscuits separately and package them with a hand-written recipe, cookie cutter and maybe a small wooden spoon.

If you are crafty, how about knitted or crocheted socks, hats, scarves, bags or so on? Could you make a bird box, bat box or insect box? Alternatively you could cut out the shapes in wood and make a kit by enclosing instructions, screws, paints, and so on. I'm sure you can come up with similar ideas based on your particular abilities. You could also make a growing kit, containing a pretty planter, and flower/herb/vegetable seeds. For the compost, you could buy a bag of peat-free general purpose compost from a garden centre and put a sufficient quantity in a self-sealing plastic bag, or buy some of those small coir discs that turn into compost when mixed with water. Coir is produced overseas, however, so you'll have to consider whether the convenience and lightness outweighs this fact.

Ethical

Recycled, Fairtrade, charity, sustainable, solar powered...

I won't attempt to provide a list of ideas - simply search for ‘practical green gifts' or similar on the Internet and you'll find things you never knew existed. You'll have to make up your own mind about the greenness or otherwise of what you find - for example, mugs made in China that show how the world's coastlines will change as a result of climate change when you fill them with a hot drink may make a strong impression, but not many of us actually need more mugs, least of all ones imported from China.

Money & tokens

Money is often regarded as a ‘lazy' gift. However, it's much more thoughtful than giving the usual socks, bubble path, latest celebrity biography... Why not go to town on the packaging, enclosing the money in a beautiful recycled and/or reusable gift box or putting it in a handmade card? The recipient not only has the pleasure of unwrapping this little treasure, but can also look forward to choosing something that they really want but can't justify buying for themselves.

If you are worried that the money will disappear into the normal weekly shopping budget, why not give a token? Book tokens are always welcome, or you could give a gift token for your favourite ethical shop.

Practical

The trick here is to know what the person already has and what they are likely to use. A couple of years ago my husband and I both gave each other wind-up torches, so however practical they are, we won't be needing any more for a while!

I don't believe it's essential for gifts to be ‘green'. It's far better, in my opinion, to give a gift that will be used over and over again even if it's been imported or is not made from sustainable materials, than to give a locally made sustainable item that will end up in the back of a cupboard.

Loved

If I manage to work out the ideal present for a particular person - one that will take them by surprise, that they will love but would never have considered buying for themselves, and won't ever languish at the bottom of a drawer - I wouldn't worry unduly about its green credentials before buying it. Knowing that you have given a loved one real pleasure can be the best Christmas present of all!

Xmas house