Have a Happy Eco-Conscious, Zero-Waste, Gift-Giving Season!

Have you noticed that once you get in the habit, it’s actually pretty easy to practice zero-waste or plastic-free living for yourself, but when it comes to giving gifts, it feels like an uphill battle? 

You’re not alone.

Fall is here, and the gift-giving season is quickly approaching! 

We want to share how we get inspired to give great eco-conscious, zero-waste, plastic-free, compostable gifts for the whole family!

When thinking about gifts this year, we can start with two main categories: tangible and intangible. 
One of the major things to keep in mind for tangible zero-waste gifts is to understand and communicate its reusability or compostability. 

• Invest in your packaging. Whether it’s upcycling a box, choosing glass or tin jars, finding scarves or pretty fabrics to wrap your gifts in, or foraging for greenery, this is time and money well spent.
• Choose local cards printed on recycled or upcycled paper. Check with your local, downtown shops.
• Get outside of your comfort zone, be bold!
• Give a gift certificate for classes at a local establishment: cooking, dancing, yoga, painting, etc. Decline the paper and have an email sent. Get one of those upcycled cards and write the information in yourself.
• Get crafty.  Are you a great cook? Do you love making jewelry? Knitter?  Most likely you have some sort of hobby that you could put to good use.   Crafting little handmade items is a great way to stimulate your creative soul and give thoughtfully to friends and family. 
• There are some zero waste basics that many people still don’t have.   Items like reusable water bottles, travel mugs, bamboo utensil sets and reusable straws (if they use them) are all great gifts that are sure to get use and help your friend or family member finally make the switch and start reducing their waste.   
• Re-gift!  Yes we said it.  Although this may have been considered tacky in the past, re-gifting gently used or unused items is now an acceptable way to gift.   Often times we have the perfect gifts already lying around our house, seldom used by us, but the perfect gift for someone else (books, candles, toys, jewelry, kitchen items, etc). This gives us the opportunity to reduce clutter in our own home (making room for things we truly value), save money and still take part in the tradition of gifting.   When giving gently used items, keep these suggestions in mind:  make sure it is clean and of course well functioning, take care in wrapping it and and write a special note to go with the item.   Being thoughtful and letting someone know why you thought they would enjoy the item goes a long way in negating any judgments that might accompany re-gifting.  

One of our favorite things that’s trending now for gift-receiving is asking your loved ones to donate money to a cause you care about (you can easily do this through a “fundraiser” on Facebook). Or maybe there’s an event you’d like them to attend in person like a local event or a walk-for-a-cure. 

You can also plant this seed into the minds of your loved ones. Ask them if there’s a cause or non-profit they would consider choosing as their gift this year. 

If this type of gift giving and receiving is something you feel passionate about, remember that it can take time for people to change their way of participating in holiday tradition- be loving and patient, but persistent in your approach.

>>All of Blue Heron Botanicals’ products are plastic-free, zero-waste, compostable, and made by an herbalist and mom. <<

​When you purchase from Blue Heron Botanicals you can expect products to be:
SUSTAINABLY PACKAGED, LOCALCENTRIC, UNIQUE & ORIGINAL, MADE WITH TIME HONORED MEDICINAL HERBS & OF THE PUREST INGREDIENTS, HANDCRAFTED IN SMALL BATCHES WITH CARE.
 
Each product sold saves a baby sea turtle through See Turtles Foundation.