Energy-saving tips for birthdays
Here are some top green tips for birthday presents for the environmentally coscious.
You may have loved the novelty slippers and matching dressing gown you got her last year - but have you actually seen her wear them? Top of the list of our green tips is that gifts that just get chucked in the bin the moment your back’s turned (or, for that matter, moulder away in a cupboard before being thrown) are, frankly, rubbish.
The great green website Treehugger.com suggests you should only give material possessions if you’re sure it’s what the recipient wants. That’s why consumable gifts like organic teas or Fairtrade chocolate are always a good bet - they’re unlikely to sit unused in a cupboard making her feel guilty.
If you think a belt or a hat is in order, why not boycott the big high street stores and go to a local craft fair instead? She’ll get something unique, and you’ll know your item hasn’t been made by a nimble-fingered eight-year-old in a sweatshop then flown half-way around the world.
Then there’s packaging. Buying gift wrap which will only get torn to shreds in seconds is as green as filling a bath to wash a pair of socks. Next on our list of green tips is recycling. So why not make your own out of all those Grazias?
If you want to be really militant about green gift-giving, you could buy her some energy-saving light bulbs or a kitchen composting bin. On the other hand, if you want her to carry on speaking to you, what about giving something you don’t need to buy or wrap -like your time? You could offer to babysit while she goes out on a date with her partner, or secretly arrange to decorate a room in her house that you know she’s always hated.
Save energy, save money & help save the planet
