Make Your Holiday Gift-Giving Greener!

If you’ve got some serious gift-giving to do, we’ve got you covered. Here are our top ways to make sure the presents you give are eco-friendly.

Watch Out for Greenwashing

Greenwashing is a way that companies try to trick you into thinking something is eco-friendly when it’s not. They can use words like “eco”, “green”, “sustainable” or “natural” but their products may be none of those things. Instead, make sure to look for:

• Ecolabels—you can find a list in the Certified Green Mission!
• Packaging made from recycled materials, and
• Info on the company’s website that proves they are eco-friendly.

Choose Gifts That Don’t Have a Lot of Packaging

Try to find gifts that use paper or cardboard packaging instead of plastic.

Make Your Own Wrapping Paper

Get some plain shelf paper and draw a pretty scene. You can also use some newspaper! We recommend using the comics section to make your gift wrap fun (and funny).

Go for Quality, Not Quantity

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the season and end up buying more than you need. But the secret to being green is to buy less, not more. All the things you buy are made using the Earth’s resources so make sure you don’t waste them. Don’t buy lots of gifts when one really thoughtful one will do.

DIY Something Amazing

Are you an expert artist? Maybe your skills are in the kitchen. It’s time to use those abilities and create gifts from the heart. After all, the best gifts are handmade!

Support Eco-Friendly Companies

You’ll have to do a little research, but it will be totally worth it. Go through your list of gifts to buy and see if you can find companies that make them in sustainable, ecologically-conscious ways. That way you can feel better about the gifts you’re giving.

Want to learn more about ecolabels and get a handy guide? Check out Certified Green in the Missions section in the Earth Rangers App.

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