Every year, the United States produces millions more tons of waste between Thanksgiving and Dec. 31 than at any other period of the same duration during the rest of the year, according to Partners for Environmental Progress.
If you're a Tufts student who loves the holiday season but is concerned about the excess waste that comes along with it, you're not alone. Over the past few weeks, Tufts Recycling Coordinator Dawn Quirk has spoken with Tufts students about developing environmentally-friendly holiday habits, and so far, 51 students have pledged to wrap their gifts with reused materials.
In order to reduce waste associated with gift-wrappings, Quirk suggests using old newspaper or magazines to wrap gifts.
"You can pick pages that reflect the person who is receiving the gift," Quirk said. Wrapping paper can also be reused if it is secured with ribbon rather than tape, so that the surface of the paper is preserved.
Quirk also suggests giving theme-oriented gifts that can be "wrapped" in another gift. For instance, earrings can be given in a jewelry box, a new wallet can be given in a new purse, a baseball cap can be wrapped in a matching T-shirt, a sun hat can be given in a hat box, and art supplies can be given in an organizer.
Consumers play a huge role in determining the pace at which our society uses resources. "It's important to consider where a product comes from," Quirk said. "There's a lot of waste generated during the manufacturing process. That is why it's important to think about purchasing goods that will last for a long time, or gifts that take the form of service rather than products."
Quirk suggests purchasing gift certificates to restaurants, movie theaters and other businesses that revolve around labor rather than production. "This benefits the environment and the economy, and they make great gifts," she said.
When Tufts students were asked to consider the possibility of giving their friends gift certificates to service-based businesses, the ones interviewed responded with enthusiasm.
"I usually buy clothing or pieces of art for my friends around the holidays," junior Raynata Ramkhelawan said. "I don't usually get gift certificates for other people ... but I definitely would in the future. I have received certificates from friends before, and they make good gifts."
Quirk's advice resonates with the idea behind events like the city of Boston's annual alternative gift fair. This year, the fair took place on Dec. 4. At the fair, people made a donation in the name of another person, and then received a certificate of donation in that person's name that they could then give to that person as a gift.
According to their Web site, the sponsors of Boston's Alternative Gift Fair want the fair "to recapture the true spirit of the holiday season." Their goal is allow people the opportunity to "present loved ones with truly meaningful gifts while supporting vital non-profits and the causes that they serve."
"I would be more inclined to buy gift certificates to service-based businesses than to buy a gift of contribution like the ones sold at the Alternative Gift Fair," Ramkhelawan said.
Sophmore Ryan Hastie is also more likely to give service-related gifts, but recognizes that donating money in people's names can be highly meaningful.
"I've given gift certificates to spas and movie theaters," Hastie said. "But it depends on the person you're buying for: when my cousin passed away we donated to the hospital in my town in his name, and they sent a certificate of contribution to my aunt. The money that we donated went towards cancer research."
Quirk wants students to become aware of the different gift-giving options available to them. "Often we don't save the gifts we get from people," Quirk said. "Clothes, for example, go out of style, so people get rid of them and buy new clothes as fashion trends change. Students should know that there are other gift options out there."
In addition to pledging to wrap gifts with reused materials, several Tufts students have also agreed to benefit the environment in other ways during the holiday season.
Twenty-four students pledged to buy recycled toilet paper, 20 students agreed to purchase recycled printer paper, and 30 students agreed to buy one piece of used clothing for every five pieces of regular clothing purchased.
When considering gift purchases, Quirk warns students about the possible health risks involving popular cosmetics. According to the FDA website, "the regulatory requirements governing the sale of cosmetics are not as stringent as those that apply to other FDA-regulated products. Manufacturers may use any ingredient or raw material, except for color additives and a few prohibited substances, to market a product without a government review or approval."
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics asks cosmetics companies to make their products safer. To view a list of companies that have pledged to eliminate any ingredients that have been proven to cause cancer or that are highly suspected of causing cancer from their products, visit safecosmetics.org. Natural skin care products are also available at natural food supermarkets like Wild Oats and Whole Foods.
