The more we can buy and make locally, the better it is for both the planet and our economy. Here’s why local and USA-made products are so important for sustainability and economic growth.
Keeping Money in Our Economy
When we buy products made in the USA, we are directly contributing to our own economy. Money spent on local products stays within the community, circulating through local businesses, and creating jobs. This helps boost our workforce and strengthens our economic foundation. By choosing USA-made items, consumers encourage businesses to continue producing locally, which ultimately leads to more employment opportunities and better wages.
Supporting Local Jobs
Every product made in the USA means someone’s job—whether it’s in manufacturing, design, distribution, or logistics. By supporting local production, we create more jobs for our workforce, offering economic security and improving overall living standards.
Reducing Fossil Fuel Consumption
When products are made overseas, they often need to be shipped across vast distances to reach consumers, resulting in large carbon footprints. Air and sea freight require significant amounts of fossil fuels, contributing to climate change. By producing locally, we reduce the distance that products need to travel, which cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions and helps protect the planet. At Kwindie, we always consider transportation distances and their environmental impact when making sourcing decisions.
A Cyclical Relationship Between Sustainability and the Economy
One of the most exciting aspects of supporting USA-made and locally produced products is the way it creates a positive feedback loop between the economy and sustainability. As our economy grows and thrives, there is more money available to invest in sustainable initiatives—such as green energy, eco-friendly technologies, and more efficient manufacturing processes. This investment helps us transition toward a more sustainable future.
At the same time, as sustainable practices increase, they create more job opportunities in green technologies, renewable energy, and eco-conscious industries. This shift not only contributes to environmental health but also stimulates the economy by creating new sectors of work and reducing dependency on non-renewable resources. It’s a cycle where a stronger economy leads to more investments in sustainability, and more sustainable practices, in turn, boost the economy through job creation and technological advancements.
A Bonus: More Control Over Quality and Sustainability Standards
When products are made in the USA, we have more direct control over their sustainability and quality. As U.S. environmental standards continue to improve, manufacturing in the USA is increasingly held to higher sustainability standards, often surpassing those of overseas production. This also means that consumers can trust the quality and ethical practices behind the products they buy, knowing that the manufacturers must comply with U.S. environmental laws and regulations. As our economy strengthens, these standards will only get better, creating a positive cycle where economic growth drives greater environmental responsibility.
Striking a Balance Between Local and Global Manufacturing
At Kwindie, we believe that buying locally and supporting USA-made products are steps toward a more sustainable and economically prosperous future. While we understand that there are times when overseas production is necessary due to local limitations or customer budget constraints, we are committed to finding the best balance between local and global manufacturing to keep our economy strong and our planet safe. By making mindful choices and supporting USA-made products, we can all play a role in building a brighter future for our economy and the environment.
Get in touch to see how your next merch or website project can more positively impact the world around you!
The internet may feel like an intangible space, but it has a very real environmental impact. Every website we visit, every file we upload, and every video we stream adds to the energy demand of data centers, networking infrastructure, and our devices. These processes generate a surprising amount of carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change. With the growth of the internet, it’s more important than ever to consider the environmental footprint of our online presence and explore ways to make our websites greener.
Why Are Websites Environmentally Unfriendly?
Every website relies on data centers to stay online and accessible 24/7. These data centers require large amounts of electricity to power servers and cooling systems to prevent overheating. Most data centers are still powered by non-renewable energy sources, meaning every click and download contributes to carbon emissions. Additionally, complex, media-heavy websites demand even more resources, from larger storage to increased data transfer, which further intensifies their environmental impact.
Developers often prioritize efficiency and performance, which means sustainability may not always be the primary focus. However, what makes your website run more efficiently and perform better often makes it greener as well.
How to Make Your Website Greener
Choose Green Web Hosting, but Don’t Stop There
Green hosting is a great start—by choosing a host that matches or offsets energy consumption with renewable sources, you’re making a positive impact. Providers like GreenGeeks, for example, purchase renewable energy credits that go beyond merely offsetting their data center’s energy use.
However, green hosting alone can’t address all the environmental impacts of a website. Websites are accessed on various devices with differing energy efficiencies, meaning you can’t fully control the “greenness” of the user’s situation. To make a website truly green, it’s important to focus on the elements you can control, like resource efficiency.
Optimize for Efficiency and Simplicity
Reducing your website’s energy demand starts with simplifying its design and content. Lightweight, efficient websites reduce data transfer and server load, requiring less energy to load and maintain. Here are a few strategies to consider:
Reduce Image Sizes and Compress Media: Optimized images and media files not only improve load times but also reduce the amount of data a user has to download. Tools like TinyPNG or online video compressors can help.
Limit Third-Party Scripts and Plugins: Third-party tools like analytics trackers or social media embeds increase page size and load time. Only use essential plugins and scripts, as each one requires additional resources to run.
Implement Lazy Loading: By loading images and content only as they appear on screen, you can save bandwidth and prevent unnecessary resource use, making the site faster and greener.
Choose Lightweight Themes
Themes and templates that are optimized for speed often have fewer lines of code, which reduces the resources needed to render a page. Lightweight themes with clean, optimized code and minimal bloat can significantly decrease server load and improve performance. Avoid overloading your site with features you don’t need; simpler code is usually greener code.
Use Caching to Reduce Server Requests
Caching stores static versions of your web pages, so the server doesn’t have to regenerate content for each visitor. This reduces server load and speeds up the user experience while saving energy by limiting the number of data requests. Enabling caching is a simple step toward a greener site.
Encourage Sustainable User Behavior
While you can’t control users’ device efficiency or browsing habits, you can guide them toward more sustainable use of your site. For example, offer downloadable documents as compressed files and avoid auto-playing media. Every little bit helps in reducing energy usage.
Every Website Has an Environmental Impact
Even with the greenest hosting and the most optimized website, your site will still create some environmental impact. This is because data transfer relies on a network infrastructure of servers, routers, devices, and cables around the world, most of which are out of your control.
However, by making your website as efficient and lightweight as possible, you can help minimize this impact. Think of green web practices as a way to reduce waste and save energy at every possible step.
Building a Greener Internet Together
Green websites are a growing movement in response to the environmental demands of our digital age. While we can’t fully eliminate the impact of our websites, we can certainly reduce it. By combining green hosting with efficient design practices, we’re moving toward a more sustainable internet—one that benefits not just our businesses, but the planet as well.
Kwindie builds websites with an ever-increasing mindfulness of their environmental impact. Every project is an opportunity to implement more efficient, greener practices, helping us all contribute to a more sustainable future for the web. If you’re ready to start your website project, click here!
Kwindie has officially moved to eco-friendly hosting with GreenGeeks! By switching, we’re taking an important step toward sustainability and supporting renewable energy initiatives in the web hosting industry.
Why Green Hosting?
The internet’s demand for energy is massive, with traditional hosting companies relying heavily on fossil fuels to power and cool their data centers. This results in significant carbon emissions and a substantial environmental impact. GreenGeeks, however, takes a different approach to hosting by focusing on sustainability at every step.
How GreenGeeks Reduces Environmental Impact
Efficient Data Centers: GreenGeeks uses state-of-the-art, energy-efficient hardware and infrastructure to reduce overall power consumption. Their data centers operate with lower energy demand compared to conventional setups with processes in place such as low-energy lighting, efficient cooling methods, and recycling of electronic waste.
300% Renewable Energy Matching:For every unit of power consumed by their already efficient servers, GreenGeeks purchases three times that amount in renewable energy credits (RECs). This offsets the carbon footprint of their data centers, helping to put clean energy back into the grid and reducing reliance on non-renewable sources.
Carbon Reduction through Tree Planting Programs:GreenGeeks participates in reforestation and carbon offset initiatives; for every hosting plan purchased, GreenGeeks plants one tree to help reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
How Will This Change Affect You?
All websites hosted with Kwindie have already been transferred to their new host. In terms of service, nothing will change for you—your website’s performance, speed, and reliability will remain top-notch (and may even improve). However, you now have the option to add a Green Hosting Badge to your website if you choose. This badge links directly to a GreenGeeks verification page, confirming that the website is hosted on a green server and explaining a bit about the environmental commitment behind this choice.
Here’s an example of what the badge can look like:
More options are available to match the look and feel of your specific website; choose yours here!
Thank you for your participation in a greener web!
By switching to GreenGeeks, all Kwindie customers are now contributing to a cleaner future. We’re excited about this change and are here to answer any questions you may have about what green hosting means for your website.
Sustainability is defined as “the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level”, and in the case of environmentalism, “conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources”.
With this in mind, most would agree that a sustainable product is:
Not made of, packed in, or transported by non-renewable resources.
Not use an excessive amount of water to manufacture.
Not use toxic or destructive farming processes in its manufacture.
A fully sustainable business would only produce and sell products which meet these standards, and all of its practices and processes would have no environmental impact. While businesses can work toward this standard, the reality is that currently even the most sustainable businesses are unable to remove all environmental impact from their operations.
This is why it is so important for businesses to be transparent around their efforts toward sustainability, their current ability, and their goals for future development.
Kwindie’s Sustainability Policies and Goals
Current Processes and Policies
Low-carbon website hosting
Kwindie currently uses InMotion Hosting for all Kwindie and customer websites. Find more information about their green data servers here and here.
“Reduce first” policy
“Reduce, reuse, recycle” is in that order for a reason. The most important thing businesses can do to mitigate our impact on the environment is to reduce our consumption of physical materials. Kwindie reduces waste by keeping business virtual, only using physical office supplies when absolutely necessary. Features like paperless billing and online payments reduce paper usage and have allowed Kwindie to be in operation its entire existence so far without purchasing a printer.
Recycling policy
Any recyclable waste generated is recycled appropriately, and compost is utilized to reduce methane emissions from landfills.
Solar powered operations
Installed and portable solar panels allow Kwindie operations to be run almost entirely on solar power.
Remote operations
As a home based business, Kwindie has no transportation associated with daily operations.
Local manufacturing
Using manufacturers and suppliers located close to the end customer’s location reduces greenhouse gasses used in transportation (shipping).
Eco-conscious offerings
Kwindie offers eco-friendly product options to customers (in addition to the conventional products requested) where such options exist. While many customers still choose the conventional option (primarily due to price), offering alternatives increases the chances of a customer choosing a more sustainable option, even when they may not have considered requesting this.
Goals
Short term:
Website hosting run entirely off of alternative energy sources
Plastic-free packaging
Work primarily with brands, manufacturers, suppliers, and decorators which have sustainability information available to customers (and which appear to be genuine)
Applying for the Certified Leaders in Sustainability certification from Clackamas County
Long term:
Work only with brands, manufacturers, suppliers, and decorators which have been thoroughly verified as genuinely sustainable (according to current technological advances).
Offer only eco-friendly product options to customers.
Ultimately have full control over the supply chain in order to make every step of the process as sustainable as possible, including fully electric trucking transportation (charged with renewable energy), working with farmers to establish more soil friendly farming practices for raw materials, and being at the forefront of work toward less harmful decoration options.
Ever Evolving Information
We learn more every year about our environmental impact on the planet, and steps we can take toward mitigating that impact. Currently, there is not infrastructure and technology in place to allow for any business or individual to be 100% sustainable. This may not always be the case! Research is ongoing, and what we know now as the most sustainable practices may not be in the future. Kwindie strives to be flexible, and will update these guidelines and goals as available information changes.
Every Little Bit Helps
Kwindie is a small company that believes that small steps are important on the path to overall lowered environmental impact. See https://kwindie.com/values/ for up-to-date information, and subscribe to the email list for update notifications.
In an increasingly interconnected global economy, the flow of revenue across borders has become an integral part of trade and commerce. While this cross-border exchange brings numerous benefits, it’s essential to consider the potential ripple effects that can result from revenue being redirected outside neighborhood and national boundaries.
A Tenuous Supply Chain Web
One of the consequences of revenue redirection is the vulnerability it can create within supply chains. When businesses heavily depend on imports from other countries, disruptions in the global flow of goods can lead to supply chain bottlenecks. International turmoil, such as geopolitical conflicts or natural disasters, can disrupt the seamless movement of products, causing delays, shortages, and financial losses.
For instance, imagine a business heavily reliant on a foreign supplier for a critical component of its product. If that supplier faces sudden challenges due to unforeseen events, the domino effect could quickly disrupt the entire production process, impacting not only that business but potentially others down the line.
Environmental Costs on a Global Scale
Revenue redirection can also have significant environmental implications. When products are manufactured overseas and transported across continents, the carbon footprint of these processes increases substantially. Long shipping routes, fueled by fossil fuels, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating climate change and environmental degradation.
Furthermore, lax environmental regulations in some countries might result in practices that harm the environment, but due to the geographical separation, consumers in the importing country may remain unaware of the environmental toll of their purchases.
Job Losses Close to Home
The redirection of revenue beyond borders can have far-reaching consequences for local economies and job markets. When consumers consistently choose foreign-made products over locally-produced ones, it can lead to decreased demand for domestic goods and services. Consequently, domestic businesses may struggle to maintain a competitive edge, potentially leading to job cuts or even business closures.
Moreover, as revenue flows out of a country, the potential for job creation within the local economy diminishes. Economic activity and job opportunities are closely intertwined; when funds are consistently funneled elsewhere, local communities lose the chance to flourish and thrive.
The Call for Hyperlocal Spending
Amidst these challenges, the concept of hyperlocal spending emerges as a compelling solution. By consciously directing a portion of our consumer spending towards local businesses, we can effectively mitigate the adverse effects of revenue redirection. Supporting local businesses not only bolsters regional economies but also fosters a sense of community and shared responsibility.
Hyperlocal spending also reduces the environmental impact associated with long-distance transportation and encourages the growth of sustainable practices within a community. Additionally, when we choose local products and services, we contribute to the preservation and creation of jobs on a domestic scale.
A Shift in Mindset and Action
In a world where economic boundaries are increasingly porous, it’s essential to recognize that our choices as consumers extend far beyond our immediate purchase. Each dollar spent has the potential to shape supply chains, impact the environment, and influence job markets—not just locally, but globally.
As we consider the interconnectedness of the modern economy, let us embrace a mindset of conscious consumerism. By supporting local businesses and promoting hyperlocal spending, we can collectively address the challenges posed by revenue redirection, reduce supply chain vulnerabilities, lessen environmental harm, and contribute to the vitality of our communities.
Ah, the holidays. A time for pumpkin spice lattes, apple pie, and rampant consumerism.
Over the last few years as I’ve learned more about humanity’s impact on the environment (and the abnormally scorching summers we’ve had where there should not be), I’ve become increasingly upset by holidays, especially consumerist ones like Christmas (don’t even get me started on Mardi Gras). Plastic seems to be everywhere these days, especially when companies try to make their products look festive with shiny ribbons and iridescent cellophane.
My aim with this post is to remove some of the environmental impact of our favorite festivities, so we can keep the magic of the holiday season going for years to come.
Most Wasteful Holiday Activities
The reason the holiday season is so wasteful is because of the over-consumption of resources and tons of new plastic being manufactured. While there are a multitude of reasons for this, this article will focus on the following:
Gift giving
Travel
Feasts
These seem to be the most consumptive parts of the holiday season, and with them in check we should be able to continue our holiday traditions for years to come.
Giving presents is so rewarding, and yet so wasteful when done conventionally. Don’t worry though, there are a lot of ways to reduce its impact! I wrote a more extensive article on this here, but will summarize below.
Give non-physical presents
Take the “material” completely out of gift giving by giving something that doesn’t add anything to our environment directly. These can include gifting someone an experience (i.e. tickets to something, or a gift certificate for a massage), your time and effort (going for a hike or helping them with a project), or sending them some digital money.
This category can also include digital gifts like ecards, digital artwork, and software subscriptions such as Audible or Adobe. While online activity does use energy, many online platforms have started offsetting their carbon emissions and using green energy. It definitely makes a much smaller impact than physical products.
Sustainable physical presents
Sometimes giving someone a non-physical gift just doesn’t hold the same appeal as handing them a wrapped box with a surprise inside. If this is the case for you, there are still ways to lessen your impact!
Pay attention to the materials used in the item, including the packaging. When it comes to clothing (my specialty), you’ll want to stay away from synthetic fibers like polyester and acrylic, and go for organic natural fibers instead. If you do need to include some synthetic fibers (like in the case of sweatshirt fleece), look for recycled options. If you’re not sure where to start, check out my shop. All of the synthetic fibers shown there are recycled, and the rest are sustainable natural materials.
My shop does currently end up using some plastic packaging but I’m in the process of finding a POD supplier who is plastic free! If you know of one please let me know.
Do some research on the company that produces the item. Are they making efforts to offset their carbon emissions? Are they known for dumping toxic waste in our waterways? Do they treat their employees well?
Sustainable Gift Wrap
Make sure if you decide to wrap your gift that you wrap it in something recyclable, and preferrably recycled. Old newspaper is a good start. Stay away from shiny or glossy wrapping paper, as while those are sometimes recyclable, they still add new plastic to our ecosystem. For sealing packages, use things like cotton yarn instead of tape or plastic ribbons.
EcoCult mentions using the shiny inside of old chip bags as wrapping paper (see their article here for more ideas). Your giftee may be more excited about something wrapped in your trash than you can imagine!
A lot of people travel for the holidays, myself included. Transportation can have a big impact on the environment, but there are some ways to mitigate it without backing out of Thanksgiving dinner.
Take public transportation
There are a lot of different public transport options available in the US, and depending on where you live they may be even more abundant. Some are more sustainable than others, but anytime you’re traveling as a group in a single vehicle it will be more sustainable than traveling alone. Most people are familiar with the short distance public transit system in their city, but here are a couple of longer distance options you may or may not have thought about:
Long distance busses. Greyhound services most, if not all parts of the US, and there may be more than just Greyhound as well. I would recommend this for any trips less than a full day, as sleeping on a bus is really rough.
Passenger trains. Train workers are striking right now, but as soon as they are paid what they are due, trains should return to normal operation. I’ve personally taken the train on both short and very very long distances and love it. It’s my favorite way to travel. The longer you’re going though, the more delays there will be, so make sure to account for that. When I went from the US east coast to west coast and back, I ended up a full day or two later than expected in each direction. Sleeping on a train in coach is somewhat difficult, but doable for a night or two. I don’t recommend going across the entire US (5 days) like I did unless you get a sleeper car!
Everyone knows about flying already, so I’ll leave that be.
Organize a carpool
Similar to public transit, anytime you ride together you save on fossil fuels. Get together with a group of friends or family and travel together if you’re all going in the same direction. There are also ways to find carpools on Craigslist and other sites or apps if you feel comfortable with that. Bonus points if your carpool buddy has an electric car!
Stay closer to home
If you’re traveling for fun or for vacation (versus going to see relatives), consider a staycation, or at least somewhere closer to where you live. The less you travel the better, and you may find some hidden gems closer to you that you never would have known about otherwise.
If you are traveling to see family, organize the get-together at someone’s house who lives near the bulk of family, or if everyone is spread out, in the most central location. That way everyone travels the shortest distance to where you’re all meeting. Aunt Lucy can still make her fancy seven course dinner at Grandma’s house.
This can be a tricky one, because traditions can be hard to break. That being said, there are ways to lessen the impact of your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, without upsetting anyone.
Better organize your potluck
A bit food waste issue can be when too many people bring way too much food to a potluck, and even more so, when they leave all the leftovers at the host’s house. Better potluck organization can help a lot with this.
Ask people to state in advance what they will be bringing so there aren’t duplicates. This can be done via a social media event, an online spreadsheet, or word of mouth. If some folks don’t want to bother with an online form but others do, have one person be the point person to fill in the details for them. You can even list on the spreadsheet how many of each kind of food you will allow so you don’t end up with an entirely salad meal. If people don’t want to specify because it will be a surprise, they can add “surprise meat dish” or something. Yay for communication! Can you tell I like spreadsheets?
Let people know it’s okay not to bring anything if they don’t want to. I can’t tell you how many potlucks I’ve been to that there are 10 different kinds of store-bought pie because everyone felt obligated to contribute. Most potlucks end up with way too much food in general! It’s okay if some people just come for the company.
Ask people not to bring single use items. A lot of people end up bringing things like plastic cups, paper plates, and napkins because they think it will help save on the host’s time doing dishes. A polite mention that you’d rather they not bring them will suffice.
Ask everyone to bring a food storage container or two with them for leftovers. If everyone takes home a little bit of their favorites, it’s all bound to be eaten.
Compost
Even if you don’t have a compost bin, there are ways you can compost your holiday leftovers.
There are apps you can use to find neighbors with compost bins and piles which they appreciate people donating their scraps to (check out sharewaste.com). Pay attention to the stipulations of your chosen pile as each is different.
A lot of neighborhoods and cities allow people to put food waste into their yard debris bin, and a lot of residents don’t even know it! Look up you local disposal company for details.
Switch out conventional ingredients
Without completely changing the dishes you serve, you can switch out conventional ingredients for more natural and sustainable options within those dishes. Switching out your grocery store turkey for a pasture raised turkey from a local farm may be a bit more expensive, but helps decrease your footprint by a lot, and is healthier for you as a bonus. Plan ahead and make sure you can get everything you need locally, organic, grass fed, and pasture raised. It can even turn into a game! Supporting your local farmers helps prices go down in your local area as well.
Use smaller plates and serving utensils
This may seem weird, but using smaller plates really works to help stop food waste. How many times have you filled up your huge thanksgiving plate with a second helping, only to get halfway through and realize you can’t finish? If your plate was half that size, you’d have cleared it off. People reassess how much food they need each time they go back, and your second serving eyes may be much smaller than your first serving eyes, especially if you haven’t eaten all day in anticipation of Nana’s famous corn bread casserole.
On a similar note, using smaller serving utensils can also help. Using a giant ladle to serve up each dish encourages people to take the entire ladle full onto their plate. If you have a smaller serving spoon, they will likely only take that much onto their plate. We would all love for our family to think this through fully while filling their plates, but alas, they will likely be distracted by the excitement of the day.
I hope this helps!
I wish you luck on your sustainability journey, and hope you are able to use these ideas to have a more sustainable holiday season than the one before. Small steps can make a huge difference, so do what you can and leave the rest for another time.
As I’ve been moving toward a more minimal and sustainable lifestyle, I’ve found one of the hardest things to navigate is holidays; specifically, gift giving holidays.
For a while I’ve told people not to get me gifts for holidays, but my friends and family don’t like that. In some cases it genuinely hurts them not to. People love giving presents. It makes them feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside when they see joy light up the recipient’s face, or when they feel they’ve provided them with something nice.
I completely understand, as I also love giving gifts! I think some context may help.
The aim of asking people not to get gifts is to avoid a few specific things:
The environmental impact of consumerism
Supporting companies and products that don’t fit my values
Adding more clutter to my space, especially with things I don’t need, even if they’re nice
Guilt over decisions of what to do with a gift I can’t find room for or no longer use
If you’re in the position of wanting to give a gift to a sustainable minimalist, it can be difficult to figure out how to navigate these issues, but there is hope! I’ve come up with several ideas for gifts they will be thrilled to receive.
*If you’re a sustainable minimalist and like these ideas, share them with your friends and family, and let me know in the comments!*
Experiences can mean so much to a person. If you are near each other, you can go somewhere together, but you can also send them on adventures alone. Someone gifted me an hour long massage once, and you better believe I enjoyed the heck out of that. You can go all out and take them on an all expense paid vacation to Vegas if you want but that might not be the most practical. Tickets to a basketball game, museum, or concert work well, or even just taking them out to a nice dinner or wine tasting. Think of what they like, but don’t get to do very often.
One of the best things you can give someone is quality time. Give them a call or video chat if they’re far away, arrange a hike or just stop by. Rent some of their favorite movies, or ones they’ve been wanting to see, and make a day of watching them. Take them to the tree lighting in your city’s center, or take them out caroling.
Even better, if they have something they’re working on, help them out for an afternoon! Offer to help them finish painting their bedroom or weed their garden. Help them move, clear out their garage, or wash their car. Doing something like this can mean so much more than a traditional gift could, and is much less expensive. Doing things like this together can make some real lasting memories.
I know, I know. It may not be the most glamorous, but money really is the safest and most practical gift to get someone. Especially for environmentally conscious minimalists, it can be one of the most appreciated gifts as well. Most people have things in their lives they’re saving up for but can’t afford quite yet, or things that they want to do that don’t fit into their current income. Having a little bit extra can make a big difference.
This doesn’t have to be a wad of cash handed to them either. You can combine it with an experience gift or a “time and effort” gift for maximum benefit. I’m also fond of the out-of-the-blue Zelle notification that there’s $30 being deposited to my bank account.
When sending money, digital payments are preferred. Be sure to use something that doesn’t charge fees like PayPal (friends and family payments), Cashapp, or Zelle. Checks are second best because they are recyclable and renewable, but still waste trees. Cash isn’t great because it uses non-renewable materials in its manufacture. Gift cards are plastic (and limit where you can spend the money), so those are a no-go.
Also falling into this category would be making a donation in their name to a charity or cause they support, or naming a star after someone (yes that’s a real thing).
Digital Gifts
The fractal my brother sent me
Digital gifts can come in many different forms depending on what kind of person you’re working with.
Ecards
Ecards are the simplest option and come in a ton of different forms. They can be funny, meaningful, or just plain weird. If you had thought about getting them a physical card, get them an ecard instead.
Digital Artwork
If you’re an artist yourself, you can create a piece of digital artwork for them to use as they wish. My brother sent me a “fractal” for my birthday one year and I still have it as my desktop background to this day!
Software Subscriptions
Another option is a subscription to a service they use, or want to use. If they watch a lot of YouTube you could get them a subscription to their Premium service. If they listen to a lot of music, a subscription to Pandora One or Spotify Premium would work. Those interested in literature or self help may enjoy an Audible subscription. Software and software subscriptions, like Adobe Creative Cloud for graphic designers and Davinci Resolve for video editors, are also great ideas, though expensive.
Physical Gifts
If you do decide to buy something physical, be sure to take into account their values around things they own. What do they care about specifically? Some people who are waste conscious may have a strong distaste for anything that comes in plastic packaging, and others may be okay with it as long as the plastic is recycled and recyclable.
Generally, here are some guidelines to follow:
Pay attention to the materials used in the item. Most environmentally conscious people will want to stay away from plastic and plastic derivatives, including in the packaging of the item.
Do some research on the company that produces the item. Are they making efforts to offset their carbon emissions? Are they known for dumping toxic waste in our waterways? Do they treat their employees well?
If the person in question lives in a small space, think of the size of the item. Will they be able to fit it in their space? For minimalists this is especially important. When you walk into their space, how cluttered is it? Do they have many decorations? If not, make sure to choose something low profile that won’t impede on their need for open spaces.
Keeping those things in mind, here are some ideas of physical things they may enjoy!
The most obvious thing in this category is food (and drinks). Everyone likes to eat! Take them out to dinner, or get them a (recyclable) gift box of their favorite candy. One of my favorites is one of those giant multi-section tins of different flavors of popcorn.
Hobby Supplies
If your giftee is a gardener, seeds for their garden are a great addition. If your gift will be during the winter months, stick to seeds versus starts. To be a true consumable gift, make sure the plants are annuals (will not come back year after year).
NOTE: Houseplants are not consumables because they will be around for a long time. Gifting a houseplant can be like gifting a pet, so be careful with this. If you do choose to gift a houseplant, pay special attention to the growing instructions. Make sure it’s manageable! Probably don’t gift them an orchid (unless they’ve specifically been talking about wanting one).
If your giftee is an artist, you can get them things like sketchbooks, colored pencils, paint, canvases, and anything else they would use to explore their craft. Stick to things you already know they use, including the brand. I can tell you as an artist myself that Prismacolor colored pencils are not the same as any other brand, and it can really mess with your flow to try to switch.
For this you’ll have to do some sleuthing. Did their favorite spatula just get demolished in the dishwasher? Did their roommate’s dog chew up the remote to their electric blanket and they can’t seem to get a moment to replace it? Have they been talking about needing a new sweatshirt but haven’t wanted to spend the money?
A lot of things in this category may be expensive, and may tend not to end up on their wish list because of that. Minimalists, environmentalists, and waste conscious people all tend to consume less, but consume very high quality when they do choose to. Consider getting together with a group of their friends or family and all pitching in to get them what they really need.
Clothing in general falls into this category, but be careful! Ideally, they’ve shown you a specific item online or in a store they want, and you know the exact size to get them. If you’re choosing yourself, make absolutely sure what you’re getting fits with their style and values. Check out the materials used in the fabric especially. Think renewable organic fabrics, or recycled fabrics if going for something synthetic. If you’re not sure where to start, you can check out my shop here. All of the items there fit the above description, and are printed on demand to reduce overproduction.
Make sure if you decide to wrap your gift that you wrap it in something recyclable, and preferrably recycled. Old newspaper is a good start. Stay away from shiny or glossy wrapping paper, as while those are sometimes recyclable, they still add new plastic to our ecosystem. For sealing packages, use things like cotton yarn instead of tape or plastic ribbons.
EcoCult mentions using the shiny inside of old chip bags as wrapping paper (see their article here for more ideas). Your giftee may be more excited about something wrapped in your trash than you can imagine!
In Conclusion…
From my perspective, if you are out shopping and see something that screams the name of your minimalist friend, get it for them, and save it for the holidays if you want to. They will most likely love and appreciate it! What I think most are trying to avoid is the consumerist nature of being on a Christmas list and people feeling obligated to buy them something.
Hopefully this post has given you some ideas of what to get your loved one. Did I miss anything? Did the person you’re shopping for appreciate the thought you put into their gift? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Next up in the video series; Interceptor Trashfence Stops a Plastic Tsunami in the World’s Most Polluting River (Then Fails)
This video blew my mind. I had never thought about the impact floods would have on ocean plastic pollution, but here it is in all its garbagy glory. From what I take from this video, this river floods at least yearly and normally carries thousands of pounds of plastic directly to our oceans. The Ocean Cleanup states, “Rivers are the main source of ocean plastic pollution. They are the arteries that carry waste from land to the ocean. Our research found that 1000 rivers are responsible for roughly 80% of the pollution”.
When I thought of how plastic entered the ocean I was picturing it traveling by air or boat, being wafted by wind or dragged out to sea. I now realize this makes much more sense!
Recycling can be confusing… some say it’s the best and only way to save our planet, and some say it’s useless because only a fraction of what we recycle is actually used again. Is this true, and if so, why?
On my quest to answer this question, I found this video that gives an easily digestible explanation, and so much more. Watch below or on Odysee to support this amazing creator!
9% of what we put in our recycling bins is actually recycled.
Plastic giants encouraged recycling because it would make people feel better about using plastic, and avoid banning plastic entirely.
Greenwashing: deceptively using marketing techniques to convince the public that a company’s products, aims, and policies are environmentally friendly (when they actually aren’t).
“In 1988, the Society of the Plastics Industry introduced 7 Resin Identification Codes (RICs). You can find one of these 7 marks at the bottom of a water plastic bottle or yogurt container which identifies the resin used in its construction. … While only 2 of those resins are recyclable, the RICs design was incredibly similar to the recycling logo.” These symbols were cemented in people’s minds as meaning that anything with an RIC symbol on the bottom was recyclable, even though they aren’t.
Wish-cycling: recycling something even though you don’t know if it’s recyclable.
Recycling non-recyclable plastics contaminates the plastic recycling stream, causing problems at materials recovery facilities (MRFs). This makes the process much less efficient, and more expensive in the process.
“…recycled plastic has a lower quality yet a higher cost compared to its virgin alternative. … the recycling process downgrades plastic quality. A plastic product can be recycled up to a maximum of 3 times, and you’ll still have to sneak virgin plastic into the mix at every cycle to compensate for quality degradation.”
Prior to 2018, the US sold 70% of its plastic recycling to China. In 2018, China decreased their imports of plastic recycling by 99%. “On paper, China said that the incoming plastic was often contaminated with hazardous waste, harming their workers and environment. Chances are that, after factoring in healthcare and environmental remediation costs, the Chinese government realized that our waste was no longer worthwhile.”
This increased household recycling fees by 11%, and while some other countries have filled some of the gap, most of what would normally have gone to China is now routed to landfills or incinerators. “Yet, even when using the best technology, burning plastic may release dioxins and other harmful pollutants into the air.”
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law: “Based on the “Polluter Pays Principle”, the EPR policy shifts recycling costs from taxpayers and local governments to packaging brands. Besides paying a fee, companies that want to sell plastic packaging will have to develop reuse schemes and easily recyclable products. As reported by the Extended Producer Responsibility Alliance, EPR programs helped its state members reach plastic recycling rates of up to 68%.”
Oceanworks Marketplace “was the first company to recieve the ocean-bound plastic (OBP) certification in the Americas” in 2021. “OBP is all the plastic you find on land or waterways within 50 km (ca. 30 miles) of the shoreline. … it’s cheaper to collect, more widely available and has a better quality than the plastic which has been rotting in the water.” Oceanworks makes useful products out of this plastic, reducing the demand for new plastic.
Giants like Nestle and Coca Cola increased the amount of recycled plastic in packaging by 60% from 2018-2020.
“According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), when combining recycling and food waste composting, we divert 32% of our total municipal solid waste (MSW) from landfills.”
“When looking at different types of waste, paper and cardboard account for two thirds of our overall recycling capacity. In comparison, the plastic share is under 5%.”
As shift in focus to plastic free solutions (reducing the demand for plastic in the first place) has been increasing recently. “[U]sing mushroom roots, a.k.a. mycelium, you can create foams that are more sustainable and cheaper than polystyrene-based ones. … A start-up has been developing a solid bio-foam by baking algae oil. … Notpla made invisible packaging out of seaweed.”
“Many scientists around the world have realized that32 certain microorganisms can digest polymers, like PET, into its basic units. These can then be upcycled into new higher-quality polymers or reused as is.”
In short, plastic recycling has always been incredibly flawed and ripe with manipulation of public thought. While we can increase recycling efficiency, the most beneficial thing for the environment would be to switch to plastic free alternatives. In the meantime, I hope with Leafe to create demand for recycled plastic, in the hope of giving our existing plastic somewhere to go… and wow, is there a lot of it!
