1. Choose more environmentally friendly transportation options
Choose more environmentally friendly transportation options (such as walking, biking, carpooling, or traveling by train on planes), or better yet, minimize travel in favor of a staycation with activities like puzzles, crafts, and grow kits.
2. Eat seasonally
Eat seasonally by shopping at the local farmer’s market, purchasing seasonal produce at the local grocery store, or growing your own produce.
3. Decorate, of course
Decorate in a natural way with materials and ingredients that are already available to you. Tip: UpRoot Design Studio’s shipping mailers can be cut out to make colorful cardboard ornaments, streamers, centerpieces, or whatever you can imagine! (We also love a classic dried citrus garland, or this simple salted candle decor if you’re feeling a little craftier.)
4. Illuminate efficiently
Illuminate efficiently with LEDs instead of fluorescent lamps.
5. Shop ethically
Shop ethically by considering the sustainability and fair trade commitments of the place you shop. These can often be found in the footer menu of a store’s website. And if you don’t see one, contact them to ask! It is important for companies to know that their customers care about them.
6. Give the gift of your values
Give the gift of your values by supporting small businesses, artists and organizations you believe in. You can gift sustainable items they make (like UpRoot’s art prints, eye pillows, lunch bags, or embroidery kits) or make donations in honor of your giftee. (By the way, we also donate 10% of the profits.)
7. Buy smart and choose wisely
Buy smart and choose wisely by planning ahead and choosing fewer, more special items that you know your gift givers will really use and appreciate. (In case you were wondering, UpRoot vets all of our materials and partners, so you know you’re shopping with us wisely; plus, our products are designed to kick-start activities that take time—no one-time landfill fodder here!)
8. Gift time
Give the gift of time to show your love, whether you’re chatting over a cup of tea or meditating quietly together.
9. Give the gift of an experience
Give the gift of an experience that you know they can enjoy alone or with friends and family, such as doing a puzzle, indoor gardening or embroidery, or organizing an organic spa day at home.
10. Give gifts
Give gifts that keep on giving, like a CSA membership or reusable household items like organic dish towels, lunch bags, eye pillows, clean-burning candles or natural soaps.
11. Gift used with items
Gift used with items from thrift stores, buy-nothing groups and companies that upcycle materials. (Our favorite recycled material we use? Buttons and thread on our lunch bags, organizer bags, and eye pillows, saved by founder Julia’s grandparents.)
12. Give handmade items as gifts
Give the gift of handmade items, whether made by you (lip balm? pine cleanser? baby plant?), or to another artisan (ahem UpRoot handmade these adorable items with love ahem).
13. Give the gift of sustainable supplies
Give the gift of sustainable essentials to get your friends and family members in the right mood! This could include things like bamboo toothbrushes, wool dryer balls (we love the ones from Friendsheep), sustainable paper products (we can’t get enough of the jokes + green TP and paper towels from Who Gives a Crap), and a home spa or basics of the kitchen.
14. Wrap creatively
Pack creatively to reuse things you already have, like wall calendars and newspapers, or pack them with items your recipient will reuse, like recycled linens or ribbons, organic scarves and other fabrics (also known as furoshiki), or best of all : a reusable container that is part of the gift, such as a Stasher bag or our organic, hand-sewn lunch bags.
15. Plant a tree
Whether your vacation involves cutting down trees or not, showing our gratitude to the earth by donating trees is sure to brighten the holiday. (Psst, did you know that UpRoot plants a tree for every order? We’re here to help you create multiple new sustainable traditions at once!)
