Are sustainable gift cards the way forward?
Whether it was that Christmas sweater that didn’t quite hit the mark or the pair of socks you really didn’t need, we have all received gifts we didn’t love. While these gifts may seem harmless, the impact of the gift giving market on the environment is anything but innocent. After all, that one pair of unwanted polyamide socks can be responsible for over two kilograms of carbon emissions. Not so cool for the climate.
Sustainable gift ideas are hard to come by–even if an environmentally friendly present may be the guilt-free way forward. At simppl, we want to promote a more environmentally and socially conscious approach to gift giving. Sustainable gifting is choosing presents that have a positive, or consciously reduced, impact on the environment. This can include buying sustainable products from sustainable companies, giving sustainable activities or experiences rather than products, or donating to sustainable charities via a sustainable gift card.
As sustainability becomes an ever-pressing issue, the role of gifts in a world struggling with over-consumption has been increasingly in the spotlight. Sustainable gifting is on the rise as consumers try and reduce their impact, particularly over holiday periods. 62% of UK shoppers now choose at least one sustainable or environmentally friendly gift over the festive period, while in Australia when it came to Father’s Day gifting habits, over half of consumers were planning on giving eco-friendly gifts.
Why sustainable gift cards are good idea
Sustainable gifting is good for people and the planet. Sustainable gift cards that are digital and have close to 0 production costs are a great option.
From the resources and emissions used to create a product to the shipping miles to get it onto store shelves to the packaging it is wrapped in, traditional gifts can come with a hefty environmental toll. Even the wrapping paper associated with traditional gifting is problematic. In the UK 227,000 miles of wrapping paper is used each year, only a fraction of this is recycled, with most of it going on to populate landfills. Making an environmental issue worse, surveys in the UK have found over half of gift recipients receive presents they don’t want every Christmas.
It’s a similar story in the USA, with Americans spending over $15 billion on unwanted gifts over the Christmas period. As shoppers, fuelled by an overconsumption mindset, buy unwanted presents, the environment and their wallets are footing the bill.
Sustainable gifting helps to remedy this problem. By choosing sustainable products or activities, the environmental footprint of a gift is reduced. It also helps to reduce the risk of buying an unwanted item that will only go on to litter landfills.
Sustainable gifting supports an attitude of mindful and reduced consumption. It is a way for consumers to create a truly meaningful impact and offers an opportunity to rethink how we engage with a gift-giving mindset. Choosing to gift sustainably is a way to give a meaningful gift, while still creating a positive impact on the world and promoting an attitude of empowerment.
And, after all, who really needs more socks? Why not try the 0% bullshit, 100% planet-positive way of gifting? It’s only a few clicks away with our simppl gift cards at www.simppl.com
