During this month, from Black Friday to Christmas we will buy a lot of different items, for ourselves or to give. Probably many of them will end sooner than later as waste, because we didn’t need them, they’re not made to be durable or we’re just updating an item that is still working. Why don’t we give to the planet during this time? We believe that small actions lead towards bigger transitions, and that’s why it is important to start taking small steps. We’re launching an Environmental Advent Calendar, where every day you will find an action to make this period more sustainable. Are you in? Discover the advent calendar here!
In December we will spend a lot of money shopping. It is estimated that only during Black friday more than 164 million people were buying products that will be used only for a season or two, and then discarded. In christmas this consumption multiplies.
Most of those products will be technological items like smartphones, TV or laptops, with a difficult recyclability and that produce a lot of waste.
Another common product to buy during these dates is clothing from fast fashion, textiles of low quality resulting in a very short life cycle for these clothes and a culture of refreshing wardrobes adding heaps of textile waste in our landfills. The Council for Textile Recycling reports that an average american citizen throws about 31kg of clothing every single year!
Toys are mainstream during these dates, and most of them are environmentally damaging. Many are made from plastic (much of it unrecyclable) and heavy packaged. These toys are often not very durable and become waste in a short time, worsening our global pollution problem.
Fast shipping is also used a lot during this period, and it has a bigger carbon footprint than slow shipments. That’s because shipping that gets items to your door faster requires more diesel-using trucks on the ground and less efficient shipping systems.
THIS CHRISTMAS I INVEST ON EARTH.
so, before shopping for christmas think if …
Do I need this product? Does the person whoI’m giving this gift really need it? What do we need more than a healthy planet? Why don’t we invest on what can be the best gift to the next generations, on our planet.
Give your time volunteering for the environment. We’re sure it is many organisations that work for the environment close to you, ask them how you can help. If you want to volunteer for the Kilian Jornet Foundation, you can join here.
Make a donation to an environmental project. Your donation can make a difference, many associations and projects are founded by people believing that together we can construct a sustainable future, why not give a donation to a project you find interesting during this christmas?
- Do you want to support glacier research? Find about the World Glacier Monitoring Service.
- We’re starting different programs and projects to preserve mountain environments, you can find them here, and if you want to support us, you can make a donation.
Think twice about upgrading. Do I really need a newer version of an item I already have? Can it be repaired instead? Find here ideas to make your gear last longer.
Think long term before purchasing an item. If I really need to buy an item, think about the lifecycle this item will have. From the natural resources and source materials used to produce it, if it comes from recycled materials or second hand, to the transport to the shop or my home. If it’s made to last and how repairable is, and if I will be able to recycle it in its totality or upcycle it.
