Gifting (Green Gifts)

Recently, the term green gifting has entered into mainstream sustainable parlance, though, arguably, the practices encompassed by the phrase have existed for millennia. Today, green gifting straddles a paradox within sustainability movements: it has risen to prominence both as a cutting-edge capitalist marketing tool and as the foundation for radical barter-based anarchism.

What unites most references and instances of green gifting is an abiding interest in replacing excessively wasteful conventions of buying presents with more ecologically sustainable alternatives. Green gifting has emerged as a response to the avid consumerism and commercialism that has come to be negatively associated with gift-oriented holidays, as well as birthdays, weddings, and baby showers. In particular, the Christmas season has become saturated with consumption and its expanding expenses and refuse. According ...