Not every gift creates waste, and some, such as reusable shopping bags, can even cause less to be created. Today I want to suggest more gifts that create little to no waste.

Charitable Contributions 

Pick a charity that you both can believe in, and give a contribution in that person’s name. There are plenty of great causes out there. One that I find particularly interesting is heifer.org. Giving a donation that directly gets someone an animal to help them live a better life. The animals help these people get more food, earn money and generally have a better life. I love doing things that help for a long time.

Give Your Time

This is an especially good gift when you have elderly relatives who may be lonely or have trouble doing everything around the house that they used to do.  Tell they you will come over and clean, help run errands or whatever it is they need done. Or just promise regular visits.

Don’t forget that if you do housecleaning you should try to use organic or at least nontoxic cleansers. A supply of these can even be a part of the gift.

If you aren’t local, find a cleaning service in their area to help out. You may even be able to find some that use organic products.

Parents can also really appreciate it if you give time. Offer to babysit so they can get a night out together.

Handmade Gifts

If you’re good at crafts there are plenty of things you can make. It allows you to indulge a hobby while making something that will be really special.

A simple idea would be to help someone who is not too good at organizing their photographs. Get a nice album and help them. It’s often best done together, so another good idea for elderly relatives who will really appreciate the time spent.

One of the great things about these kinds of gifts is that you don’t have to shop crowded malls for most of them, and aside from the handmade gifts, they can be taken care of at the last minute. Very helpful if you find you are running behind.