Written by Andrea Curtis, author of Loop de Loop.

I was raised in a family where saving, repairing and reusing was standard fare. My octogenarian father has never seen a piece of wood he didn’t think could be used again for something else. I learned to sew early and was encouraged to repair whatever I could. Today, I attempt some slightly less basic repairs thanks to the wonders of YouTube. So the idea of reimagining our world along circular lines — as I explore in Loop de Loop: Circular Solutions for a Waste-Free World (illustrated by Roozeboos) — makes sense to me in my daily life. But the holidays — gifts, eating and drinking, and mountains of waste — present a whole different kind of challenge.

How can we keep the joy of the holidays but ditch the trash? I think books are always the answer. But I realize there are some rare and unusual situations that may not be solved with reading material. So I put out a call on social media for ideas about how we can embrace circular systems over the holidays without sacrificing the fun. Here are some suggestions from the hive mind.

• Instead of gifting objects, make a charitable donation in someone’s name or offer a service, subscription or an experience like tickets to the theater, a dance performance or a walking tour — even better if it’s something you can do together. Last year, my son gave his elderly grandparents unlimited tech support. They were told they could call him anytime and he’d walk them through their tech issues, set up a new system or help find the right digital tool for the job 

• Normalize giving secondhand and upcycling. Buy gifts at a thrift store, online marketplace or a used shop. Consider upcycling what you find with paint or by repairing and customizing. There are endless videos online to inspire.

• Shop your home. Well-loved and carefully curated books, art, luxe wool scarves, vases and pottery are all excellent regifts. So are plants. Take a cutting from your Christmas cactus or money plant (the luckiest indoor plant), pop it in an upcycled pot from the thrift store and tie a ribbon around it. A friend brought me a small flower bouquet from her garden in a pretty ceramic vessel that she regifted. I use it all the time and think of her.

• Host a clothing swap to update your wardrobe for the parties and events on your holiday calendar. If you’re invited to something fancy, consider renting a gown or suit, even shoes. If you don’t have a clothing rental in your city or town, there are online rental services that will ship the clothes to you in time for your event.

• Give gifts that can be eaten. Bake cookies, make jam or pickles, chutneys, wine, beer or that hearty soup that gets you through the winter.

• Go package-free or reuse wrapping material. I keep a box under my bed filled with beautiful used papers, bags, fabric, old stationery boxes, ribbons, strings and brown paper packaging from deliveries. Get kids involved and customize with drawings, paint or stamps. My social media brain trust also suggested using a tea towel, scarf or bandana, which can serve double duty as wrapping and bonus gift. Another great option for reusable wrapping is to use fabric and tie it up furoshiki style.

 Get creative with sustainable gift wrap!

• Make it yourself. Knit a scarf, make a pinch pot, draw a picture, frame a photo. When they were little, my kids made holiday gifts for their grandparents, and perhaps the most useful items were small wooden cutting boards. I found the hardwood on Facebook Marketplace, had it cut at the hardware store, and the kids sanded them into shape. Their grandparents still use the well-worn boards for mini cheese trays.

• Support local artists, writers and artisans. Visit craft markets and holiday fairs for one-of-a-kind, low-environmental-impact, big-human-impact gifts.

• According to the David Suzuki Foundation, real trees from local farms are the most environmentally friendly option for those who celebrate Christmas. A living tree that you replant outside is even better. But if you reuse an artificial tree for twenty years or more, it may be the greener choice. Some of my social media correspondents also suggested foraging for seasonal decor — picking up pine cones in the park, clipping sumac on the side of the road, or scooping up already trimmed evergreen branches left over from your own or a neighbour’s garden.

Get crafty with DIY holiday decorations, like these wreaths!