Before the big 11.11 sales: 7 tips and reminders on how to shop sustainably

November 11 is on Monday, and you know what that means. Numerous Singles Day sales will be happening. 

RELATED: What is Singles Day and why are there so many sales?

Ignoring all the discounts on offer is hard, especially when Christmas is right around the corner. What's Christmas without gift-giving, after all? And in these hard and trying times, you really have to be practical and matipid.

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

But such a day — and such a season! — means more waste produced. And Planet Earth really cannot process anymore of that.

Regional Urban and Mindset Campaigns Coordinator of Greenpeace Southeast Asia Abi Aguilar told GMA News Online that according to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) there is a 25% increase in waste between Thanksgiving and New Year, noting that Christmas "is one of the most wasteful holidays in the world."  

He said the "Production, transportation, consumption and disposal of these things during the extended celebration of Christmas throughout the entire '-Ber' months certainly uses huge amounts of raw materials, burns a lot of fossil fuels, and generates waste and pollution along the way," EcoWaste Coalition Zero Waste Campaign Officer Jove Benosa said.

But nobody wants to be the so-called grinch. So allow us to share a few tips and reminders from Greenpeace and EcoWaste Coalition on how to enjoy shopping without killing Earth. 

1. Can you borrow that instead? 

With the upcoming big 11.11 or "Single's Day" online sale craze, Aguilar reminded shoppers to rethink the things they are planning to purchase

"Think first if there is really a need to buy online before going for it," she said, adding people should consider whether or not the items "can be borrowed, acquired somewhere else."

Aguilar said "the first consideration should be – should giving involve buying something new? Why not reuse or repurpose old stuff, or give away extra stuff (i.e. extra tumblers, etc that they have but do not use)."

 
2. Maybe you have stuff that can be repurposed?

Before heading to the mall or clicking that add to cart button, Benosa said "take stock of what you have and check for things that can be repaired, retrofitted, upgraded, reused, recycled or even re-gifted before buying new ones."

3. Make a shopping list, have a budget, and follow it

Aimlessly going around inside the mall or scrolling through that shopping website will lead you to impulse buying. Benosa suggested that shoppers should "make a list of your holiday necessities and take this list to the store to avoid impulsive buying."

He said it will also help if shoppers would set a budget "to avoid overspending, and make it a point to save for emergencies and post-December expenses."

4. Support local 

Benosa encouraged shoppers to "patronize locally-made products to support the local economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

He said it would also help communities if you choose to purchase "handicrafts made by indigenous communities, prisoners and freed prisoners and the urban and rural poor."

5. Choose sustainably-made and durable products

Benosa suggests items that are environment friendly, including "non-toxic personal care items and organic products from health and wellness groups; reusable bags from women’s and environmental groups; and other eco-friendly gift items from charities and cooperatives."  

He said it also helps if the item you are planning to buy is durable so you can extend its life and "it can be repaired, reused, recycled or passed on to other users."

6. Rethink that gift wrapper

Packaging is another big contributor to waste during the Christmas season. Benosa said shoppers can choose "gifts that come with little or no packaging at all such as gift certificates, movie passes, concert tickets, beep cards, raffle coupons, etc." Don't those sound super useful and practical, too?

Aguilar said "if there is a need to wrap a product, this should not involve anything single-use (be it plastic or paper). Best to reuse old papers, newspaper, or gift wrappers."

Benosa, meanwhile, said Christmas wrappers such as bags, boxes, ribbons, bows, envelopes, should be repurposed or reused.

"Carefully unwrap Christmas gifts and save the bags, boxes, bows and ribbons and wrappers for the next gift-sharing occasion.  Christmas wrappers can be repurposed as book and notebook covers, Origami crane, paper garland or as materials for school art and craft projects," Benosa said.  

7. Not all gifts should be material

"It pays to be mindful of sustainable consumption," Aguilar said.

Besides, Christmas shouldn't be all about gifts. "It may help Pinoys focus even more on caring and celebration during this holiday season, and could even reduce the strain on our pockets and  the natural environment."

She stressed that gifts don't always require "spending" and it shouldn't always be material.

"There are gifts that don’t require spending, like service (i.e. free massage) and time and making memories (i.e. game board time with kids)," Aguilar said. — LA, GMA News