SPENDING quality time with loved ones, giving experiences as presents and supporting local shops that offer long-lasting, high-quality gifts are thoughtful and low-waste ways to show others you care this holiday season.

“Focusing on making cherished memories with friends and family and supporting local businesses can help our region reduce unnecessary waste,” says Jack Froese, Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste Committee. “Most people would rather create lasting memories with their loved ones by doing fun activities together than being stuck with unwanted presents, boxes, wrapping paper, and soft plastics that will end up in the waste stream. Nothing is better than time spent together, and that is why giving experiences or a long-lasting, high-quality present from a local vendor are fantastic holiday gift ideas.”

The Merry Memory Maker app features more than 200 low-waste gift ideas at a variety of price points.

Top low-waste holiday tips for 2021:

• Help those in need: donating to a charitable organization on someone’s behalf or sponsoring a family puts your money to good use and helps those who are in need.

• Give experiences as gifts: many holiday memories are about activities and time spent with others. Giving your loved ones passes to an escape room or tickets to a community theatre will help keep their spaces clutter free and will result in memories you can share.

• Give gifts that last: items for the home, like baking trays, cast iron pans, or a high-quality knife set, are practical and can last for years.

• Reduce your wrap: instead of single-use wrapping paper, reuse materials to add a personal touch to your gifts, such as wrapping a present for a traveller in an old map or a gift for a news-savvy friend in an old newspaper.

For many more tips, gift ideas and inspirations to minimize waste this holiday season, including how to recycle shipping materials, visit creatememoriesnotgarbage.ca.