With online shopping on the rise, gifting has become easier than ever. However, that convenience comes at a price. Most express shipping is done via airplane, and the rise of same-day shipping has led to a 25% increase in global air freight emissions.

Furthermore, the holiday season’s spirit of giving often leads to excess waste and pollution. Around 5 million metric tons of returned gifts, wrapping and other items are discarded and end up in landfills every year. There are many ways to reduce your carbon emissions during the holidays, such as making homemade gifts and shopping second-hand. 

Many retailers source their flowers internationally from countries like Colombia and Ecuador due to high demand during the holidays. Transporting flowers leads to excess carbon emissions because, alongside being imported by trucks and planes, they also need to be kept refrigerated to prevent them from wilting. The refrigerators used for the flowers emit HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), which are greenhouse gases estimated to be 9,000 times stronger than carbon dioxide when it comes to trapping heat.

Buying flowers locally can be a good alternative to imported flowers. Shops such as Southside Blooms are good places to start because you can give back to the community while also helping the environment.

Check out this video on a fun zero waste gift idea!