If you must consume, why not skip the corporate giants who are known for their exploitative labor practices and instead do so mindfully by supporting independent, socially conscious, community-minded businesses and causes? As Mandy Nahanee, a cultural practitioner and business development consultant from the Squamish Nation, puts it, “what is so special about supporting Indigenous businesses is that you are supporting families to stay together. Instead, this is an invitation to pause the chaos for a moment while I share some amazing, independently-owned Indigenous businesses. I promise that I am not here to rain on your holiday parade or try and convince you not to engage in the spirit of giving. As far as gift giving goes, five billion pounds of returned gifts end up in the landfill every year and within three months, it’s estimated that 41 per cent of children’s gifts end up broken and in the trash. Environmental Protection Agency, over the holidays, more than 1 Million additional tonnes of waste per week end up in landfills across North America. For instance, up to 40 per cent of holiday food is wasted. This includes food waste, plastic packaging and trashed old items replaced with newer versions received as gifts. From late November to early January, household waste increases by more than 25 per cent. Environmentally, the effects of runaway holiday consumption are disastrous.
In the holiday frenzy, corporations are counting on us to abandon our critical thinking skills. By Nikki don’t want to sound like the Grinch, but being bombarded with cult-like consumer messaging like, “only 23 days left to get your Christmas shopping done!” or “find the perfect gift for your partner” from December First onwards is something I could live without.
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