Let’s talk about the impact gifting has on the environment. While gift giving and receiving can release endorphins and feel-good chemicals in the brain, those purchases may also be costing the earth.
Often when you’re stuck for a gift idea, a gift card becomes a go-to for a quick and easy gift purchase. Reportedly, there are 10 billion plastic gift cards produced every year – a mind-blowing figure!
But what happens once the recipient uses the card? Often, that PVC card ends up going straight to landfill.
One clever Australian startup is looking to change the face of gifting in Australia by making it easy, thoughtful, and best of all, green.
Nano-gifting app, Shouta, is encouraging Aussies to ditch their traditional gifting methods for a green, sustainable approach with its next-gen digital gift cards. Instead of traditional plastic gift cards which ultimately end up in landfill, Shouta allows you to digitally shout friends and loved ones a range of digital gifts including coffee, drinks, a meal or anything you can dream up. Recipients receive a link to a reloadable, digital Shouta Mastercard which allows them to tap and pay anywhere Mastercard is accepted, straight from their digital wallet.
Not only does Shouta provide consumers with a sustainable approach to gifting, but it’s quick, easy, and affordable too with shouts starting from as little as $5. Unlike traditional gift cards, shouts can be totally customised and the shoutee can also add notes and memes to personalise their gift.
Since launch, if users that had sent shouts through the platform had instead opted for plastic gift cards, there would have been an estimated 115kg of extra plastic ending up in landfill.
The app is free to download, so next time you’re on the hunt for a gift, or just want to let someone know that you’re thinking of them, check it out.
Our other top tips for sustainable gifting?
Stick to gift registries
If you’ve been invited to a baby shower or a wedding and you’re lucky enough to have a gift registry provided, make sure you nab something off the list. Gifting a present that hasn’t been requested can be wasteful and may end up going straight to landfill. If you don’t want to purchase from the registry and want to do a more personalised and customised gift, consider using an app like Shouta so that the recipient can purchase a product of their choosing.
Ditch the plastic wrap
If your present needs wrapping, consider using recycled wrapping paper, or craft something yourself out of old magazines or newspapers. Wrapping paper often comes unnecessarily wrapped in plastic and can be plastic lined, so ditch this old school method for something more DIY
Gift an experience
When in doubt, gift someone an experience. We are often overwhelmed with ‘things’, so if you know someone who already has everything they need, why not gift them something they can go out and do. Memories make the sweetest gifts!
Find out more about Shouta here.
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