Green for the holidays

Bona fide sustainability geek Claire Attkisson wants to inspire you to rethink how you shop this holiday season. 

Attkisson, founder and creative director of Live Creative Studio – a sustainable-business marketing and shopping hub – is offering a unique retail experience for those looking to reduce their environmental impact during the holidays. The Zero Waste Holiday Pop-Up event, Dec. 3-5 at the Smiley Building, will feature businesses from around town that are innovating solutions to the environmental challenges we face today. 

“Many business owners in our community are changing the way they do business for good by creating solutions to the problems of plastic waste, energy consumption and climate change, biodiversity, soil loss and more,” Attkisson said. “The holiday pop-up is a way to collectively market and support our local, sustainable-minded businesses.”

The businesses are members of Live Creative Studio’s Sustainable Business Guide, a curated list of more than 34 (and growing) local businesses that provide options for consumers who want to shop for eco-minded products or purchase from businesses working to reduce their carbon footprint. Attkisson said these businesses address important questions, such as where their materials are sourced, how their products are created and packaged, and ways in which products may be recycled – or better yet, upcycled.

There’s no better time than the holidays to make mindful purchasing choices and shop for goods that align with your values, Attkisson said. As we enter the gift-giving/shopping frenzy that permeates the most “wonderful time of the year,” significant impacts to the planet are inevitable as one considers the life cycle of each wrapped present bought. However, reducing these impacts while also embracing the “think globally, act locally” adage can be achieved through conscientious gifting that also supports local businesses.

The Zero Waste Holiday Pop-Up will feature zero waste, fair-trade and hand-crafted gifts from various local businesses, makers, bakers and artists including: WeFill Durango; Osadha Natural Health; Maka Earth CBD products; The Flying Hatter; Passionflower Beauty; Chandler Strange; Belle and the Bear; and others. 

So ditch online shopping and, instead, support local, sustainable businesses this holiday season. Your loved ones and the planet will thank you. 

– Kathleen O’Connor