That's it, the end of year holidays are approaching, marking the return of the gift frenzy. More than 300 million presents will be given in France at Christmas, an average of 6.5 gifts per person.
Synonymous with happiness and sharing for some, this tradition can nevertheless be a source of stress, generate waste and have significant consequences on the environment.
Overview in figures and graphs to understand why it is better to reduce or completely stop buying gifts at Christmas.
1. Carbon footprint: the true cost of gifts
Products high-techplastic toys or objects made on the other side of the world, Christmas surprises can consume energy and contribute significantly to global warming.
A study by Ademe reveals that, during the end-of-year holidays, the French emit nearly 6.3 million tonnes of equivalent emissions CO₂. Gifts constitute the main contribution to emissions. Or 57 % of emissions, just before travel (25 %) and food (15 %).
Digital products and jewelry are among the gifts with the highest carbon footprint. They only represent 4 % of gifts offered, but generate a total of 30 % of greenhouse gas emissions linked to gifts.
This high carbon footprint is mainly explained by the extraction and processing of rare metals, necessary for their manufacture. Digital products are crazy about them: lithium, cobalt, tantalum… These metals are widely used in batteries, printed circuits and other components, the extraction of which generates significant emissions of CO₂.
As for jewelry, its manufacturing relies primarily on gold and other precious metals, the extraction of which requires extremely energy-intensive mining processes, often carried out in poorly controlled environmental conditions.
On the other hand, books, although among the least emitting gifts, are still responsible for the emission of 75,000 tonnes of CO₂e.
2. Buying gifts: a major stress factor
Financial pressure, quest for the perfect present, fear of disappointing, amplified by omnipresent advertising and promotions… Buying gifts is often accompanied by a significant mental load. For many French people, this festive tradition can quickly become a source of anxiety.
According to a survey carried out by OpinionWay, 59 % of those surveyed say they feel pressure to find the perfect gift, while 54 % worry about not sticking to their budget. A trend that has continued to grow in recent years.
3. Unused, donated or thrown away gifts
Gifts are often much less useful than we imagine and they create a real waste during the holidays. According to the Ademe study, 27 % of French people surveyed admit to receiving objects that they never use, but which they keep regardless. This represents at least 12 million unused gifts, sleeping in cupboards and cluttering our spaces.
According to the same study, 9 % of French people say they give their gifts to associations or loved ones, while 5 % resell them. Worst: 2 % admit to directly throwing away the gifts they receive, which equates to around 1 million presents transformed into waste each year.
4. Tons of packaging used
Another major problem: the quantity of packaging used to package the presents. Between paper, cardboard, bags, and sometimes plastic (especially for toys), packaging comes with an environmental cost that is often ignored.
According to Ademe, 70 % of French people wrap their gifts in new gift paper, thus contributing to an annual consumption of around 20,000 tonnes of paper during Christmas.
Furthermore, gift wrapping paper is often enriched with varnishes, plastics or glitter, which can complicate the recycling process.
In total, there is an increase of 15 % of packaging thrown away during this period, accentuating the overall overproduction of waste.
So we stop the gifts ?
It may seem radical but the idea seems to be gaining ground: more and more French people are considering not giving gifts to their loved ones at Christmas. A way to give Christmas a more authentic and less material character, while limiting its mental load and its ecological cost. In any case, it seems urgent to celebrate the end of year holidays in a more eco-friendly — and less stressful — way. !
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