Every holiday season brings the same pressure: buy more, hurry more, spend more. This year, maybe “more” can look a little different. What if this season, “more” meant more intention, more community, and more care for the place we call home?
The most impactful way to “green” your holiday gifting is by choosing to shop local first. Buying from local businesses and artisans isn’t just a feel-good choice — it’s an environmental one. Locally sourced goods travel shorter distances, use less packaging, and support the people who make our community thrive. Each local purchase keeps money circulating close to home, supports our neighbors, and helps sustain the small businesses that make Park City special.
Right behind shopping local is one of the most underrated sustainable traditions of all: gifting secondhand. Gifts don’t have to be brand-new or mass-produced to feel special. Sometimes the most cherished gifts are the ones with character, history, or handmade. Whether it’s a cozy vintage sweater, a beautiful set of thrifted glassware, or a well-loved book, choosing pre-loved treasures extends the life of something that already exists. It skips the energy, water, and materials needed to manufacture something new. It’s simple, circular, and incredibly thoughtful.
When you’re ticking off your holiday shopping list, consider visiting your neighborhood shops first, attending a local maker’s market, or popping into at least one vintage shop or thrift boutique. You can even make something yourself if you love to create —handmade gifts often become the most treasured of all.
If you’re unsure where to begin, start by choosing one or two gifts to source locally or secondhand this year. You may be surprised by how meaningful that small shift feels. Even swapping just one big-box purchase for a local or pre-loved option helps reduce your footprint and sends a powerful message about the kind of community you want to support.
However you give, leading with local and embracing secondhand supports the people who make our community special and aligns your holiday with the sustainable values you practice all year.
Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information – www.recycleutah.org.
Kimberly Flores is a co-founder, fulFILLed Lifestyle Co.