Cut Down on Christmas Waste with Local Experience Gifts

The chill in the air whispers that Christmas and the holiday giving season will be upon us soon. In the zero-waste sphere, this can be seen as a difficult time as we try to buy gifts without creating extra waste. An extra 30% of trash is created during the holiday season compared to the rest of the year and a percentage of gifts either end up in the trash, donated, or stored in a closet forever. Remember that odd kitchen gadget you received and only used once? It’s gifts like those that often end up going to waste. To help cut down on waste, I recommend looking at “experience” gifts. These gifts are not an item, but of an experience that the giftee can attend and enjoy. These types of gifts often sound expensive, but they don’t have to be.

For an adventurous gift, you can also buy time for them at Big’s Axe Throwing either for a one time session or a month long membership.

Start with a classic, especially if you are gifting to a couple, with a movie gift card. These will cost about twenty-five dollars and can be paired with a gift card to a local restaurant if you want to add a bit to it. The new Avatar movie is coming out towards the end of this year and Antman and Shazam will both be coming out early next year so they will have plenty of options for a night out together.

For your friendly DIY-er or crafter look at our local Creative Arts Guild. They offer classes and workshops for both kids and adults ranging from painting to music and even to culinary classes. I purchased a ticket to “Let’s Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About” where Chef Courtney will be teaching to cook Cornish hens, deconstructed casseroles, and mini pies for my mother’s birthday this year and it was a hit. You can go ahead and purchase a French cooking workshop for Valentine’s Day for adults or a Think Outside the Bun class where kids will make copycat foods from “The Bell” taking place in January. Just be aware of any food-related allergies or restrictions before signing your giftee up. You can also opt for a gift card of any amount so they can choose the class that speaks to them the most!

One of the experience gifts I long for, but have yet to receive is tickets for a nearby train ride. We are lucky enough to be near a few operating rides. There is the Three Rivers Rambler in Knoxville which rides around the Tennessee River and Knoxville and is offering the Christmas Lantern Express which could be a great gift for a train enthused kid that you can experience together. Farther away, is the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway which offers a variety of 2-hour and 4-hour trips. You’ll travel over the countryside and can choose to experience a 2-hour layover in McCaysville. They offer rides year-round and could be a great gift for an older couple especially. For an experience that’s even closer by, look to the incline railway, a Chattanooga staple that starts at it’s base in St. Elmo. The incline is approximately one mile long and one of the steepest railways in the world. This short trip is inexpensive and short and can easily be paired with tickets for Rock City, The Battles of Chattanooga, or Ruby Falls Tickets so that they can make a day of it.

Lastly, for a local and delightful night out, gift theater tickets to either the Dalton Little Theatre (DLT) or the Artistic Civic Theatre (ACT). For an early gift, they can head to the ACT’s annual A Christmas Carol which gets better and better each year. And if you are planning ahead, they can go to Hellman v. McCarthy or Love Letters in early 2023 at the DLT. Any show you choose is bound to be a hit if you are gifting to someone with a flair for the dramatic.

With many local and nearby options, you can easily find an “experience gift” that won’t end up in the closet or the landfill perfect for the people who seem to have everything or the kid that already has a room stuffed with toys.

 Amy Hartline is the recycling and education program coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. Have a recycling question? Contact her at (706) 278-5001 or ahartline@dwswa.org.