My nineteenth birthday.
As if eighteen wasn’t frightening enough with the inevitability of moving into a dorm and starting to figure out internships, 19 has decided to bring on even more responsibility with school, money, and not forgetting your clothes in the laundry room so they end up on the floor. As for being 20, we’ll pretend for now that it’s a couple more hundred days away than 365.
Nonetheless, 19 isn’t all bad. It comes with a guaranteed dinner or party with your friends, likely a vegan ice cream cake in my case, and—of course—some gifts. Contemplating responsibility isn’t new to me since I’ve long been trying to get involved in more than I probably should. In more recent years, I’ve been trying to bring this same responsibility to actions that impact the environment whether it be getting involved with organizations like the Sierra Club or simply trying to pick more sustainable packaging at the grocery store. This year, I’ve also been trying to apply this mindset to everything—including my birthday.
One of the most obvious ways to do this is with the gifts that come with another orbit around the sun. Here, I’ve begun thinking practically about what I’m asking for, what I’m getting, and what I consider a good present from friends and family. These have undoubtedly changed over the years, but often some of the best gifts aren’t only good for you—but also the planet.
As a student, there’s nearly nothing that can match the gift of cash—the one type of paper I’ll never have to recycle or throw away. Although you might not be searching in a store for something just right for that person, the gift of off-setting a few week’s spending, the price of a water bill, or a few tanks of gas would always be appreciated just the same. After all, what is a better gift than worrying less about how much I’m making at my job next week and getting to spend more time with friends. In another sense, this also offers something I will greatly appreciate without the mess of online shipped containers, packaging inside that container, and nonrecyclable wrapping paper.
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t ask for any specific gifts for your birthday. It is your time to celebrate, and it’s not necessary to sacrifice the excitement of gifts to be sustainable as well. In fact, it seems somewhat clear to my own friends and family that I would more greatly appreciate gifts that avoid plastic or being discarded in a few months. Instead, I more often find myself asking for tickets to concerts, access to different events, and in general other experiences that I can even bring those friends along with me. When I already have those tickets or access myself, I’ll instead ask for things that my friends can find for me on Etsy, Depop or eBay as secondhand or locally made gifts to avoid the same plastic production that comes with new gifts. Even better—local thrift stores—to avoid the packaging all together.
This post isn’t meant to tell you to never buy anything new again for yourself. It’s rather to recognize that in order to be sustainable, we must in some ways shift the culture of not always needing new items and introducing sustainable practices into your daily life. If we consider how many people have birthdays every day and how many gifts those people are receiving, the production of waste and plastic is larger than we can imagine. Where we can reduce, we should—especially when we are able to do this with very little expense on your own behalf. My birthday is only a few days away, and I am very excited to spend that time with my friends, and of course like everyone else, open some gifts to try to forget about the age that I’m turning. It’s even better to me, though, that I can do this without sacrificing the Earth’s well-being, too.
Writer Bio:
Josie is a first-year student at the Ohio State University where she is studying Political Science and Journalism. Although not specifically studying Environmental Science, she plans to use her skills to work in environmental campaigns and programs. Trying to do her part in the world has always been important to her, leading to her passion for writing, advocacy for equity in education, and personal environmental responsibility. She is working with the Ohio Chapter Past Plastic campaign this year to work to have others share this same passion for the Earth. Aside from her work with the Sierra Club, she is active on the executive board of Ohio State’s Law and Society scholars program, a Morrill scholar, a reproductive rights board member of SASHA (Student Advocates for Sexual Health Awareness), and freelance writer.
