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Home News Resources A More Sustainable Season: Three Reasons to Shop Local and Quick Ideas for Last Minute Gifts

A More Sustainable Season: Three Reasons to Shop Local and Quick Ideas for Last Minute Gifts

Collection of festive shopping bags filled with holiday gifts.

The holiday season brings celebration, generosity, and plenty of shopping lists. It is also one of the busiest times for shipping out packages. U.S. parcel carriers will deliver more than 2.3 billion packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year (ShipMatrix). A large number of these will come from online shopping, and this year’s Black Friday saw Americans spend 5.3% more online in 2025, than they did last year (Adobe Business).

While all that shopping makes the season feel bright, shipping gifts around the globe adds real stress to the environment. Before you wrap up your holiday errands, it is worth exploring why shopping local can be the easiest way to bring more joy and less impact to your celebrations.

1. Reduced Shipping

One of the biggest sustainability advantages of local shopping is reduced emissions from transportation. Long-distance shipping, especially by air freight, requires fuel to move goods across the country or globally, and can contribute significantly to an increase in emissions. Shopping locally, on the other hand, requires far less fuel, particularly if you choose to walk, ride, or carpool to your favorite spots.

Did you know: Online purchases are much more likely to be returned when compared with products purchased in-store (Appriss Retail). Online returns lead to even more shipping and can't always be resold after they are received by the retailer.

2. Less Packaging Waste

The EPA reports that Americans generate up to 25 percent more waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. A big driver of that is packaging from shipped items.

Local products do not need to travel far to get under your tree, so you can bring a reusable bag and head straight to a nearby store, skipping the extra boxes, plastic mailers, and bubble wrap. Seeing products on the shelves also gives you the chance to choose items with low waste or refillable packaging! 

Wrapping paper and bubble wrap still piling up? Check out CSWD's 12 Days of Disposal for tips on how to dispose of holiday waste.

3. Support for Local Producers

Vermont is full of small businesses making everything from socks to sweets. A quick search of your favorite brands often reveals that many also manufacture or source their materials locally. Small businesses tend to give back more to their communities too, through donations, sponsorships, and volunteer work.

Every time you purchase from a local retailer, you help fuel their creativity, craftsmanship, and commitment to sustainability. Your support keeps the community vibrant, the environment clean, and saves valuable resources!

BONUS: Practical Tips for last minute gifts

Check out local magazines, newspapers, and your chamber of commerce website. Many share seasonal gift guides and dates for holiday markets and craft fairs.

Ordering online is still an option! Choose local businesses to reduce shipping distances and delivery emissions.

Give an experience! Consider buying concert or movie tickets, museum passes, registering for a workshop or class, or even arranging for a staycation at a nearby hotel.

You can also give a donation to an organization important to the person you love! VT Biz Magazine offers an annual Giving Guide to help you find the perfect organization.

If you don’t have any bags or decorative paper on hand, magazines, newspapers, or brown paper make great last-minute wrapping. For a fun upgrade, use a silk scarf or bandana that becomes part of the gift.

You can get almost anything second-hand! Thrift stores often have beautiful glassware, cookware, home decor, electronics, and cozy accessories at prices that feel like a holiday gift on their own. Many also carry gently used wrapping paper, baskets, or ribbon!

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