Don't 'Hamper' the Environment - Still Hope for a Green Xmas
9 October 2008 at 3:39 pm
After a long year of talk about Climate Change, Sustainability and Global Warming this Christmas companies should think carefully about the message they send out to their staff, stakeholders and customers with their Christmas Hampers, according to Ash Rosshandler – Founder and CEO of the Karma Currency Foundation.
Rosshandler says as well as the obesity epidemic, the environmental cost of the alcohol and confectionary stuffed into an average hamper is immense.
According to the Australian Conservation Foundation if a hamper has $30 of confectionary (chips, chocolates and lollies) on average you’re consuming 20kg of materials, 940 litres of water, 26 square meters of land and creating 16 kg of greenhouse gas.
Rosshandler says most people never imagined that Santa could leave such an eco-footprint.
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He says one way to combat this is with moderation.
Obviously a $200 hamper will have more junk in it than a $50 hamper. Another is to ask the gift hamper providers whether they can minimize the packaging that goes into their hamper and use recyclable products.
Finally, a third option is to forego part of the hamper with a Charity Gift Voucher.
This is a gift that can offset carbon, feed a child, rescue an animal, protect a rainforest, educate a mind, help find cures for cancer, aid the arts or perform countless other wonderful and worthwhile acts.
Rosshandler’s organisation offers a gift voucher called ‘karma currency’ which is tax deductible.
Companies can give the gift vouchers to their stakeholders and employees for Christmas and they are directed back to the website to give the donation to the charity closest to their heart.
They can give to Oxfam, Care, Salvos, Plan, RSPCA, ACF, World Vision, Vision Australia, WSPA, The Cancer Council – over 100 top charities in all. The company gets the tax deduction, staff get to feel engaged and empowered, charities get much needed funds and the environment gets a rest.
Rosshandler says the aim is to make karma currency the most eco-friendly gift this Christmas.
He says by engaging stakeholders in the giving process, you are sending them a clear message that their wants, needs and interests are important to your organisation.
The karma currency Foundation is a Not for Profit online social venture with DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) status.
For more information on Karma Currency go to www.karmacurrency.com.au
