Some people may think the practice is unacceptable but a recent poll by Money Management International found that more than half of adults surveyed thought it was OK. But obviously there are rules. First, how would this concept go over with your family and friends? Would you have to hide your regifting? Or would regifting be praised amongst your peers as a sign of your wise use of resources?
Here are some practical considerations and questions as you decide if regifting will work for you. Find the right person for that regift! Ask yourself if the recipient will like the gift. If it doesn’t seem appropriate, then you can choose other gifts that use less of our planet’s resources. Try alternatives such as making a present by hand, donating to a charity in the recipient’s name, giving a local or Maine-made gift (uses less transportation resources, and keeps money circulating locally), or give a “gift certificate” for your services to help with a project or household chore. As Mom always said, “It’s the thought that counts”.
Is the regift in good condition? If it is worn, dusty or old – consider giving it to a charity instead. The charity may be able to put older items to good use. This will still help declutter your house, garage or attic, but not burden others with “gifts” they wouldn’t want anyway. Alternatively, the item might make a great gift if your worksite does a “white elephant” gift exchange.
Do you remember from whom you received the gift from originally? Don’t make the mistake of giving it back to the person who gave it to you! Accomplished regifters note who gave them a gift, so when the item is regifted it isn’t given back to the original giver or someone in their close circle of friends.
When wrapping the regift, consider using a reusable (or even reused) gift bag. While new wrapping paper looks spiffy, if you want to continue with the theme of minimizing resources you might consider wrapping paper alternatives such as the comic section of the newspaper, a new kitchen towel, or a brown paper bag that you can cut open and decorate.
Regifting is not an option for everyone, for every occasion, or for every unwanted gift, but done with thoughtfulness, it can be a way to link up items with the people who will appreciate them. For more information check out the Web site http://www.regiftable.com/Regifting101/Default.aspx .
This column was submitted Marianne DuBois, a hydrogeologist with the Maine DEP’s Bureau of Land and Water Quality. In Our Back Yard is a weekly column of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. E-mail your environmental questions to infodep@maine.gov or send them to In Our Back Yard, Maine DEP, 17 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.
Regifting can save money
In Our Back Yard
Courtesy of the state Department of Environmental Protection
Looking for ways to save money, be a lower impact consumer, and clear out unwanted and unused white elephants this holiday season? Regifting may provide the solution for some of your gift-giving needs! For those of you new to the word, here is how Webster’s New Millennium Dictionary defines it: Regift: (verb) “To give an unwanted gift to someone else; to give as a gift something one previously received as a gift.”
