Words by Giulia Simolo
You can’t stand the sight of the green vase your friend gave you for Christmas, even though you pulled off an Academy Award winning performance when you opened it in front of her. But now you’re left with a horrid gift that you really don’t want to decorate your house with. Then a naughty thought comes to mind: would it really be a bad idea if you recycled it?
No, not recycled the actual glass, but recycled the gift to someone else, which is also known as re-gifting. You could easily pretend you had bought the vase for a different friend, someone who you know would appreciate the bright pattern more.
It’s good for the earth!
Here’s something that will make you feel a little less guilty for having re-gifted in the past. From an eco-friendly perspective, re-gifting could be seen in a positive light. Instead of throwing away a gift that is in perfectly good condition, thus contributing to the world’s waste, you are giving the gift a new lease on life. The gift can also be used in a more productive way (that terrible vase could be a way for someone to add some decorative flash to their home without having to purchase something themselves from the store), instead of being stashed away in a cupboard at your home.
How to re-gift in a good way
From an etiquette point of view, however, re-gifting does come with some downsides or risks. If you have forgotten the card from the initial giver inside the gift, that’s extremely embarrassing! The new gift recipient will know that you didn’t seek out an original, thoughtful gift for them but merely recycled your second-rate goods. It can also be seen as rude to give your friend something that you simply don’t like; it’s as though you can’t be bothered to go out and buy them something with your own money.
But you can get the best of both worlds. In order to find a suitable way of dealing with your unwanted gift in the spirit of eco-friendliness while also re-gifting in a way that is not rude or tacky, there are some tips you can follow:
Make it tactful
Here’s where you make sure the original gift card is not stuck to the gift, bearing your name in bold letters! But it’s also ensuring tact on an emotional level. Instead of simply re-wrapping the gift for your friend and pretending that you bought it specifically for her, you could try being honest with her about the gift’s origins. Don’t say something like ‘I hate this gross thing, so do you want it?’ because the recipient will just feel like you’re handing them your unwanted goods. You could rather openly ask your friend if they would like the green vase that does not cater to your personal taste or doesn’t match your home. Also ensure that your friend would appreciate the gift beforehand. Don’t just offer it to them in a wishy-washy fashion. The whole point of a gift is to show that you were thinking of your friend, so make sure you have a strong hunch that your friend would actually want the gift.
Don’t give it away after you’ve used it!
Re-gifting might be a type of recycling, but it’s not the same as using a water bottle and then tossing it out where it can be used in a new way. If you received a dress as a gift that you wore once and then decided you didn’t like it, it’s not a good idea to wash it, wrap it up and re-gift it to someone else. This comes across as tacky and unfair to the person receiving the gift. If you’re going to pretend that the gift is something you personally chose for your friend, then make sure that your gift remains sparkly, new and unused. It’s only fair. Ask yourself: would you want someone else’s hand-me-downs that were already worn or used? We didn’t think so.
Sell the gift for cash
Sometimes a much better way to avoid the etiquette and moral issue of re-gifting is to sell the unwanted gift on eBay and then use the cash you receive to buy your friend a more thoughtful gift. In this way, you put the unwanted gift to good use, you save money and you don’t have to risk getting caught out for re-gifting!
The Live Eco team
