Every holiday season, after presents are unveiled and wrapping paper is cleared away, many people are faced with a question: What do you do with a gift you do not want?
On lucky occasions, an unwanted item can be returned or exchanged. Some things can be donated in the hopes that someone else might want them. Yet an unfortunate majority of rejected gifts are pushed to the backs of cupboards and drawers, left to collect dust and add clutter for years to come. In these cases, another option presents itself: regifting.
The act of regifting, as defined by Oxford dictionary, is taking a gift that one has received and giving it to someone else. Regifting is often viewed as a social faux pas – a lazy, impersonal and sometimes deceptive way to get rid of old stuff while dodging the price of a new gift at the same time. However, in a world of overconsumption, inflation and unprecedented levels of waste, could it be time to rethink regifting?
From an environmental standpoint, regifting is inherently sustainable. According to CBS News, Americans produce around 25% more waste from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve than during the rest of the year. This has to do with wrapping and packaging, which is fueled by excess gift buying. Regifting things that would otherwise sit untouched can be a simple way to reduce waste during the holidays.
Financially, regifting can also lessen the stress of holiday spending. The idea that every gift must be brand new seems outdated in a world where many people struggle to afford daily life. A regifted item can be just as good as something new – as long as it is done tactfully.
After all, the goal of gift giving is to show the people you care about that you know them. A good gift is something thoughtful and meaningful; it does not necessarily have to be expensive or bought new. If someone in your life would enjoy something you already have and have not used, why would you not regift it?
The problems with regifting arise only when the act becomes careless – when something is chosen simply to get rid of it, rather than with the person receiving it in mind. If you are regifting something for convenience, not with consideration, then you should probably reconsider.
Ultimately, whether regifting is appropriate or not depends entirely on the situation and the person receiving the gift. When done honestly and with care, regifting can honor both the recipient and the planet.
As the holiday season approaches once again, it’s worth pausing to rethink how we give. Instead of viewing regifting as a shortcut, we can see it as a way to be more mindful of the world around us. A small shift in perspective can create a meaningful, less wasteful tradition. In a season focused on generosity, there might not be a better way to gift than to give new life to something worth a second chance.
