Gift-giving with an eye on waste

Want to ship a gift to a loved one? Consider using UPS overnight shipping envelopes, which use at least 80 percent recycled paperboard.

It's just a first step, say experts.

"A lot of times, when people think 'environmental awareness,' they think of recycling - and really recycling isn't the key issue," says Mr. Most of Inform. "The key issue ... is waste reduction."

The US lags Europe in this area. In Germany, for example, supermarkets are moving to containers that can be reused dozens of times. Two months ago, Tesco, Britain's largest supermarket chain, began using German-made "bio-packs" that decompose when exposed to the elements.

On this side of the Atlantic, some retailers are moving to reduce excess packaging of the bulk items they handle. Six years ago, Target Corp. found that its employees were spending inordinate time getting apparel to its store shelves. Clothes would come in boxes inside other boxes, with each item wrapped in plastic and cardboard. So the company convinced its suppliers to reduce the packaging. Now some manufacturers ship clothes already hung on hangers. The initiative cut waste, as well as millions of dollars in labor costs.

One area still subject to debate is Internet shopping. It increases waste, because online retailers routinely use big boxes - and lots of packing material - to send small items. (Bulk shipping to stores makes more sense, says Most.)

On the other hand, driving a car to the store to pick up a book or piece of software burns energy, other experts argue. So consumers face tradeoffs.

Since retailers are moving to waste-reduction slowly, consumers have to take the lead in limiting the environmental impact of holiday shopping, environmental advocates say. Of course, many people already recycle items such as boxes and holiday wrapping paper.

Some other possibilities:

• Look for brands, such as Kodak, and retailers, such as Target, that use recycled paper and paperboard in their own operations. Don't know who's who? Start with the Green Pages online, sponsored by Co-op America (www.greenpages.org).

• Bring your own bag to the store. Or if you're only buying an item or two, tell the clerk you don't need a bag.

• Buy in bulk, which usually minimizes the amount of packaging you'll be stuck with. And don't be shy about telling a store clerk to skip the extra wrapping. "When a retail store is packaging a product for you, we encourage consumers to say: 'I don't need that,' " says Eric Most of Inform, a New York environmental-research group.

• Urge catalog companies to use recycled paper. "When you're placing your holiday orders, it's the perfect time to say: 'I'd like you even more if you printed your catalogs on recycled paper,' " says Victoria Mills of the Alliance for Environmental Innovation, a Boston-based project. Better yet, cut down the number of catalogs you get by contacting the Direct Marketing Association at 212-768-7277 (or at www.the-dma.org/consumers/consumerassistance.html).

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