Give Your Loved Ones the Gift of a Waste-Free Lifestyle
Trash to Fashion's Special Occasion Gift Guide
HO, HO, Huh? Who wants another holiday season filled with plastic shrink wrap and fast fashion that’ll unravel before Valentine’s Day? These days, even socks aren’t a guaranteed safe bet if they’re spun plastic (aka polyester or acrylic, horrible for your skin and our environmental health.)
Luckily, Trash to Fashion’s by your side with a gift guide designed to help you live your values all through the year. Some of these items are only available in New Haven, CT. If you live too far from here, send us your local comparable business, so we can compile a list to share with all our friends.
A gift card to EcoWorks creative reuse center and Reboutique. A little goes a long way at this thrift store for artists, so a $20-$30 gift card could fund one, maybe two or three upcycled material projects.
A gift card to Goodwill of Southern New England. (I love these guys and adore shopping there.) What can you find? Everything. Clothing, home decor, picture frames, dishes and glassware, books. And truly unusual items. My favorite finds - silver-plated trays I use to give my events a little old-school charm.
A skill upgrade! Buy a sewing, mending, crochet, or knitting class or give one-on-one sewing lessons yourself if you’ve got skills.
Deadstock! Get a gift card to FabScrap and give your special someone the gift of rescuing fabric from the fashion industry waste stream. (You can also buy Yard Packs or Scrap Packs if you know what type of fabric your gift-ee likes.) The link to purchase gift cards online is broken, so try emailing them at onlinestore@fabscrap.org to place your order.
The warm feeling of helping something special grow. Make a donation to Trash to Fashion in someone’s name.
A connection to the land. Buy a membership to a national park, state park, or land trust.
Make something special from found objects or materials you would otherwise discard. (Try macrame to turn your collection of old phone charging cords into a keychain, belt, bracelet or choker.)
Bespoke garments from New Haven fashion designer Tea Montgomery at ThreadsbyTea.com and custom hats from Tinaliah Designs.
Give the gift of composting! If your loved one lives in New Haven, buy them a subscription to Peels & Wheels composting service: https://www.pwcompost.com/sign-up
Spiff Up Their Kicks! In New Haven, get a gift card to Cristhian Shoe Repair on Whitney Avenue, or bring your loved one’s favorite pair of distressed shoes for a dust up and return them looking new. (Outside New Haven, google Shoe Repair to find someone near you.)
Eco-friendly, minimal-waste dining options are also fun:
Claire’s Corner Copia is New Haven’s first vegetarian restaurant. Their food is healthy and delicious and portions are generous (Try their gluten-free vegan oatmeal cookies and their new Kindness bowl!) But the real secret to this local business’s 50-year success story is owner Claire Criscuolo’s huge heart. Having been on the receiving end of Claire’s kindness, we at Trash to Fashion can attest that Claire and her staff live their motto, “Be kinder than necessary.” Plus, they compost their waste. Stop by or order your gift card by phone at (203)562-3888 as they don’t take online orders.
Via Lactea, on Whitney Ave, is New Haven’s first vegan ice cream shop, and was nominated for a James Beard award, no doubt because of their incredible flavor pairings and fresh ingredients (like pumpkins they picked from the farm and roasted for their pumpkin ice cream). They also offer homemade gluten-free cones and gluten-free, vegan ice cream sandwiches. (Ah-mazing!) My non-vegan friends go here without me now. It’s that good. As for waste, Via Lactea only uses metal tasting spoons and real dishes for in-house service. To-go products are served in compostable packaging. Owner Reinaldo Sanchez told me Via Lactea only generates like one small bag of trash per month because they compost and recycle whatever they can’t reuse in-house. You can get gift cards online, but if you visit, then you have an excuse to treat yourself at the same time!
And when we grow, we can plan more events and produce more media to help you…
P.S. Thanks to Jeff at New Haven Solid Waste & Recycling Authority for inspiring this post!