For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Gift giving that reduces waste, supports local businesses and encourages volunteerism are the themes of Montgomery County’s annual “Gift Outside the Box” campaign, which will formally launch on Thursday, November 15. The County will highlight unique and environmentally friendly gifts and actions through advertisements and digital engagement throughout the holiday season. The Gift Outside the Box campaign, which is led by the County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), this year will begin on the day that is recognized nationwide as “America Recycles Day.”
The Gift Outside the Box campaign focuses on five themes that encourage thinking differently about how to buy gifts, as well as, how to wrap those gifts. The themes are:
- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle: Reduce waste by buying gifts made from recycled or reused materials—and minimize waste by buying recycled wrapping paper or just skipping the traditional wrapping.
- Gift Greener: Help the environment by thinking green in how you buy and what you buy. - Give Back: Instead of a traditional gift, donate to charity or spend time with friends and family by volunteering together.
- Gift Experiences: From theater tickets to Montgomery Parks classes and lessons, be inspired to give activities such as fun and bonding experiences through time in nature and parks.
- Buy Local: Support County businesses and purchase locally made products. Look for the Made in MoCo label.
“This time of year, we are all flooded with messages about how and where we should spend our money on gifts,” said Patty Bubar, acting director of the Department of Environmental Protection. “And for most of those ads, they are focused on one theme: buy more stuff. The County is trying to turn that on its head and use our campaign to inspire our residents to give differently.”
By visiting the Gift Outside the Box website at montgomerycountymd.gov/giftgreener residents can view more than 70 gift giving ideas that benefit the local economy and the environment. They include buying a ‘Total Rec’ membership pass from the Montgomery County Recreation Department that provides access to all County recreation facilities.
“Celebrating the holidays should not be a choice between your ethics and honoring the season of giving,” said Acting Director Bubar. “Gift Outside the Box shows that you can do both.”
Through the end of the year, the five Gift Outside the Box themes will be displayed on RideOn buses and in County buildings. The themes also will be featured on County social media. During the campaign, County staff will continue what it intends to become a holiday tradition of providing residents with free reusable bags at select events and shops. The events will provide opportunities to talk about the themes of the campaign.
The campaign kickoff of November 15 works well in coordination with America Recycles Day.
“America Recycles Day is the perfect day to launch our 2018 Gift Outside the Box campaign because it uses education and events to accomplish the same goal: change behavior to reduce waste and decrease our environmental footprint,” said Acting Director Bubar. Gift giving ideas, the dates and locations of the reusable bag giveaways and a downloadable promotional campaign kit are available at the Gift Outside of the Box webpage.
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Release ID: 18-743