But wooden building blocks get a thumbs up, because those can be passed onto grandchildren. Trees, shrubs, bat houses, bird feeders, even wild bird seed make useful gifts which aren't likely to end up in a landfill somewhere. These are gifts that actually help the environment rather than harm it. Also, both children and adults receive long-lasting enjoyment from these gifts as they learn about the wild creatures that use them. Perhaps it's time to think of the gifts that we give within a larger context.
Packaging is another big source of trash which is hard to control when buying gifts.
One way to avoid packaging trash is to make gifts, or offer a service. Some of the best gifts I received last year were gifts of time. Friends took my children to holiday events which I couldn't attend as we were preparing to move to Athens. If a gift does need to be wrapped, consider using the Sunday comics from the newspaper. It's great for reusing, then recycling.