One Half (48%) of Canadians Admit to Re-Gifting,
With One in Ten (11%) saying they Typically Re-Gift at Least One of the Presents they Receive at Christmas

Toronto, ON - With Christmas just around the corner, Santa and his Elves are no doubt working hard to ensure that everybody on the "nice" list receives exactly what they want this year. But Santa ought to put some careful thought into what he's going to put under the tree, with a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Waste Management revealing that one half (48%) of Canadians have actually re-gifted an unwanted present. Women (60%) are considerably more likely than men (36%) to admit to having re-gifted a present they received, as are Albertans (63%) and British Columbians (62%) when compared to those living in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (51%), Ontario (47%), Quebec (40%) and Atlantic Canada (39%).

In fact, one in ten (12%) adult Canadians overall - which could represent up to two-and-a-half million Canadians--say that they `typically re-gift at least one of the gifts they receive at Christmas'.

A Green Christmas...

The holiday season can leave a profound impact on the environment as a result of many things, from travelling around to visit family and friends to tossing away packaging and wrapping paper. With millions of children, young and old, set to see what Santa squeezed down the chimney for them, the amount of wrapping paper tossed away on Christmas Day must be staggering.

However, the results of the poll suggest that many Canadians are avoiding traditional wrapping paper, perhaps in an effort to reduce their footprint on the environment. While a majority of Canadians say they usually wrap their Christmas gifts with traditional wrapping paper (57%), others are using a more green approach by using re-useable bags (24%), recyclable paper (8%), or some other method (5%), while 6% of Canadians say they'll be giving gifts that don't require wrapping.

One quarter (26%) of Canadians say that they spend at least an hour on Christmas day packing up trash. Some even spend around two to three hours (4%) doing so, while others (4%) say it feels like they're cleaning up all day. Most (74%), though, will spend less than a half hour doing so.

Once they have all of the gift wrap packed up, seven in ten (71%) Canadians are taking an environmentally-friendly approach by recycling (57%) the paper or saving it for future use (14%). On the other hand, one quarter (24%) of Canadians throw out the gift wrap once all the presents are opened, and 5% will burn it. Interestingly, those who use traditional wrapping paper are slightly less likely (54%) than the average Canadian (57%) to recycle wrapping paper once used; however, three quarters (76%) of those who use recyclable wrapping paper to wrap gifts for others then go on to recycle wrapping paper on gifts that they've received.

One quarter (23%) of Canadians intend to have a green Christmas by sending digital Christmas cards instead of paper cards or letters this year. While a majority (52%) believes that the Christmas letter is `a bit corny but a nice tradition', three in ten (27%) believe `it's an essential way to stay in touch with family and friends'. However, one in five (21%) think its `cheesy, annoying' and they `wish people would stop sending them'.

Many Canadians might even prefer receiving an electronic card, considering that one in ten (11%) toss their Christmas cards `almost immediately' after receiving them, and an additional one in three (32%) only hold them until the New Year. One third (32%) keep their Christmas cards for a few months, and one quarter (24%) actually keep them forever.

O Christmas Tree...

The Christmas Tree is also a popular tradition that will be shared by most (75%) families this holiday season, but Canadians are split on whether a real (41%) or fake (59%) tree is more environmentally friendly, even though most (85%) know that real Christmas trees can be recycled.

Among those who will have a tree, two in three (66%) will have a fake tree, while one in three (34%) will have a real tree. Among those who will have a real tree, three quarters (75%) will recycle the tree through a local Christmas Tree recycling program. Just 15% will leave it for standard garbage pickup or take it to the dump, while one in ten (10%) will burn it.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between November 26 and 30, 2009, on behalf of Waste Management. For this survey, a national sample of 1,015 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20 of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Research Manager
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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