Jan. 12th, 2026
Special to Ventura County Star
By David Goldstein
The first two weeks of January are when good intentions meet reality. The decorations come down, credit card bills arrive and many of us quietly admit that at least one holiday gift missed the mark.
Two surveys conducted last month put numbers on what most households already know: Returning and regifting are now a normal part of the holiday cycle.
Using Google search trend analytics and a national survey of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers, a major U.S. packaging company found that 40% of consumers planned to return a gift from last Christmas, and 54% admitted to regifting items. A separate survey of 1,146 adults by the Associated Press and the University of Chicago found that 37% of respondents viewed regifting as “somewhat” or “very” unacceptable. Those numbers suggest a cultural contradiction. We do it, but many of us still feel awkward about it.
From an environmental perspective, though, both returning and regifting — when done thoughtfully — can save resources, reduce waste and save money. The key is knowing when and how to do each one well.
Some gifts are inherently tricky. If jewelry, for example, is relegated to a drawer, returned or regifted, the giver is likely to notice it’s never used.
To understand how professionals avoid that outcome, I spoke with Shahar Sehati, owner of Jewelry Couture, the largest jewelry store in Ventura County. He explained that while surprising someone with jewelry is romantic, smart planning matters even more.
For the holidays, his store extends its usual return policy, but Sehati says the better strategy is preventing unwanted gifts in the first place. His advice applies well beyond jewelry.
Shop online in advance and notice what your partner actually likes. Save photos. Bring those images to a retailer who can help you match the style. Better yet, have your partner come in and register a wish list. In some cases, he added with a laugh, a spouse can quietly consult that list and work with the jeweler to find a smaller or more affordable version of a desired item.
For less sentimental gifts — items where no one will ever know whether you kept them, returned them or passed them along, don’t be shy. If getting a receipt from the gift giver would be awkward, regifting is often the most practical and resource-saving option. The rules are simple: Keep items unopened, rewrap them carefully and match the gift to a recipient for whom it genuinely makes sense.
When returning gifts, timing is everything. Missing return deadlines is the most common and costly mistake. Retailers understand that many holiday purchases made in October or November aren’t opened until late December, so several major chains extend return windows into January.
For many retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Macy’s, Kohl’s and Target, the deadline for most holiday returns falls between mid-January and Jan. 31. Electronics often have shorter windows, sometimes closing by mid-month.
Returning items quickly and in good condition isn’t just about getting your money back. It can keep usable products out of landfills. Retailers are more likely to resell items that are returned promptly, unopened and in original packaging. Products that are out of season, opened or damaged are far more likely to be discarded.
Returning broken or defective products is especially important. Even though those items may be disposed of, the data matters. Retailers track defect rates, and products with high failure rates are less likely to be reordered or sold in future seasons.
In California, retailers must clearly post their return policies. If they fail to do so, state law can require them to accept returns within 30 days. Businesses that don’t follow their own posted policies or refuse legitimate defective returns can be reported to the Better Business Bureau, the state attorney general or the Federal Trade Commission.
If you’re not motivated by reducing clutter or recouping cash, consider the environmental case. An unwanted gift that sits unused helps no one. A timely return or a thoughtful regift gives that item a second chance to be useful, without consuming new resources.
The holidays may be over, but January offers a quiet opportunity to undo waste, save money and start the year a little lighter, both at home and in the landfill.
David Goldstein, Ventura County Public Works Agency environmental resource analyst, may be reached at 805- 658-4312 or david.goldstein@venturacounty.gov.
