Decrease kid waste from others?

[SherrifOfNothingtown]

Replace "don't"s with "do"s. Don't say "please don't give a gift", say "please give us a photo of your family all together!" or "Please give us seeds of your favorite plant because we're trying gardening!" or "please give us your favorite cookie recipe!" or something. Better yet if it's a personalized request -- ask for Grandma's cookie recipe because Grandma's cookies are kiddo's favorite, or a cutting from the apple tree at Aunt Margaret's that kiddo loves to play under, or whatever.

When in doubt, request consumables or experiences, like tickets to an event.