Stylish sustainable Christmas gifts: How to be a more eco-friendly gift giver
Christmas is fast approaching and if, like us, you want to help our planet, it can be a tricky time to find the right gift that is eco-friendly, affordable and stylish.
Extra shipping around this time means the carbon footprints of our gifts quickly rise, while all that extra packaging is not good for the planet. Just think of all the wrapping paper!
Sometimes buying a gift just for the sake of it also means it may not get used by the recipient, and even worse, end up in landfill.
Sustainable gifts don’t always mean just buying something that’s eco-friendly. Other things to consider are:
- Mindful gifting: Making sure you’re buying what that person wants is the best way to reduce waste. Also buying quality over cheap gifts that break after a month’s use will help our planet.
- Shop local: Cut those carbon footprints down and help your local community, by shopping on your high street or buying from local producers.
- Think digitally: Can you buy something such as a voucher that can be sent via email, which cuts down on packaging and the carbon footprint of delivering it the recipient.
- Don’t forget the wrapping: Much festive wrapping paper can’t be recycled due to its content, so think outside of the wrapping box and re-use paper or go minimal with brown, recyclable paper. You can also wrap your gift in fabric, newspaper or just re-use old paper and gift bags.
- Buying pre-loved or regifting: There's no shame in either of these options these days, especially when you get some amazing bargains at charity shops and resale websites.
With that in mind, here are some gifts we know will put a smile on people’s faces this Christmas…
THE BEAUTY LOVER
For those that love to look their best, there are plenty of fantastic sustainable and eco-friendly options out there.
UpCircle Beauty for example produce sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free beauty products that really work. Their Organic Face Serum with Coffee Oil is award-winning for a reason – it really works! And the great thing is when you run out, you keep the bottle and just order a refill.
L-R: Organic Face Serum with Coffee Oil, £14.99, Upcircle | Make your own face mask, £21.50, Wearth London | Zao Compact Blush, £21.50, Ethical Superstore
THE FOODIE
Thankfully the food industry seems to now understand the importance of sustainability. Once obvious way to help the planet is to buy locally or seasonally. Honey made by local bees for example would make a great gift.
Alternatively, Social Stories Club have curated a great sustainable hamper, which is not only packaged in sustainable materials, but the carbon from transport is also offset.
L-R: Foodie Gift Box, £48, Social Stories Club | Bees Wax Wraps, £20, And Keep | Milk Chocolate Turtles, £6.25, Chocco
THE KIDS
One way to ensure gifts for kids are sustainable is to buy them pre-loved items. When they’re little, they really don’t care about labels and if things come in boxes, so use this time to scour charity shops and pre-loved websites for bargains that will also save the planet. Alternatively, choosing wooden toys over plastic is always good – they’ll last longer and are easily recycled, whereas plastic toys can take over 20 to 500 years to decompose!
L-R: Christmas Elf Tin, £11.95, AndKeep | Penguin Bath Toy, £13.99, Envirotoy | Natural Fabric Art Kit, £24.50, Kidly
THE FASHIONISTA
The fashion industry is the third most polluting industry after fuel and agriculture, so it’s wise to go eco-friendly when choosing gifts for fashionable friends.
Sustainable doesn’t have to mean boring though as Lucy & Yak’s delightfully colourful clothing shows. They are fully GOTS certified, which means all their products are made with organic product, in safe working conditions. They also work with Ecologi to offset their carbon footprint and, like us, they re-use all leftover fabrics in other projects.
L-R: Maggie Jumpsuit, £76, Lucy & Yak | Gold Arch Earrings, £62, Wearth London | Bee Embroidered Sweatshirt, £120, Bare
THE TEEN
Teens are tricky to buy for, but thankfully, sustainable products are out there, and it needn’t mean dropping those labels they love so much. Nike are on a mission to zero carbon and zero waste, and are designing super cool trainers using recycled materials that still have all the performance and comfort of their regular trainers.
L-R: Sustainable Phone Case, £49.95, Pela | Crater Impact Shoes, £62.97, Nike | Adopt A Big Cat Gift Pack, £19.99, Ethical Superstore
THE ACTIVE ONE
Sportswear has come a long way in the last few years, with the rise of fabulous new companies producing sustainable clothing and accessories.
One such company is Gym + Coffee, who are now carbon neutral and working towards a B-Corp certification, which shows that companies have high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Their leggings are also top notch, made from breathable fabrics that allow you to workout easier.
L-R: Swift Pro Full Length Leggings, £75, Gym + Coffee | Jute Yoga Mat, £48, Yoga Matters | Training Waist Bag, £33, Adidas
THE LOUNGER
For the friend or family member who loves to chill, there are a variety of eco-friendly products out there.
Candles make a great gift for those that like to kick back, however, it’s imperative you choose the right kind. Many are made from paraffin, which has lots of ecological implications, whereas those made with high-quality soy or coconut wax is far better for the environment, burns cleaner (so is better for our health) and is a renewable resource.
L-R: Down Time Lavender Soy Candle, £10.95, Wearth London | Orchard Moon Pyjama Set, £290, Bare | Capri Herringbone Blanket, £55, Weaver Green
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