We all love to give and receive thoughtful gifts, watching the reactions of loved ones as they open them on Christmas Day. This year, why not give an even more thoughtful gift, something they can keep forever, an experience they will never forget or something that will encourage them to be more eco-conscious.
Sustainable Christmas Gifts
One of the best things about Christmas is gift giving (besides the roast dinner of course). We all love to give and receive thoughtful gifts, watching the reactions of loved ones as they open them on Christmas Day. This year, why not give an even more thoughtful gift, something they can keep forever, an experience they will never forget or something that will encourage them to be more eco-conscious. Although Christmas can be a wonderful time spent with family and friends, it can also be a wasteful time, with some gifts being wasteful, neglected or thrown away.
Here are some eco-friendly gift ideas we are curated that you, your friends and family will love!
Experiences:
Giving a gift of an experience is a great way to make memories and don't worry, these don't have to cost an arm and a leg either!
- A gift voucher for their favourite restaurant
- A relaxing spa day/relaxing salon treatment (which everyone needs after finishing deadlines and exams)
- A holiday or City break
- Wine/Gin/Whiskey tasting (ooooooh)
Gifts for everyday use:
Buying gifts at Christmas can end up being quite wasteful. Without much thought put into choosing a gift for a loved one, it can often be thrown in the back of the cupboard and never used. Getting a gift that you know they will use every day is great! It makes sure nothing is wasted and saves the planet one metal straw at a time.
- Chilly's Bottle, these are great long-lasting gifts that you can find at the Zero Waste Shop right next to the Ember Lounge (and for a cheaper price too, bonus!)
- Reusable Cotton Pads, these can be found on Etsy. Buying eco-friendly gifts is a great thing to do at Christmas, but another amazing thing to do is support small businesses at the same time.
- Eco-friendly/Reusable toiletries, the ol' bamboo toothbrush has been circling social media for quite some time. As well as that, there have been some amazing cosmetic brands that have hopped on the eco bandwagon, creating vegan, cruelty free and eco-friendly products like The Body Shop and Lush. Or why not fill a container with shampoo/conditioner/shower gel at the Zero Waste Shop, gifted with love and care (and sustainable wrapping paper!)
Clothing:
This can be a funny one, clothes can be a blessing or a curse at Christmas as pretty outfits are maybe worn once or twice and then discarded. If you're not keen on buying second hand at Christmas (which there is nothing wrong in doing!) why not opt for a more sustainable, eco-friendly brand that openly shares the impact they are making on the planet!
- Organic Basics, this brand allows each customer to know exactly how much water and carbon emissions they are saving when buying any item of clothing. Yes, their products aren't cheap, however, buying a better quality item can avoid that throwaway hype, it is longer-lasting and better for the environment.
- Everything5pounds, this company basically takes in any clothing items that haven't sold in season in high-end fashion brands like Topshop, NewLook and H&M. This is a great alternative to supporting fast fashion as it is trying to combat the problem of clothing ending up in landfill. All items are brand new!
- Rapanui, If you have any friends or family that are animal lovers, this sustainable brand has teamed up with BBC and BBC Earth, providing some amazing graphic t-shirts that have powerful messages about our planet.
Charities/NGO's:
Donating to a trustworthy charity over Christmas is a great alternative to gift-giving. There are many charities out there offering Christmas gifts with environmental messages behind them.
- Friends of the Earth, this charity is for the bee lovers, they have worked on many bee conservation projects and are currently offering a 'Christmas Bee Saver Kit' that contains some useful information about looking after the humble bee.
- WWF, I'm sure many of you have seen the 'adopt a tiger' adverts everywhere. Adopting an animal is a great gift for any animal lover this Christmas, they get a cuddly toy too, what's not to love?
Whatever you buy a loved one this Christmas, please think sustainably! There are so many ways we can all have a less wasteful Christmas, stay tuned for more blog posts on this! Have a wonderful Christmas everyone x
Sophie,
Comms Officer, Project Earth Society
PS. If you are fed up of wearing the same Christmas Jumper, why not initiate a swap with a friend instead of buying a new one, you both win, no charge but new clothes!