Gift giving is a lovely tradition, but not nearly as sustainable for our planet. With a little care, you can surprise your loved ones with a gift that is both beautiful and environmentally friendly. In this article you'll find a selection of the best eco-friendly gift ideas, so take your pick!
How to pack greener!
If you just think about how much wrapping paper you throw in the bin at Christmas, and try to multiply that by the number of people living where you live, you can see how much waste is involved in gift-giving. Although Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for us, our planet would beg to differ. Start making a change here: so rule number one, along with the gift ideas below, is to stop buying reams of wrapping paper! But how do you wrap instead?
1.The evergreen solution for those who want to avoid wrapping, the gift bag is also a truly environmentally friendly solution. Don't deny that you have a drawer full of gift bags at home, and you can just grab one in the right size. And as long as you do, you're not wasting another load of wrapping paper!
On the other hand, if you like to wrap your gifts yourself, swap traditional wrapping paper for recycled paper or try some other homemade tricks.
Finish the sentence, we'll add the gift idea: the best gift....
... the experience!
It's a great gift-giving experience because it gives you pleasure twice: once when your loved one opens the package and sees what's inside, and again when you use it. What's more, the following unique gift ideas are an instant way to spend quality time:
2.Our big favourites are, for example, themed walking tickets. You can find walks in a million places and themes, and then set off together. And in this beautiful summer heat, there's nothing better than a long walk, if you can learn some interesting facts along the way!
3.But if you're looking for an indoor programme, make it an exciting workshop! Speaking of sustainability, you can look for workshops on natural cosmetics, but you can also go cooking, painting or ceramics together.
.... that comes from the heart!
4.This is why many people vote for homemade gifts. If you like to hustle and bustle in the kitchen, you can make homemade cakes, muesli bars, special sauces or chutneys. The best thing about gastro gift ideas is that you'll know exactly what ingredients are in them, and you can pay attention to the packaging.
5.And if you're more into crafts, choose from a range of creative, unique gift ideas! Here's a great opportunity to learn macramé, for example! With a little enthusiasm and a bit of manual dexterity, you can make a decorative wall ornament or flower holder for your loved one!
6.A much simpler solution is to get some decorative glass holders and start pouring candles. You can play with colours, scents, add decorative elements to the wax. And you can decorate the finished candle jars with a personalised message for your loved ones. Here's a little cheat sheet on how to get started:
... useful too!
As opposed to a twentieth dust-collector that you put on the shelf once and never take off, it's much better to have a gift that can be used. Even better if the gift is not only useful, but sustainable! Check out some super eco-friendly gift ideas!
7.Your loved one, who is already interested in sustainability, will be delighted if you surprise them with a green gift. Whether it's a pretty canteen, reusable napkin, metal straw, canvas bag or textile pot cover set - to name just a few of the most popular zero waste gift ideas.
It's harder if you're dealing with a black belt conscious shopper, who will have a stack of them at home. So let's look at some less common gift ideas, make a personalised gift basket with eco products:
8.In the spirit of beauty care, you can add beauty products made by sustainable companies: bath salts, lotions, metal razors, natural soaps
9.But you can also put together a household pack with loofah sponges, eco-friendly cleaning products, essential oil perfume, clasp bottles with customized labels.
In the latter area, the CYCLE environmentally friendly, practical cleaning products tick all the boxes. The all-natural cleaners can make your entire house spotlessly clean, and thanks to their concentrate format, they use 75% less plastic than traditional bottled cleaners.
