Christmas Season is a season of merriment. Sadly, the gift-giving practice negatively impacts our planet. Choose to give the gift of sustainability to the planet by choosing cruelty-free and earth-friendly gifts.
Here are 5 ways to celebrate Christmas in an Eco-friendly way
Be Mindful of Food Waste
- The Holidays are a time when most of us forgo our diet plans and indulge in delicacies. This leads to buying more food than we can consume. As a result, enormous food waste takes place around the holidays. This waste decomposes in landfills and releases methane.
- There are some small steps you can take to avoid food waste this Christmas. Start by preparing a shopping list. This will help you gain insights into all the things you can avoid purchasing.
- Another great way to be zero waste in your kitchen is by putting leftovers to use.
Shop Local
Reduce your carbon footprint by shopping locally. This means you can have an economical Christmas as well.
Sustainable Christmas Decoration
Try making your decoration items with stuff that is lying around your house. You can use anything from buttons to old glass jars to cardboard- you name it! There are tons of DIY's on how to make wreaths etc., that are fun to try.
Recycled Wrapping Paper and Fabrics
Gift wrapping paper contributes the most to plastic pollution during Christmas. It's estimated that the pollution caused by single-use wraps can cover the whole of Australia six times. Choose the reusable fabric or recycled paper wrappings instead.
Join the #OneSecond campaign
About 20 million gifts Australians receive are unwanted. Such presents end up in landfills. The campaign encourages everyone to give at least one second-hand gift this year. That way, we can divert such presents away from ending up in dumpsters.
How do you wrap an environmentally friendly gift?
It is challenging to recycle traditional gift paper. They are made from different materials like glitter, wax etc., that need to be separated.
There are many ways by which you can wrap your present in an eco-friendly way-
- Use old clothes as ribbons: Tear up pieces of your old clothes to upcycle them into ribbons.
- Furoshiki Wraps: Furoshiki Fabric Wraps were traditionally used in Japan to wrap presents and carry goods. It is a waste-free method of wrapping gifts as no tapes or plastic is used. Tie your gift hamper using a silk or cotton cloth that can be reused again.
- Use compostable boxes and paper: Many eco stores in Australia supply beautiful gift boxes that are 100% biodegradable.
You can upcycle old maps, glass jars, newspapers etc. as well. Creating your wrapping also adds a personal touch to your gift.
List of Eco-Friendly Gifts for a Plastic Free Christmas
At some point, we have all scratched our heads trying to find the perfect gift. It can be even more challenging to find one for an eco-conscious person. What to get someone who loves the environment?
Here's our guide to sustainable gifting
Natural Skin Care Gifts
Make your plastic-free gift hamper with our array of earth-friendly gift options.
Bath bombs are small spheres made with Epsom salt and other healing ingredients like essential oils. A natural bath bomb box is a perfect eco-friendly Christmas gift for many reasons.
- The prime ingredient used in making bath bombs is baking soda. Bicarbonate of soda has natural exfoliating properties. Soaking your skin in a baking soda bath helps you detox by cleansing skin pores. It is also known to lighten skin blemishes.
- The citric acid used in bathing bombs helps repair dehydrated skin. Skin hydration is essential to fight wrinkles and fine lines.
- Essential oils are known to heal muscle soreness. And the natural fragrance provides benefits of aromatherapy.
A handcrafted bath bomb set is an excellent addition to your vegan self-care kit.
Are bath salts a good gift? Absolutely!
Bath salts work similarly to bath fizzers. Enjoy a detox bath with salts that heal the skin. They are especially great for anyone with a magnesium deficiency. A warm Epsom salt bath will allow your body to make up for that.
Additionally, skin conditions such as inflammation and irritations are also cured by such ingredients. Bath salts are a must in any spa gift box. These zero-waste essentials are a great pamper gift for your mom, dad or anyone who needs to indulge in a relaxing self-care routine.
Another great eco friendly gift option is a vegan face mask. Our busy schedules often make skincare our last priority. Holidays are great because they let us unwind. There is nothing better than binge-watching Christmas movies while a soothing face mask is pampering your skin.
- A face mask deep cleanses and soothes the skin. There are different masks suitable for different skin types. If you have oily skin, opt for an activated charcoal mask that purifies skin impurities.
- Choose a clay mask for sensitive or dry skin. Other ingredients like honey will further help your skin lock moisture.
Our natural soaps are made from plant-based ingredients. Many people are allergic to the ingredients used in commercial soaps like sulphates, parabens etc. Moreover, commercial soaps do not break down easily and wash down our drains.
- As vegan soaps are concentrated, they last longer.
- Plant-oil soaps are handmade in small batches. This ensures that each soap is unique.
Australian natural soap bars are cruelty-free and will deeply moisturize your skin.
Here is the list of some of the best natural soaps in Australia and New Zealand
Eco-conscious Christmas Gifts
Sometimes the most thoughtful gifts are the simplest ones. Indoor plants liven up the environment. If you are looking for a green gift for an office worker, consider choosing plant seeds. Growing your plants is a peaceful experience. You learn to appreciate the small joys that come from it. Housed in compostable packaging, this is the greenest gift you can give this Christmas.
Unpaper towels that are made from organic cotton easily replace synthetic kitchen towels. Anyone with #ZerowasteKitchenGoals widely loves these. Here are a few reasons why un-paper towels are better-
- Reduce waste generated by single-use paper towels by switching to these cleaning cloths.
- These towels are multipurpose and can be used as napkins and baby wipes too.
- They have excellent absorbent capacity. This makes them an essential kitchen staple to fight spills while cooking.
Unpaper towels can also be used as a housewarming gift or a realtor gift.
here is the list of some of the best un-paper towels in Australia.
Made from premium stainless steel, metal straws help you reduce marine pollution caused by plastic straws. If you are looking for gifts that help you kickstart someone's sustainable journey, metal straw sets are worth considering. Some of the perks of using stainless steel straws are-
- Reusable: Kind to the planet, reusable straws are made to last.
- Toxin Free: Plastic straws leach harmful chemicals into drinks. This is not the case with your food-grade metal straw.
Any tea lover would tell you that loose tea leaves have unmatched flavours by your regular teabags. An assortment of teas and a stainless steel infuser is perfect for such enthusiasts. Moreover, it helps you ditch plastic tea bags. Most tea infusers and strainers come with a cup rest handle. This allows you to steep your infusion to desired strength.
Insulated drinks bottles are great reusables. These are a handy gift that lasts for years. A quality stainless steel bottle is a sustainable way to keep yourself hydrated. Their vacuum seals are excellent at maintaining liquid temperature. As these are made from food-grade material, they do not retain stains or odours either.
Alternatively, bamboo and glass bottles can also be used as a Christmas present.
Here's why a wine tumbler might be the gift you are looking for-
- Insulation: The art of savouring wine is enjoyed at the right temperature. A wine tumbler ensures that you can enjoy your drink till the last sip. The vacuum insulation ensures that no temperature change takes place for hours.
- Multipurpose: Wine tumblers can be used as insulated food jars. Use them to store smoothies, coffee, yogurt- absolutely anything you like!
Green, Guilt-Free Christmas
Reduce the environmental impact of Christmas by choosing gifts that are free from toxins. We hope our guide helped you find your best eco-friendly gift. If you are looking for eco friendly gift hampers, eco friendly promotional products or corporate gifts, feel free to give us a call. We offer fully personalised eco friendly gift packs that you can handout at your work or at christmas events. If you wish to add your logo to gifts boxes, reusable water bottles, tumblers etc, drop us an enquiry with your company logo and we will organise a quote for your.
if you are looking for some eco friendly corporate gifts ideas click the link below to read our latest blog.
Best Sustainable Corporate Gift Ideas | Our Guide to Thoughtful, Eco-Friendly Gifts.
