Christmas is the perfect time to show your gratitude towards those you love; but it can so easily become over-ruled with throwaway plastic packaging, single-use wrapping paper and hoards of unnecessary boxes and polystyrene. That’s why I’ve compiled my top 5 gift eco-friendly ideas for Black Friday (because, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em — so here’s to turning Black Friday green!).
Whether you’re eco-conscious yourself, or buying for someone who appreciates green gifts, I’ve tried to think of gift suggestions that don’t harm the environment in any way, and that also help promote small businesses and wildlife/environmental charities.
I’ve already covered my top 10 ways of reducing plastic waste around the home (check out part 1 and part 2 if you missed that) so I’ll be keeping specifically to gift items on this list…
1. Sea Change Wine
The team at Sea Change Wine is working hard to turn the tide when it comes to ethically sourced, eco-friendly wines — and hope in time they can encourage the rest of the wine industry change too!
Every bottle helps to fund ocean conservation projects across the globe and their minimal packaging reduces waste and environmental impact — and is designed to be as sustainable as possible.
What does as ‘sustainable as possible‘ mean?
* The labels are ‘Grape touch’ paper, made from 15% grape waste and the rest is FSC certified sustainable.
* The bottle is noticeably lighter than a regular bottle (particularly when empty! I can vouch for that! 😂), reducing the carbon footprint of shipping and using less glass.
* The cork is recyclable, biodegradable and environmentally-friendly, made from fully renewable natural sources.
*No capsule around the cork helps to avoid unnecessary waste!
AND if being that level of eco-friendly is not enough; for every bottle sold, a donation goes to ocean conservation charities — in the UK these are Plastic Oceans UK and Sea Changers.
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Disclaimer: For complete transparency, I have previously been gifted a bottle of Sea Change wine, a cork minimalist card holder and a Wood Sloths bamboo planter from the respective brands. No money was exchanged for this blog post and no formal agreement with any of these brands/products was made that they would feature on my blog. I just like ’em!
2. Woodsloth’s Handcrafted Bamboo Plant Pot
I don’t know about you, but given that 2020 has been a year of seemingly endless days of staying at home; home decor and ‘bringing the outdoors in’ have become two seamless passions of mine.
This bamboo planter was gifted to me by Wood Sloths when I became an ambassador for Wasteless Market earlier in the year, and I adore both its simplicity and versatility.
Perfect for use as a plant pot, ornament, toothbrush holder, desk-tidy, etc. it’s incredibly useful and certainly not full of plastic nasties!
Wood Sloths have handcrafted a limited supply of these unique plant pots and I think they make for a great and unusual gift.
They also stock personalised bamboo straws and other eco-friendly and upcycled products over at: wastelessmarket.co.uk/woodsloths
3. Limited Edition Orangutan Alliance Soap
A palm-oil free alternative to the many Christmas soap-sets you’ll see; Orangutan Alliance have partnered with Viva La Body to create their very own limited edition Orangutan Alliance soap.
Scented like beautiful lemon myrtle, this soap bar is not just a fantastic plastic free alternative: for every bar of soap sold, at least one tree will be planted in an area critical to the survival of endangered species.
Every tree planted will also play a role in mitigating climate change. Every tree helps bring back balance in the Earth’s intricate ecosystems.
This completely guilt-free purchase is certified:
• Palm oil free
• Cruelty free
• Vegan
• Australian made
• Plastic free
• Compostable (Zero waste)
Find out more at: orangutanalliance.org
4. Florena Fermented Skincare Essentials Bundle
Florena skincare is born from fermentation, which transforms natural ingredients into supercharged beauty actives to give your skin the best of nature. Florena Fermented Skincare has 10 x more antioxidant power to promote healthy looking skin.
This Natural Hydrating Skincare Set includes three essential, natural products needed for daily skincare routines, including fermented Jasmine, which is known for its purifying benefits.
I love these products, which are also vegan-friendly (you can find out more about what that means here), and the Florena brand at large — who are commited to sustainability, COSMOS Natural certified and the first company dedicated to the process of fermenting flowers and oils.
Find out more over at: florena.co.uk
5. Cork Minimalist Card Holders by Katie Rose Sews
Another awesome eco item from @wasteless.market, this cute card holder is made by @katie_rose_sews_handmade using cork vegan leather. Super handy for credit cards, gift cards, bus tickets, etc.; these also look great and you can physically feel the quality.
Katie Rose utilises cork fabric as a leather-alternative – a natural, sustainably sourced plant-based material.
Shop the full range at: wastelessmarket.co.uk/katie-rose-sews
Like this post? Check out Wild Lines: Beautiful wildlife-themed Christmas Cards to spread festive cheer and Amazing Animals Fact Cards: the perfect gift for kids who love animals.
Discover more eco-friendly products
- Top 5 Christmas gift ideas for wildlife lovers!
- Top 10 Gift Ideas for Nature Adventurers
- 5 more ways to reduce plastic waste
- Top 5 easy ways to reduce plastic waste
- 5 more ways to reduce plastic waste
- Learn about Gorilla Socks: the bamboo socks helping to save gorillas
- Read about my #NoWasteNovember switch to using cloth nappies
