The Ultimate Guide to Eco Friendly Gifts
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The climate crisis is changing the way many people behave, and lots of us are trying to buy more ethical and sustainable products. But discovering and researching eco friendly gifts can feel like a full-time job. Luckily we've done the hard work for you:
- What do we mean by eco friendly gifts?
- What are eco friendly materials?
- How can we make gifts eco friendly?
- What is the most eco-friendly way to wrap presents?
- What packaging is the most environmentally friendly?
- Eco friendly gift ideas for everyone
The Ultimate Guide to Eco Friendly Gifts 2022 - what do we mean by eco friendly?
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ECO FRIENDLY GIFTS?
Eco-friendly: designed to have little or no damaging effect on the environment- Cambridge Dictionary
Eco-friendly means not harming the earth. So when we think about the products we buy and the gifts we give, we need to consider:
- how they were made
- what they are made from
- what happens to them at the end of their life
It's also worth considering an item's packaging, and how you'll wrap it if it's a gift.
Discover loads more tips for everyday sustainable shopping in our guide: how to shop sustainably.
The Ultimate Guide to Eco Friendly Gifts 2022 - materials
WHAT ARE ECO FRIENDLY MATERIALS?
- Choose recycled products that reuse materials that are already in circulation. This can help prevent waste materials from going to landfill too. VENT for Change makes beautifully designed stationery from recycled and sustainably sourced materials, including pens made from recycled single-use plastic. Explore all our upcycled and recycled products.
- Consider the end of a product's life and seek out products made using natural materials that will break down over time, like responsibly sourced wood, cotton and paper. Avoid products made from virgin plastic in all its forms; this includes nylon and polyester. Ditch plastic altogether with our plastic-free gifts collection.
The Ultimate Guide to Eco Friendly Gifts 2022 - gift giving
HOW CAN WE MAKE GIFTS ECO FRIENDLY?
The way we consume has to change if we are to have a sustainable relationship with our planet's resources.
Choose less, choose second-hand, choose legacy products.
While lots of us are choosing zero waste and second-hand options for ourselves, this doesn't always feel appropriate when we're giving a gift to someone else. So how can we make gifts eco friendly? Try to choose gifts that are long-lasting and will be useful or offer real value to the person. If you're not sure what they might like then consumable treats can be a good option: think chocolates, bath or beauty products, or perhaps a bottle of something special. Speaking of bottles, these insulated and reusable bottles are a very popular and useful gift idea with impact!
The Ultimate Guide to Eco Friendly Gifts 2022 - gift wrap
WHAT IS THE MOST ECO FRIENDLY WAY TO WRAP PRESENTS?
It's not just the gift we give that makes an impact, how we wrap it matters too. In the UK we use 227,000 miles of wrapping paper every Christmas. The amount we throw away (because sadly wrapping paper is often not recyclable) would reach to the moon!
What can we do?
Choose recyclable,
eco-friendly wrapping paper. That's not actually as easy as it
sounds, check your local council's policy on recycling wrapping paper to find
out what they will accept. Try to choose paper which is already made from
recycled materials itself
Reuse. Choose quality wrapping paper or
fabric and opt for ribbons or twine to secure the wrapping in place
Avoid plastic tape. It's single-use, it
damages paper making it harder to reuse it, and it is likely to mean you can't
recycle the wrapping paper. Check out our eco-friendly
paper tape as a handy and decorative alternative!
For lots more practical ideas check out how
to wrap presents: an eco-friendly guide.
Copy of The Ultimate Guide to Eco Friendly Gifts 2022 - gift wrap
WHAT PACKAGING IS MOST ECO FRIENDLY?
Much like considering how you wrap a gift, it's well worth considering how products are packaged. It's so frustrating when sustainable gifts come packed in single-use plastic! Most eco-conscious shops will provide details of what products come packaged in, and if you're not sure it's always worth asking.
We've always chosen to use recyclable and compostable packaging, and in our second year we prevented an estimated 350kg of single-use plastic from going to waste by using paper tape, recycled and recyclable cardboard boxes and recycled paper packaging. Find out more about our eco-friendly packaging.
Environmentally friendly gifts for everyone
At Good Things we're on a mission to make it easier for you to find ethical and eco-friendly gifts that give back. Discover hundreds of gifts that support charities, empower people and protect our planet.
Gifts by recipient:
Eco friendly gifts for kids:
- Gifts for babies
- Gifts for toddlers (1 - 3 years)
- Gifts for 3, 4 and 5 year-olds
- Gifts for children aged 5 - 11
- Gifts for teens
- Eco friendly stocking fillers under £20
- Guide: The best sustainable Christmas gifts for kids, by age
Gifts by values:
- Fair Trade gifts
- Handmade gifts
- Plastic free gifts
- Recycled gifts
- Social impact gifts
- Vegan gifts
- Women-led enterprise gifts
Gifts by occasion:
- Wedding gifts
- Guide: Father's Day gifts
- Guide: Mother's Day gifts
- New home gifts
- New baby gifts
- Christmas gifts
- Thoughtful gifts
- Back to school gifts
- Business gifts
Gifts by price:
Popular choices:
- Wooden games
- Reusable bottles
- Jewellery and accessories
- Eco friendly stationery
- Recycled cards and wrapping paper
You might also like:
At Good Things you’ll find inspiring ethical and sustainable gifts that support charities, empower people and protect our planet. Discover gifts for all ages and inspiring ideas like cards that plant trees, handmade cushions empowering people in Tanzania and eco toys made from recycled milk bottles. Have a look at our collections.
Check out more Little Ways to Love the Planet or sign up to have Good Things popped into your inbox every weekend.