These sustainable gifts, which range from wine that funds ocean conservation to hedgehog tunnels, are both beneficial for the planet and the recipients.
These sustainable gifts, which range from wine that funds ocean conservation to hedgehog tunnels, are both beneficial for the planet and the recipients.
The UK is seeing a decline in hedgehog numbers. Many have to walk up to a mile each day to find food. It is possible to help the species live by creating throughways in the urban environment. This tunnel is made of recycled plastic and transforms a garden fence into an efficient hedgehog highway. £12.99; ethicalsuperstore.com
Image by Wildlife World
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a puzzle to work on. All Cloudberries’ jigsaws are made from recycled paper and board, vegetable-based inks, and sustainably sourced paper, plus it’s the first and only puzzle company to plant a tree for every one sold. This retro Poolside puzzle is 1,000 pieces. It was designed by Yoko Yamada. £16.99; cloudberries.co.uk
Image: Cloudberries
These organic cotton boxer briefs are extra soft, breathable, and feature fun prints. They are made in a wind powered factory and wrapped in plant-based, recyclable packaging. Rapanui Clothing promotes circular fashion by creating new items out of old garments that customers can send back for free after they have been worn out. £12; rapanuiclothing.com
Rapanui Clothing
A gift subscription to Positive News magazine is a great way for someone to cheer them up this Christmas. Each issue features inspiring stories about what’s going right in the world, brought together in a certified carbon neutral magazine. The magazine will be sent to your recipient throughout 2022. It will also include a copy at Christmas, and digital access to the current issue. £30; positive.news/christmas
Image: Positive News magazine
Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent then CO2 as used coffee grounds are left to decompose in landfills. Rens, which transforms used coffee grounds and plastic bottles into lightweight, waterproof trainers in ten different colours, is doing its part. Earth-friendly, feet-friendly and good for jumping in puddles – what’s not to like? €87 (£73); rensoriginal.eu
Image by Rens
Did you know that seahorses can become extinct in as little as 30 years due to plastic pollution? Do your bit to clean up the ocean by buying the oenophile in your life a bottle of award-winning, eco-friendly Provence rosé from Sea Change. Every bottle sold supports ocean conservation projects. The bottles are shipped in low-waste packaging. £16.99; seachangewine.com
Image: Sea Change
The Last Bear, a moving story about April’s adventures with a polar bear is shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2020. The book is suitable for readers over 8 years old and introduces climate emergency to children in a simple, thought-provoking manner. £7.43; uk.bookshop.org
Image: Harper Collins
Take your eco-warrior friends’ cheese boards and boxing day sandwiches to the next level with this relish gift set from Rubies in the Rubble. All the vegetables and fruit used are directly sourced from British farmers and would otherwise be wasted because they are too small, large or misshapen to be sold elsewhere. £12; rubiesintherubble.com
Image: Rubies in the Rubble
Caroline Lee-Smith’s cosmetics not only smell amazing, they’re kind to the environment too. She uses organic ingredients and solar energy to power certain processes. Plastic-free packaging is also a part of her products. This zero-waste gift package includes organic lip balm and argan chamomile facial cream, jasmine serum, and a chamomile & calendula bathtub bomb. £17; caroscreams.co.uk
Image: Caro’s Creams
It can be hard to remember sustainability when hosting a holiday party. The latest book from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage contains lots of ideas for natural DIY decorations, edible gifts, leftover lunches that minimise waste, and traditional recipes that make the most of seasonal produce. £20.46; uk.bookshop.org
Image by Bloomsbury
Boy Wonder is a UK-based kid’s fashion brand that includes a free repair kit with every order. These long-sleeved T-shirts are fun and bright. They are made from organic cotton yarn and have hand-drawn patterns. The packaging is also plastic-free. £35; boywonderland.com
Image: Boy Wonder
Dear Green coffee, based in Glasgow, was named a ‘green champion’ this year and it’s easy to see why. You can become a registered B-Corp or join the Race to ZeroSustainability is an integral part of the business. This includes using eco-friendly packaging. It is also proud of its ethical supply chain transparency and donates two percent of its annual turnover to charitable organizations. £8.60; deargreencoffee.com
Image by Nathan Dumlao
Keep it simple with coffee. Experts estimate that the UK consumes 2.5 billion coffee cups each year. Many of these cups end up in landfill. Huski Home, a family-run business, hopes to change this with recycled rice husks travel cups. With a leak-proof flip lid and non-slip base, they’ll keep your coffee hot for 90 minutes and are available in 13 colours. £10.99; huskihome.com
Image by Huski Homes
This mulled-wine jelly is great with cheese, seasonal game, or spooned on ice cream. Gathered Botanicals is a family-run Cornwall business that handcrafts small batches. All seasonal ingredients are grown in the family’s garden, foraged along the coast paths, or sourced from local farms. £4; gatheredbotanicals.co.uk
Image: Gathered Botanicals
Described as a “botanical journey of beauty and brilliance”, this illustrated book is Jonathen Drori’s follow up to his bestseller, Around the World in 80 Trees contains many surprises about the science and technology of plants. Buy it through bookshop.org and you’ll be doing your bit to support local independent bookshops too. £18.60; uk.bookshop.org
Image by Orion Publishing
If you’re looking for a fun stocking filler, then Who Did This Poo? It will be a huge hit with the children in your life. They’ll learn to match 27 animals to their droppings, while discovering more about the natural world along the way. You can expect a lot of poo facts at the dinner table. £13.99; dwtshop.org.uk
Image by Orion Publishing
Bright enough to light up any winter’s morning, this gift set contains seven pairs of children’s socks partially made from offcuts which would have otherwise ended up in landfill. Traidcraft is the UK’s original Fair Trade pioneer. They source wares directly from creators in more than 30 developing countries. From £29.95; traidcraftshop.co.uk
Image: Thought
You think bubbles are a summer pastime. Don’t think so. Dr Zigs is a family business that specialises in eco-friendly, low plastic, palm-oil free bubble kits – and they look magical in cold weather. Dr Zigs is based in the Snowdonia foothills and works with refugee camps around the globe through their Bubbles not Bombs program. £17; drzigs.com
Image: Dr Zigs
Yala’s ethical jewellery is created in small batches by artists in Kenya, with as little environmental impact as possible. This brass pendant is made of rescued offcuts. It also comes with a recycled-gold chain. This is the UK’s first jewellery company to be awarded B-Corp status. £35; yalajewellery.com
Image by Yala
While lockdown has seen more people try cycling, safety concerns can often keep them from doing so. B-Corp Beryl hopes to remove some of these barriers. Their clever brake light detects if a cyclist is slowing down, and warns others. £39.99; beryl.cc
Image: Beryl
When nutritionist Henrietta Norton found there weren’t any sustainable supplements on the market that she felt comfortable recommending, she set out to make her own. Wild Nutrition specializes in ethically sourced, natural supplements. They are free from animal testing and contain no artificial flavourings. Gift cards include a consultation of 45 minutes. From £25; wildnutrition.com
Wild Nutrition
No more plastic phone covers. This biodegradable cover is made from a mixture of bioplastic and bamboo fibres. It will eventually be composted in six months. It is durable, stylish, and compatible with certain models of Samsung iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones.£19; wildcase.co
Wildcase
Freestar, who won gold at the World Beer Awards 2019, is a leader in the alcohol-free movement. Brewing is not an environmentally-friendly process. However, Freestar uses a method which emits 90% less CO2, uses 88% less water and energy, creates 70% less waste, and uses only 80% of the energy. We are grateful for that. £9.95; freestar.co
Image by Freestar
These soy wax crayons are great stocking stuffers and mini environmentalists. They’re made with natural color and come in a plastic-free package. Check out Sprinkles Creations UKFor more sustainable gifts that will keep your children busy during the holidays £2.50; wearthlondon.com
Image: Sprinkles Creations UK
Granted, a voucher for carbon dioxide removal isn’t exactly festive. But at a time of the year when there is an additional 650kg of CO2 generated by each person, it’s one of the most sustainable gifts out there. If the recipient says that it’s not very heartwarming, just remind them that nobody wants warming anyway. From €25 (£21); climeworks.com
Image: Matthias Heyde
Main image: Diette Henderson
Positive News may receive a small commission for some of the links in this article. However, our sustainable gift selection was made independently. Any commissions we earn from these sustainable gifts affiliate links helps us to fund our inspiring journalism.
