Hello everybody! It is that time of the year again, and with the holidays, also come my sustainable gift guide. I also made a gift guide last year aka the 2020 gift guide, that you can find right here, but let’s make this a tradition and do one each year, shall we?
1. Mahla x Gittemary patch / 2. Vintage Lunel sunglasses / 3. Miret sneakers / 4. Ruby menstrual cup / 5. Recycled gold ring / 6. Compostable Pela phonecase / 7. Organic Aniela Parys suit / 8. Bamboo Elate Palette
Also check out: Sustainable sheets and towels // brand recommendations
9. Recycled Grünbag / 10. Stainless steel tiffin / 11. Organic Basic yoga set / 12. Plastic-free Wild deodorant / 13. Leaf Shave steel razor / 14. Organic Kushel towels / 15. Organic bedsheets / 16. Vegan Osea protection cream / 17. Olive wood chopping board
Also check out: ZERO WASTE SKIN & HAIR CARE // an international list
18. Waste fabric Bagabu backback / 19. Organic basics socks / 20. Stainless steel lunchbox / 21. Lifetime guarantee clothes pegs / 22. Iron skillet set / 23. Recycled denim bumbag / 24. Steel pint cups / 25. Vegan multi-use make-up
Also check out: Eco Brands I Stand By // a list of sustainable fashion companies
Experience gifts:
Gifts do not have to be physical things we wrap, they can be experienced, and honestly, these are my favourite gifts to both give and receive. I also always wish for experience gift cards and the like from people I know will otherwise buy me fast fashion or electronics. It is a sneaky way of making sure your gift will be more sustainable too. Here are my favourite experience gifts
Resturants vouchers // dinner party invitations // concert tickets // picknics // museum/theatre visits // hotel/spa experience // game night // fitness workshops // ceramic/painting workshops // talks/lectures // movie tickets // thrift shop shopping spree // hikes/camping trips // bowling // sewing classes
Second-hand gifts:
gifts do not have to be new in order to be great, and actually, there are tons of pre-loved second-hand options when it comes to gift-giving. If you have to find a gift for someone who has a very specific wishlist, but you don’t want to buy the item from new because you don’t want to support the company, you can look on online second-hand fora or Facebook groups for people selling those items. In terms of vintage and generally preloved fashion, you can use Etsy, Depop, Zadaa, and other online platforms to find both specific things, or to find inspiration.
Homemade gifts:
another thing I love is making something for the people you love. Again, giving a gift does not have to be expensive new things, there are other ways of expressing love. If you have a specific skill like sewing, ceramics, painting, building etc use that to make something personal. I love doing watercolours, and this year, I am painting both gifts and greeting cards for people. You can also make jewellery, or makeup (check out my recipes). You can also make planters and give green gifts, ooor something edible like a cookie mix, a voucher for dinner, or something fermented or pickled.
Zero Waste Wrapping:
Giving a sustainable gift also comes with conscious packaging, as gift wrapping paper and ribbon often isn’t recyclable. Instead, there are a couple of different options, all of which costs nothing, or very little. The first option is to use what you have at home like scarves or kitchen towels as wrapping, generally, anything that can be reused. You can also use fabric scraps or boxes that you have laying around. If you have these things already, or if you don’t want to give those away that you have, they can often be found in thrift shops for next to nothing. You can also save wrapping that you get and reuse that, but when it breaks, looking into reusable wrapping options is a great zero waste switch.
