*Disclosure: I received some of the products for inclusion in this blog post featuring eco-friendly gifts. I have also included a few affiliate links. These are marked with an asterisk. If you buy the products after clicking my links, I will get a small commission and it will not cost you a penny more! All thoughts and photos are my own.*
There is absolutely no denying that we need to start rethinking the amount of things we buy. I always remind my four to be mindful of how they dispose of rubbish and items they no longer need. At the end of the day, it’s not that complicated. Want to be more environmentally friendly? Buy less and when you do buy stuff, go for useful and eco-friendly rather than mindless rubbish. Sounds simple, right?
I find that the older I get, the more thought I put into he presents I buy. I’ve also dramatically reduced the amount of presents I’ve been giving in the past few years. Going a tad more minimalistic and asking family members what they’d like as a gift is always a good idea. What’s the point of getting people things they don’t need or want? Similarly, telling people what you need or want will reduce the chances of tat gathering dust in a corner. Read on for a list of eco-conscious gifts.
I honestly don’t think it wouldn’t be realistic or sustainable to change everything. Reducing waste and buying ethical presents is a small step towards a less wasteful way of life. If done little by little, it will happen eventually and we won’t look back. We’ll also build on our new habits rather than reverting to our wasteful ways and educate the next generation.
To ensure Christmas and birthdays still feel really special and abundant, I tend to get four presents for each child. They each get a book, something to wear, something they need and something they want. That way, they’re still getting a few gifts. Instead of the latest craze, they get more meaningful presents and things they actually need. I’ve been doing that for years. I first spotted the idea on Pinterest and I’ve never looked back.
Eco-friendly Gifts for Children
I absolutely love the entire Happy Cloud collection by Rex London. I want it all (for me!). This little tray is made from naturally strong bamboo fibre. The children use it all the time, for pretend café role play, cinema parties or when we have hot chocolate (perfect for saving spills!).
The Innovation Station Activity Cube* by Baby Einstein HAPE is such a great durable toy for baby and I find it a fab take on the standard play cube. It creates lots of healthy stimulation with its range of activities and bright colours.
Gross Science Experiments is full to the brim with activities to help children find out exactly how all the smelliest, stickiest and scariest things work. With guidance from the book, your little ones will be able to do their own dissections with homemade models for a brain or heart. They’ll also be able to experiment at home by making spooky mirror messages or take a terrifying bath with the Bug Bath Bomb. There are tons of revolting activities suggested in the book!
This Fairytale Dice Game is a hit with all my children. All you have to do is throw the dice and use the picture you land on to create your own story. It’s such a great way to help children develop their storytelling skills and encourage them to go wild with their imagination and creativity. The whole set is made of sustainable and recyclable materials (wood, paper, cardboard) and it fits in the palm of my hand. It’s perfect to take on holidays.
Who hasn’t had a xylophone as a child? I remember loving mine as a child. It’s one of those timeless presents to introduce children to music, isn’t it? This beautiful Charlie the Lion wooden and metal xylophone comes with a song book to learn five classic nursery rhymes, and develop hand-eye coordination.
BBC Earth Animals* is an interactive game based on the BBC Earth series. It’s aimed at players over 8 years old and you’ll need a smart device connected to the internet to play. As you answer the trivia questions, you can make your way round the board and win the game.
Easy Paper Projects* is the perfect tool to help children develop their creativity. The book will give your little ones 60 crafting projects using what they’ve already got: paper, scissors and glue.
Green Science* is a multi-award winning science kit for children aged 6 to 12 who want to learn about the environment and sustainability. It’s the ultimate environmentally-friendly gift for kids. It teaches children about sustainability while they play, all experiments are plastic-free and the packaging is and eco-friendly too.
We use these gorgeous jute sacks every year! They are designed and printed by Harrow & Green in their studio in London. They’re so large (80cm x 50cm) I can fit all of my children’s presents in them when we travel to France. They’re beautifully made and take no space when they’re folded.
Sustainable Presents for Family Fun
Treasure Trails are perfect if you’re looking for something to do with family or friends. They provide hours of fun and encourage families to get outside and discover the secrets of their hometown or a specific area.
Pub Quiz Books from Carlton Books, with thousands of questions at varying difficulty levels across a huge range of categories, are a great way to have a fun night and connect with people.
Buyagift is a great place to find sustainable presents. They have become a carbon neutral company by offsetting their carbon emissions, including their customers’ travel to and from experience locations. Whenever I can, I like to gift experiences rather than things, and Buyagift go one step further by cutting down the stuff and instead offering e-vouchers, which reduce unnecessary waste.
How amazing does the family treehouse escape above look? Imagine the unique family holiday you’d have in this dreamy place on the edge of Snowdonia National Park. The unit sleeps four, has comfortable beds, vintage wooden furniture, tea lights, a wood-burning stove that heats the whole place. It even heats the water for the spring water shower. There’s also an ensuite composting toilet.
Eco-conscious Presents for Adults
These personalised handkerchiefs by Harrow & Green are so special! The children’s grandad (Poppy!) always has a hankie in his pocket and he absolutely loves his 100% cotton chosen by the kids.
Silk is absolutely wonderful for hair and skin and it is also a sustainable material. It is a renewable resource, can biodegrade, and uses less water, chemicals, and energy than many other fibers. This Is Silk was founded in 2017 by Sonal Keay, who had used Silk to manage her own skin condition and help with the condition of her hair. The small family business based in the Cotswolds make silk pillowcases, face marks, eye masks, snoods, hair wraps, cleansing cloths and lots more.
If you’ve not heard about The Book of Everyone yet, have a look at their website here. As they describe it, their books are meant to be “a gigantic heart-thumping, grin-inducing, lip-wobbling celebration of the individual” and they really are! The book is like the newspaper you buy on the birth of a child as a keepsake for the future, but it is so much more! The personalisation platform helps you create pretty quickly a book full of facts, world events and it can be tailored to anyone.
I love Jana Reinhardt’s jewellery and its sustainability promise: recycled, recyclable, reusable. All packaging is also 100% recycled and recyclable, all suppliers are RJC certified and sales of sone of the designs raise money for charity. All gold and silver used to make the unique pieces is recycled.
“Gold mining is one of the most destructive industries in the world. It can displace communities, contaminate drinking water, hurt workers, and destroy pristine environments. It pollutes water and land with mercury and cyanide, endangering the health of people and ecosystems. We guarantee that there is zero newly mined precious metal in our jewellery.”
Urbanista Athens are the best earphones I have ever used. I’ve had mine a couple of years, and their durability really make them the most sustainable on the market in my opinions. They are waterproof and give you total freedom while doing all sports. The charging case gives you 3 additional full-charges, each lasting up to 8 hours.
Kushel towels are something special! They’re made from reforested beech wood fibres and organic cotton and get sent using climate neutral shipping methods. For every towel, two trees get planted. The unusual material mix has a low impact on the environment and it’s really absorbent, with a long-lasting soft touch. These towels really make a brilliant present for anyone who’s climate-conscious.
The premise behind SaveMoneyCutCarbon is simple: they make it easy for people to save money and the planet. They help individuals and businesses find ways to be more sustainable and to cut their energy and water bills, which contributes to reducing their carbon emissions.
The children chose this luxurious, durable Tommy Hilfiger bath robe for their dad last Christmas. Mainline Menswear is a leading menswear retailer that stocks over 85 different designers.
I’ve been using wool dryer balls for years and I particularly love these cute ones* I got myself for Christmas. Dryer balls are great to dry clothes quicker with less wrinkles. They also act as fabric softener without the chemicals.
Eco-friendly Gifts for the Kitchen
Who doesn’t need a travel cup? This trendy bamboo travel mug is perfect, isn’t it?
I’ve been using Sealpod capsules* for a while for my Nespresso machine and I love this little gift set which includes a pod and some ‘Perfect for Pods’ coffee.
We’ve not ought a single disposable water bottle in a very long time and I like having a range of reusable water bottles. This 100% leak proof BPA Free vacuum insulated stainless steel travel mug & flask is perfect! It keeps drinks warm or water ice cold and fits perfectly in our car cup holder. Flips open with one hand and can lock closed too.
I love everything about The British Hamper Company. Their luxury food hampers are all about artisan and independent British food. They source their products source based on quality of provenance, taste and supplier passion.
Who doesn’t love a shiny new mug? This delicate china Orla Kiely one is my favourite mug. Check out the Mclaggan Smith Mugs website.
I do love a sharp knife and until now, I was really struggling to get my blunt knives to perform like new ones. AnySharp* is amazing! All you need to do is lightly stroke your knife through and wow!
Stib wax wraps help you reduce your use of single-use plastic. You can use them again and again as a replacement for cling film & tin foil. 10% of profits go to charities supporting vulnerable children.
Eco-friendly Presents for Plant Lovers
I love house plants and about a year ago, I started propagating the ones I had at home. Plant babies make such a cute present when you find the perfect little planter and Sass & Belle have an impressive range.
Eco-friendly Beauty Products
Pure Lakes products work beautifully and they’re made ethically using natural, bio-degradable raw ingredients derived from sustainable plants, high quality essential oils & beeswax. None of their products are tested on animals & they don’t contain synthetic ingredients, parabens or SLS. I particularly love their hydrating hand balm.
Scentered started as a way to help consumers who wanted portable aromatherapy and essential oil solutions throughout their everyday journey.
If you want beauty products with a difference, look no further! Tropic products* are green, vegan and freshly made in the UK using sustainably sourced ingredients.
Eco-friendly Gifts for Display
This fab Personalised 40th Birthday Poster made the perfect birthday present for my best friend a few years ago! Find Me A Gift make these retro record personalised poster prints and they come in 5 different colour themes. You can also have your prints framed.
This Original Family Portrait print by Posterhaste was a real hit when I gave it to my brother and his family. It’s a much easier option than trying to get the whole family smiling for the camera and looking in the same direction.
Instead of the usual canvas print, why not create a LEGO version of ur loved one with a personal message instead? Check Brick it by Firebox.
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