Selecting the perfect gift for your loved ones can be challenging. Most of the time I never know what to buy people and sometimes I feel like my gifting just plain sucks. Being eco-friendly is important to us, so adding that to gift giving adds a different challenge.
Shop Local
One thing I try to focus on is shopping from small businesses and local makers. There are always plenty of farmers markets and craft sales this time of year with great gift ideas. Another option is to shop quality secondhand items as gifts. You can find many items in thrift stores and online that make perfect gifts and give things a new life.
Consider Charities
My parents would be content with not receiving gifts from us so I came up with an idea that everyone appreciates and is more heartfelt. We give a donation to charity in their name, usually something that reflects us. For example, when we had a small baby around we purchased newborn vaccines and baby blankets for three babies in third world countries.
Reusable Gifts
If you have tried all these options and you are still stuck why not give eco-friendly items as gifts? It has never been more important to make changes in our lifestyles than it is now. Gifting someone an item that is reusable and eliminates its single use counter-parts from the waste stream is a great option.
Here are some gift ideas of things that I would love to give or receive this Christmas:
- Reusable snack / sandwich bags
- Reusable straw set
- Cotton produce bags
- Reusable Coffee Pods
- Stainless steel bento box
- Stainless steel water bottle
- Reusable Coffee Tumbler
- Bamboo Travel Utensil Set
- Crush Brush tooth tabs
- KMH Touches Floss Pot
- Safety Razor
- TruEarth detergent
- “Zero Waste Year – 2020 Planner”
- “Zero Waste Home”
- “Live Green: 52 Steps for a More Sustainable Life”
