The festive season is fast approaching, and you may already be starting to shop for Christmas gifts for your loved ones! If you are looking for sustainable Christmas gifts, you will find great ideas in this article.
Here you will discover 10 ideas for eco-friendly Christmas gifts for your loved ones.
Although Christmas is a wonderful holiday, we cannot deny the impact it has on our planet. It is difficult to precisely estimate the quantity of carbon dioxide emissions generated by our festivities, but it is obvious that the holiday season has a significant ecological footprint which is mainly due to overconsumption: Food, gifts, transport, energy, etc.
So, how can we buy gifts while being eco-responsible?
It’s simple: Give your loved ones sustainable Christmas gifts! Not only will you reduce your carbon footprint during the holidays, but you will positively influence those around you to adopt habits and behaviors that will reduce their own carbon footprint. Moreover, you can try to buy local ecological gifts as much as possible.
To help you a little, here are ten ideas for sustainable Christmas gifts to give your family, relatives and friends.
Happy shopping!
1. A vegetarian or vegan recipe book
The meat industry being one of the most polluting, vegetarian or vegan cooking is a wonderful way to care for the environment. There are several meatless recipe books in Canada that can make a useful (and tasty) sustainable Christmas gift. Here are some examples:
- Oh She Glows Everyday by Angela Liddon
- Vegan Comfort Classics by Lauren Toyota
- Fuss-Free Vegan by Sam Turnbull
2. A house plant
A house plant is a very good idea for an ecological gift: it’s beautiful, it detoxifies the air and also makes a personalized gift if you take the time to choose it. It’s also a long-lasting gift they will not forget soon!
There are several places to order plants online in Canada, such as Plant Collective, but you can also visit a local store or florist to encourage businesses in your area.
3. A reusable cup
Encourage your loved ones to eliminate disposables from their daily lives by gifting them a reusable cup. It is a very useful and sustainable Christmas gift and some coffee shops even offer savings on drinks when you bring a reusable cup. It’s a win-win for everyone!
4. Eco-friendly soaps
Several great Canadian companies produce ecological soaps that make great sustainable Christmas gifts! There is something for everyone. Here are some examples:
- Pocosoap makes soaps that are better for the skin and the planet;
- Rock Mountain Soap offers natural soap bars handmade in the Canadian Rockies;
- Wild Prairie Soap Company offers gift sets including their natural soap bars;
- BKIND makes package-free biodegrable soap.
Obviously, there are not only Canadian eco friendly products out there. There are also eco friendly services!
5. A zero-waste kit
If the person for whom you are looking for a gift is an ecologist, get them a zero-waste starter kit, one of the best sustainable gifts! Most of these kits contain everything you need to adopt zero-waste behaviors: reusable cleaning pads, beeswax food wraps, reusable bags, bamboo straws, etc.
6. An ecological device like a Sodastream
For sparkling drinks lovers, this device will make an original sustainable Christmas gift. It is easy to use, does not require electricity or batteries and helps reduce the purchase of plastic bottles.
7. An ecological and local watch
A watch is a very popular gift at Christmas. Offering a solar-powered watch, almost 100% recyclable, local and offering leather fabrics without animal skin, becomes a way more original gift!
Solios, a company founded by two Canadians, innovates in a sustainable way by offering many models of ecological watches.
8. Local handmade candles
Candles always make a thoughtful gift. However, if you are looking for a sustainable Christmas gift, opting for locally handmade candles is a better option.
The founder of Mala The Brands makes small batches of soy wax candles in Vancouver. Her candles do not contain any chemicals like paraffin wax, and they all have wooden wicks that do a gentle crackling sound. Once the candle is empty, you can recycle the candle container.
9. Eco-friendly cosmetics
What could be better than giving cosmetics as a gift? Offering ecological cosmetics as a sustainable Christmas gift! Several Canadian companies promote sustainable development and manufacture organic products. Here are a few:
10. Carbon neutrality
The last idea for the best ecological gifts, the most original and not the least: Offer your loved one to become carbon neutral!
Carbon Neutrality offers you to plant the number of trees required to offset your carbon dioxide emissions. Offering trees to plant is therefore also a gift for our planet.
It’s simple: Send the free evaluation link to the person who will receive the gift, ask them to share the emission results and offer to offset their emissions.
Did you know that you can also know your ecological footprint precisely and for free? Get your result now! Calculate my carbon footprint.
The Carbon Neutrality team wishes you happy green shopping and a wonderful holiday season!