Ethical Gifts For Everyone

You, like most other people, are probably aware of the damage being done to our planet by our obsession with stuff, especially the disposable kind. We buy stuff we don’t need that is designed to break in a year’s time. It gets discarded along with all the plastic packaging it came wrapped in and we buy more. Heartbreaking footage on the BBC’s Blue Planet highlighted the problems this is causing to our environment and the animals with which we share it.

So, here are some ideas to help make your Christmas a bit less damaging:

Reusable water bottles or flasks – thankfully disposable cups and bottles are being avoided by more and more people. Make sure your loved ones have a vessel to take with them wherever they go.

Recipe books – cooking from scratch is a great way to reduce the use of plastic wrapped food and take aways. Empower someone to cook for themselves with a suitable cook book. There are many great books for vegans and vegetarians with lots of free from recipes for those that are avoiding certain foods.

Growing kits – even better than buying food to cook from scratch is to grow your own. Growing kits are a good way to start, usually containing seeds, soil and a pot. Additions to this could include gardening gloves and a trowel.

Plants – give someone a head start by gifting them a plant or a young tree. Something that will produce fruit, nuts or beautiful flowers is likely to be a hit. Make sure the recipient has space for it to grow and thrive. Lemon trees, bay trees, apple trees, roses and herbs are all lovely presents.

Stainless steel or glass storage containers – these are great alternatives to plastic storage containers. Lunch can be taken to work in a classy container rather than eaten out of disposable, take away packaging. Also reduce food waste by storing left overs in the fridge.

Craft courses – what could be better than learning a new skill. Gift someone a weekend course or a series of weekly courses local to them. There are many to choose from including textiles, jewellery making, basket making, painting, bush craft and many more.

Gifts for health – there are many ways to give the gift of health, whether it be in the form of books, training equipment or vouchers for massage, acupuncture, yoga retreats or other therapies.

Hampers – these can be food based or toiletry based. For example a relaxation kit may include essential oils, a meditation CD, massage oil and a lavender eye mask.

Home made gifts – there is nothing more delightful than receiving a home made gift. This could be a knitted scarf, a painting, a poem, a cake, home made chutney, jam or sloe gin. See recipe for delicious Almond Fig Cookies at the end of the Go Nuts for Nuts blog post which can be packaged in a lovely container and given as a gift.

Gift of time – offer your time in the form of cooking a meal, a massage, help with reorganising the house, cleaning the car, baby sitting, or whatever your speciality is. Make a beautiful gift certificate that can be cashed in at the recipient’s chosen time.

Experiential gifts – gift an outing to the theatre, an amusement park, a film, a meal out, a weekend away. Again, make a gift certificate and wrap it up so you have something to present on Christmas day.