8 Ethical & Sustainable Gift Ideas for Conscious Loved Ones
When the festive season rolls around, it’s usually tradition to spend time with our loved ones and partake in the art of gift-giving.
As ever, we want to shed light on the concept of sustainable and ethical gifting, otherwise known as finding a way to give gifts that don’t negatively impact people or the environment whilst giving our loved ones feel appreciated.
Gift giving is a love language in itself and it doesn’t have to come at the cost of our planet.
From experiences to starter packs, read on for our favourite 8 sustainable gift ideas to give to your loved ones during holiday season:
1. Gift cards
Anxious about purchasing the wrong gift for your loved ones? How about a gift card for one of their favourite stores. It could be a book shop, an eco friendly store, or a plant shop. Gift cards are deemed sustainable as you’re providing the option to your loved one to buy things that they genuinely love and possibly need in their life. Make sure the gift card is for a shop they’d like, or somewhere with plenty of variety.
2. Buy an Experience
The concept of buying an experience that forms memories that will last for a lifetime is far more attractive in the modern age that we live in. Experiences have the power to evoke powerful emotions that we can feel together. The memory of an experience is invaluable.
Although we place high significance on tangible items, most of which will only be used a handful of times in our lifetime, research suggests that millennials and every other generation are opting out of ‘ownership’ and are exploring experiences instead.
Some of the experiences you can gift a loved one include:
A live concert ticket of their favourite musician
A short vacay to their ideal destination
A fun activity i.e. pottery making, rock climbing
3. Get inspired by ‘Hygge’
This would be a gift that brings warmth (metaphorically) to the hearts of your loved ones.
‘Hygge’ translated to is a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, that feels cosy, charming and special. All of which encompasses the feelings that the season of autumn and winter carries.
Items that are guaranteed to evoke feelings of hygge include:
An ethical, plant-based candle to light up those dim evenings - like our Siesta Candle
A cosy knitted blanket for you and your loved one to snuggle into - you could crochet something yourself
A personalised or hand-painted mug that they’ll remember you for as they sip a warming cup of cocoa from it
4. Wildflowers
Rather than buying a bunch of fresh flowers, why not curate a bouquet for them from beautiful wildflowers and leafy branches you find in your local neighbourhood? If your special someone is a lover of flowers then take to the garden and see what you can find. Do check that wildflower picking is legal in your area or community before snipping off the tulips in your local park with your scissors. Sustainable gifting doesn’t have to be expensive!
5. Ethical beauty products
At Virginutty we believe that the products we put on our skin should also be made from a place that doesn’t exploit the planet or its people. Why not pamper your loved one with a Virginutty gift set containing Skin Drink to nourish the skin along side with the Virginutty Natural Coconut Bowl and Spoon to scoop out pure coconut oil goodness. Treasure the skin you live in.
High quality coconut oil placed on brown surface next to a plant.
6. Sustainable Starter Pack
Do you want to encourage your loved ones to start their eco-friendly journey? Why not select day to day sustainable essentials that will surely provide the confidence boost for your special someone to start their sustainable journey. The list includes :
An Eco Friendly Shopping Bag for all their groceries goods
Vegan Food Wraps to neatly pack lunches without producing waste
A Reusable Water Bottle to bring with you on the go
7. Sustainable Shoes
The idea of having a sustainable closet may sound daunting for many, where do we start? How do I know if a piece of clothing is completely ethical? We want to remind you that there is no judgement as to how sustainably we should be living our lives, if we sought for perfection we would give up during the first few steps. However if you do want to encourage your loved ones to transition towards a sustainable wardrobe, why not give them an everyday essential that is , shoes! A shoe that can be styled with many pieces, a shoe that is timeless that shall be worn for many years to come.
One of our favourite sustainable shoe brands include (but not limited to):
Veja : All sneakers are vegan and ecological.
All Birds : Shoes are made from natural materials
Nisolo : Intentionally and ethically made with fair prices.
Toms : For every £3 they make, they give £1 away.
Everlane : A wide range of sustainable and modern essentials.
8. Sustainable bathroom pack :
Revamp your bathroom by adding solely sustainable essentials starting with the core products.
This may include toothpaste , a shampoo bar , deodorant and even a loofah sponge.
An Organic Shampoo Bar to cleanse the hair without polluting our oceans
Our Natural Beauty Cleanser that leaves skin radiantly cleansed
A Bamboo Toothbrush that is safe to decompose into Mother Earth.
Tip for wrapping :
Pop over to your wardrobe to find that shirt you never wear anymore, or look for a thin scarf that you no longer need that you can wrap around your beauties. Cutting up old fabrics make a great sustainable gift wrap option.
If you don’t have a scarf - no worries! Reuse paper bags, magazines and newspapers that may be hiding under your coffee table and cupboards. They’ll work like a charm and give that undone, rustic vibe under the tree.
Let’s make gift giving more meaningful this 2020 ♡