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Eco Friendly Gifts for Every Occasion
Give the gift of guilt-free happiness
By | 2 years ago
Picking out a gift for someone is hard enough as it is, but when combined with the growing wish to make our presents more sustainable the task can seem almost impossible. After all, no one wants bamboo toothbrush or a singular tube of vegan lip balm for their birthday. Before you start to worry about the details, browse through our edit of gifts (and the reasons why the brand and product is doing good by the planet) below. Whether your recipient is a fan of fashion, loves a good bottle of wine or wants to clean up their beauty routine, we’ve found the best eco friendly gifts for every occasion.
Now, before we start things off, surely you’re wondering: ‘Is there such a thing as an eco friendly gift?’ Introducing more products into the world almost always guarantees more waste – whether carbon, plastic or otherwise – which makes it feel slightly counter-intuitive to consider something newly bought being good for the planet. But fear not, many brands are stepping up to answer our concerns with new means of bringing joy to consumers without costing the Earth. From slow fashion processes and zero waste models to plastic-free packaging and regenerative farming methods, there’s never been more opportunity to see what exactly are favourite brands are up to.
If the thought of buying something new still sits uncomfortably with you, then consider shopping second-hand from vintage and charity shops, fairs and boot sales. You can also try out resale sites or apps like Vinted, Narchie and Depop for more inspiration. You may have to dig a little deeper for the gem you’re after, but keeping things circular is one of the best ways we can reduce waste in the long term.
Eco Friendly Gifts for Every Occasion
SEP Jordan
Giulia Scrunchies (Set of Six), £40, sepjordan.eu
SEP Jordan boasts a business model that has been designed to help both people and planet. The brand was set up in the Jerash ‘Gaza’ Camp in Jordan, and works with the women residing in the camp to nurture their talents as artists and craftswomen – providing opportunities for work, learning and independence. With all products being handmade using natural fibres like cashmere and linen, the brand’s carbon footprint is extremely low (with most of it coming from shipping). Learn more about SEP from its founder, Roberta Ventura, here.
Ethique
Heali Kiwi™ Solid Shampoo Bar, £12, ethique.co.uk
Climate positive beauty brand Ethique creates shampoo bars that are plastic, palm oil and cruelty free. One bar is said to have just eight per cent of the carbon footprint of its equivalent liquid product, and the brand as a whole now offsets 120 per cent of its carbon emissions. Find out more about our favourite eco-friendly hair brands here.
LYLIE
Circle of Cloud Earrings, £925, lylies.com
LYLIE, known for its beautifully intricate jewellery pieces, sources its materials from electronic waste. Gold and silver are salvaged from discarded phones, tablets, computers, dental waste and the brand’s in-house gold exchange (customers are encouraged to send in scrap jewellery in exchange for store credit), while gemstones are either lab-grown, recycled or antique diamonds.
Know the Origin
Embers Rapeseed Wax Vegan, £20, knowtheorigin.com
Know the Origin is working towards being as transparent as possible when it comes to its candles, displaying its ingredients and credentials proudly on its website and product labels. Using European grown rapeseed wax (instead of the less sustainable soy wax), these candles are vegan, packed with essential oils and come in a frosted amber jar that can be repurposed once the wax is gone.
Daylesford Organic
Cheese & Biscuit Box, £60, daylesford.com
Daylesford proudly holds its title as one of the most sustainable farms in the UK, as it prioritises organic and regenerative farming methods, seasonal harvesting and avoids the use of artificial chemicals entirely. Daylesford Organic’s cheese and biscuit box comes with Bledington blue cheese, Penyston, organic cheddar, a choice of wines, two chutneys and a tin of biscuits. Sounds like an ideal night in to us.
Stripe & Stare
Stripe & Stare Biodegradable Cropped Vest, £40, stripeandstare.com & Knickers, £20, stripeandstare.com
Underwear brand Stripe & Stare is breaking the mould with its line of biodegradable knickers and fair factory practices, with hopes that it will reach B Corp status by the end of this year. Its B-Edit collection is completely biodegradable, combining materials like Lenzing TENCEL™, SeaCell™ and Roica V550 instead of traditional elastane that break down a lot faster in the elements. When you’re done with your knickers, you can simply pop them in your compost bin.
Rokit
Rokit Originals Recycled Textile Teal Suede Astrid Corset Top (One Size), £75, rokit.co.uk
One for the fashion-savvy friend in your life, Rokit’s reworked line of corset tops channel the Y2K trend without adding to the many landfills already packed with clothing and off-cuts. London-based vintage brand Rokit has been delivering old school fashion to younger generations for years, but when it comes across items that are no longer looking they’re best they upcycle them into something new. The brand has an extensive reworked collection of vintage items, which you can browse on Rokit Originals.
Papier
Love in Bloom Notebook, £23, papier.com
Stationery brand Papier creates its products on a made-to-order basis, keeping stock and returns to a minimum and avoiding the use of large warehouses to pack its orders. The paper used by Papier is sourced from FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) certified forests, and paper packaging can be recycled at home (Papier gives some great tips on how to upcycle old papers here). Notebooks come with beautiful cover art that can be personalised with the name of its intended recipient.
Rosamund Muir
Jeanne Green Wedges, £355, rosamundmuir.com
One of the big fashion brands working to reimagine the industry, Rosamund Muir is known for its slow fashion ethos and zero-waste policy (as well as its colourful footwear). All leathers used by the brand are by-products, with around 80 per cent coming from a premium Italian leather deadstock supplier. Whether you know someone who is a fan of flashy heels or loves a splash of colour, a pair of shoes from Rosamund Muir can’t go amiss.
The Ethical Butcher
BBQ Box 2022, £64.99, ethicalbutcher.co.uk
The Ethical Butcher is known for its curation of fresh meat boxes, which work perfectly for special occasions, parties and get-togethers. The brand uses regenerative farming methods that work with the countryside, rather than against it, and help to sequester carbon, improve soil health and combat climate change. Everything from farm to table has been carefully considered, so that customers can receive seasonal produce that comes without harming the planet.
Paper Shoot
Paper Camera in Hand Drawing Blue, £101, papershootcamera.com
Eco-friendly camera brand Paper Shoot manufactures all of its products through a small team in Taiwan (where founder, George Lin, lives), eliminating mass factory production, mass chemical run-off and the exploitation of labour – find out more here. The brand also has its ROHS compliance, meaning it avoids a laundry list of toxic and environmentally damaging chemicals at every level of its supply chain. Many parts of the camera are also recycled, as are the cases (which are also vegan).
BELO
Green Ju Bucket Bag, £250, belobags.com
What about some new arm candy? BELO is a new British-Brazilian luxury label using its circular model to eliminate waste, grow communities and create beautiful bags. Products are made by a team of 30 artisans in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, who work with local car mechanics and waste collectors to save old seatbelts from landfill. These seatbelts create the body and handles of each bag, and so far nearly 4000 metres have been saved. BELO also works closely with its partner charity Casa de Maria to help those in need in the area get access to food, a safe space to wash, get a haircut and find educational opportunities they might not otherwise have. Find out more about BELO here.
Featured image: Te Pania, Unsplash
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