Sustainable Christmas gift guide: 11 unique eco-friendly present ideas
Christmas is the season to be jolly, yes. But now it's also becoming the season to give joy back to the environment with eco-friendly gifts, too.
Luckily, it has never been easier or more fun to give gifts that Mother Nature – and your recipients – will adore equally.
Because gone are the days when eco-friendly gift options consisted of things like shapeless hemp clothing and a bar of soap.
Now there are so many covetable and earth-friendly buys out there – whether it's luxury beauty items like this refillable Christian Louboutin lippy set, sustainably made cufflinks, or even eco-friendly Barbies – so you'll be racking up those brownie points without even having to try.
We've just made it even easier for you too – with our sustainable gift round-up...
11 eco-friendly gift ideas
Barbie Eco-Leadership Team Recycled Doll Set | £59.99 (Was £74.99) from Very
Meet Conservation Scientist Barbie; Chief Sustainability Officer Barbie; Renewable Energy Officer Barbie and Environmental Advocate Barbie. Each eco-friendly doll is made from recycled plastic (except for the head/hair).
Their outfits are made from recycled fabric and they're all certified Carbon Neutral, too. Playtime has never been so planet-friendly.
Cotton Rich Bee Bedding Set | from £19.50 from M&S
These luxe, crisp cotton sheets, emblazoned with the most adorable bee-print, will create a buzz in any boudoir. Not only do they feature M&S' StayNew™ tech which helps them last longer, but they're also part of the Better Cotton Initiative – which is all about making cotton production more responsible and empowering farmers to be efficient with water, care for soil health and respect biodiversity to help slow down climate change.
Christian Louboutin Refillable Silky Satin gift set | £112 from Selfridges
A lipstick-lover's delight, this includes a Satin lip colour refill shade in Rouge Louboutin (a luscious deep red), a SOOOOO Glow refillable lipstick case, adorable SOOOO Glow gold-tone bangle and lip charms (that you attach to the refillable lippy case) – all coming in a deluxe, reusable crimson case.
It's part of Selfridges Project Earth edit of products that are better for people and the planet. Sustainability at its chicest.
Wild Bloom Handmade Vegan Skincare Set, Luxury Shower & Body Hamper | £49 from Amazon
Packed with vegan, cruelty-free products hand-made by artisans in the UK, this gorgeous hamper contains all sorts of divine treats like whipped body butter in Mandarin & Neroli, a moisturising & tightening face cream in Sweet Moringa & Olive, extra large Lavender, May Chang & Mixed Clays relaxing soap bar and a Bamboo wood soap dish with drainage slots – to name a handful.
Plus, each hamper has a hand-cut informational card about the products and their creators. The box is made of 100% recyclable kraft card, tied with a twine bow, and decorated with natural, dried flower stems.
Micro Scooters Mini ECO Deluxe Scooter, Ocean Green | £87.95 from Micro Scooters
Micro is not only the UK's premium scooter brand, but the team there have designed the deck of this new Mini Micro Deluxe from discarded fishing nets. How? They're cleaned and broken down into chips which are then melted, coloured and poured into the deck mould. Plus the scooter has loads of replaceable parts, meaning it can be handed down from child to child. This one has a maximum rider weight of 35kg with height of 80-110cm.
Harris Reed x Missoma 18ct recycled yellow gold-plated vermeil sterling silver, cubic zirconia and pearl pendant necklace | £225 from Selfridges
This stunning necklace, designed by super-cool fashion designer Harris Reed in conjunction with hip jewellery brand Missoma, is made from 100% recycled 18ct yellow-gold vermeil.
Featuring 11 teeny pearls and 29 white cubic zirconia, it's a stunning crescent moon shape that'll look equally stylish over your best work top, or with jeans and a jumper.
Sunset Cape Fairtrade Cabernet Sauvignon - Case of 6 | £42 from M&S
A classy drop from South Africa, this is an intense yet balanced red with flavours of dark red fruits – think blackberry and blackcurrants with a hint of spice.
An M&S exclusive, it's a Fairtrade wine made by head winemaker, Ben Snyman – all the grapes are Fairtrade-certified, traded, audited and sourced from Fairtrade producers. And it works out at £7 a bottle when you buy this case. A bargain that's helping others? Yes please!
The Merry & Bright Christmas Gift Box | £58.99 from The Social Supermarket
This luxe hamper is bursting with high-quality Christmas snacks and drinks – with exciting stories of sustainability and social enterprise behind them. To give you a flavour – there's a pale ale brewed using surplus sourdough bread by creative brewer, Crumbs, which fights food waste.
Chika’s Salted Plantain Crisps are not only a healthier, delish alternative to regular crisps, but every pack sends a donation to World Vision.
Plus, there's a bumper selection of Divine Chocolate (from dark choccies to ginger thins). Divine has been part-owned by the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers’ Union – a co-operative of around 100,000 Ghanaian cocoa farmers – since 1997.
Organic Ground Coffee - Single Origin, Award-Winning Medium & Dark Roast Gift Set by Source Climate Change | £24 from Amazon
Coffee aficionados will be impressed by this ethically sourced, traceable and freshly roasted collection of four x 227g coffee bags. Source Climate Change Coffee is a conservation-led company with a mission to provide organic, speciality coffees produced by growers committed to reforestation and conservation.
The coffee-lover in your life can enjoy medium and dark roasts that are ethically sourced from La Sierra, Rio Coco, Gishwati, Kilimanjaro and Mount Elgon Cloud Forests.
Cotswolds Gin, 70cl | £41 from Fortnum & Mason
Created in the rural idyll of the Cotswolds, this gin features locally foraged and sustainable botanicals – lavender, coriander, bay leaf and lime peel – to make a crisp and refreshing tipple.
With fresh lime and grapefruit notes, there's a hint of Cotswolds lavender on the palate, too. Perfect for a classic G&T, but smooth enough for the ultimate gin martini, too. Bottoms up!
Frill Yoke Harry Stripe Long Leg PJ Set | £44 (was £55) from Nobody's Child
The perfect Christmas PJs for lounging around and looking good, this stylish pyjama set is made from 'Responsible Fabric' aka 100% pure organic cotton. What we also love about these PJs – aside from the gorgeous candy coloured stripes and the comfort factor – is that the puff-sleeved top is fashionable enough to wear with jeans. Nobody would know you've got your PJ top on...
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