Giving a gift is a great way to show your appreciation for another person. And although they are always done with the best intentions, there may be times when this gesture is not entirely friendly… with the environment!
Christmas is coming and with it a magical period that is celebrated with family and friends. At this time you tend to spend and consume more than normal, meals, different events, visiting trips, Christmas gifts and a long etc.
For this reason, the environmental impact that we generate grows at this time and we must try to minimize it as much as possible. For example, through the use of sustainable gifts it is possible to curb the ecological footprint that we create.
Examples of Sustainable Gifts
Before recommending any sustainable gift idea, it is important to clarify that any gift can be fully sustainable as long as it meets these premises: Respectful of the environment, zero waste and fair trade products, produced under fair conditions for workers, based on materials recycled and recyclable, a low ecological footprint and products without planned obsolescence.
But don’t have a hard time if you can’t think of any idea that meets these characteristics. We propose a list of 6 sustainable corporate gifts for, family or friends.
Urban Garden
The urban garden is an original gift for those people who have always wanted to have a garden but live in the city. Not all people have access to a garden or an orchard, which is why the urban garden makes the experience of planting vegetables on your terrace or balcony much easier.
It admits the plantation on a domestic scale of a wide catalog of vegetables, fruits, legumes, aromatic plants or medicinal herbs. Although most people use them to plant vegetables, because they take very little to grow compared to other crops.
If you finally decide to give an urban garden as a gift, it is important that you take into account that the person you are going to give it to has a place in their home where the garden can receive natural and direct light most of the day.
Ecological Backpacks
Ecological backpacks made from recycled plastic are a great option to make a gift in a sustainable way. These types of backpacks are not only environmentally sustainable, but also manage to raise user awareness. For example, as a result of having a backpack made from recycled plastic bottles, you begin to pay more attention to the rest of the backpacks on the market and you realize the benefits that your backpack brings to the planet.
Solar Spotlights
Solar spotlights are the perfect sustainable gift for people with a garden or terrace at home. As a general rule, most gardens or terraces, being exterior, do not usually have a lighting installation.
That is why these types of spotlights are perfect for this task, since they are very simple to install as they do not depend on the house’s electrical system and work autonomously with solar panels. You just have to take into account that they can receive direct sunlight most of the time.
Handmade Gifts
Another great way to make a sustainable gift is to make the gift yourself. By choosing the option of thinking and creating a product yourself, no matter what you do, you will already be helping to reduce the amount of waste and emissions that are generated every day.
In addition, it is likely that the person receiving the gift will appreciate it more when they consider that you have put your time and effort into creating a unique gift.
Gift Experiences
Giving an experience like a dinner or a getaway is a good option in terms of sustainability, because the impact it has on the environment will depend on the experience as such. That is why it is important to think about activities that have a low impact on the environment, such as giving away a dinner at an ecological restaurant. The important thing is that you are giving away a concept and not a product, so no waste is generated directly with your gift.
For this gift you have to think very well about the person to whom you give it, since there are many different experiences. Try to find the right environmentally sustainable experience with the other person’s tastes in mind.
Natural Cosmetics
Natural cosmetics, being respectful with the environment, are another option to make a gift in a sustainable way. This type of cosmetics is created with natural products such as organic cotton to try to impact the planet as little as possible. In addition, it provides advantages that commercial cosmetics cannot compete with. For example, most natural cosmetic products are friendlier to dry and oily skin than commercial cosmetics.
Therefore, it is important that you know the skin type of the person who is going to receive the gift in order to be able to get it right and to enjoy the product optimally.
Summary
In short, it is clear that there are countless gifts that are sustainable with the environment. In the end it does not depend so much on the gift, but on how you present it. Almost any gift can be made in a sustainable way as long as it complies with the premises that have been mentioned in the text. Keep in mind that a sustainable gift is also a gift for the planet!