The Ultimate Guide to Giving Sustainable Christmas Gifts in 2020

“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas” – Calvin Coolidge

The year 2020 has been very trying to say the least. And for a lot of people, there is really nothing to celebrate or be merry for this Christmas. While I agree that the year has been challenging on various levels, these challenges can be said to be a good thing, in a way.

“How can the pandemic and its consequences possibly be a good thing?” One might ask.

I will tell you why.

For one, it has tested and proven the overwhelming will of humankind to survive. Also, it proved that when the chips are down, we will be willing to sacrifice partially or even completely our most treasured possessions and privileges. In essence, we all want to live, and we will do anything and everything to stay alive and healthy.

Well then, if you are reading this… CONGRATULATIONS! You are alive! Count yourself lucky and get in the celebration mode. Giving gifts is one of the easiest ways to spread the Christmas cheer and you can share the love with planet Earth by giving out eco-friendly gifts. We have put together the ultimate guide to giving Sustainable Christmas gifts this year. If you are in the market for simple, eco-friendly Christmas decor, look no further than our 3 Quick and Easy Sustainable Christmas Decoration Ideas.

A few things you should consider for a fun-filled success:

1.     Who are you giving gifts this year? Make a list so no one is left out.

2.     How much are you willing to spend on each person? Create a budget and try to stick to it as much as possible.

3.     Where can you get the items? Create a shortlist of places where you can get as many of the gift items needed at once.

Having these at the back of your mind will help you create purchase clusters that will not only minimize emissions to the planet but will save you a fair amount of time and money.

Let’s get right to it!

Group gifts – Ever consider group gifting instead of individual items? Easily applicable to a family or a set of close-knit people, deliciously cooked food and baked goods are great choices that are always appreciated. Not only does this minimize the environmental impact on the planet, but it also relieves you of the stress and pressure of buying so many gifts. You get to share the love with delicious nutrition that doesn’t cause clutter or gather dust. It is a winner, winner chicken Christmas dinner!

Corona Virus Compliant Kits – With the outbreak of COVID-19, one can never wrong with gifting reusable face masks, reusable coffee tumblers and stainless steel water bottles.

Left to right: Boston Fern and Snake Plant.

Plants – Great choice for loved ones who have a green thumb and nurture a garden, are eco-conscious or good, old plant lovers. Know someone who is receiving treatment for COVID-19 or just recovered? Gift them an air-cleansing indoor plant like Areca Palm, Lady Palm, Bamboo Palm, Dwarf Date Palm, Boston Fern, Snake Plant etc.

Experiences – Whether it is cultural or fictional, you can buy the perfect experience for the ones you love. Flying them across the world doesn’t count here because it automatically defeats the purpose of sustainability which is to reduce or impact on the earth. Instead, gift those tickets to the cinema, concerts, museums and art galleries in your local area. Paying for access to streaming/electronic platforms for music, movies, books and other forms of entertainment is also appreciated. Printed books are an enjoyable cultural experience that can be resold and recycled in their later years.

Gift-in-a-Jar – Ever wondered how to up-cycle the extra glass jars collected from mayonnaise; chocolate/nut spread and pickled foods throughout the year?  From sweets to recipes, mason jars are a beautiful way to share personalized gifts to loved ones. Here are some cool choices!

Glass jar gift ideas

- Put in miniature bottles of drinks that make the preferred cocktail or mocktail of the receiver and label it a “bar-in-a-jar”!

- If the receiver is a chef/baker in training or someone who just loves trying out recipes, fill their jar with recipes of signature food and hot drinks. Such as cookies, ice-cream, hot cocoa, soup, teas etc. For the full effect, add a jar with a quick mix of their favourite pastry or hot drink and some toppings.

- Who doesn’t like a beautiful, scented candle to spice up the celebrations? Play around with colours, fragrances, notes, jokes and imagery that are Christmasey.

- For that friend who is curious about or already living sustainably, craft sets, sewing kits and grooming tools like shaving razors, bamboo products and hair accessories are welcome.

Want more specific women and kids’ gift ideas? We have you covered.

-         For women, fill their glass jars with an organic pamper set that includes a pedicure kit, spa kit, make-up and beauty products, scrubs and/or bath salts. Reusable shopping bags will make a great addition.

-         For kids, earth-friendly gifts will include cloth nappies, snack bags made from cotton, re-gifting mint-condition, pre-loved clothes and toys.

Now you have your gift choices down, what about the wrapping? Here are two options.

Left: Gift in eco-friendly wrapping tied with string. Right: Gifts wrapped in tea-towels.

1.     Purposeful wrapping: This means the item used to wrap the gift is a gift in itself e.g. a colourful scarf, kitchen tea towel, yards of fabric, reusable bags or traditionally crafted baskets.

2.     Eco-friendly wrapping: These bio-degradable options will include newspapers, old sheet music, brown paper, old maps or previously used wrapping, tied with strings and Christmas-themed, personalized labels or jokes.

One thing to love about these fabulous ideas is that even though Christmas gives them an extra special feel, they can always inspire your gift-giving at any other time of the year. Now you do not have to give out those cheap, plastic items that no one really wants or knows what to do with it.

I leave you with one more quote to remind you why you need to be intention towards our planet.

“Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we are here for something else besides ourselves.” – Eric Sevareid

Do have a merry, cheery, sustainable Christmas!