Still looking for the perfect Christmas gift for your loved ones? Leyla Ayad, our Marketing and Social Media Executive, shares her ideas for some eco and community-friendly last minute gifts!
It is that time of the year again!The decorations are up, Christmas office parties are being organised and we are all looking for inspiration to buy an original gift…Luckily we have some eco and community-friendly ideas for you. Let’s step away from the mass consumption feast for a minute and look at more eco-friendly and conscious gifts to put under this year’s Christmas tree!
The gift of giving
If we go back to the core of the Christmas spirit, it is about being kind and helping each other rather than spending a lot of money on material goods. This is why we think it is a great idea to help someone that really needs it this year. The Choose Love store for example lets you buy essential necessities such as tents, warm boots and food for refugees in need. Other organisations such as Oxfam and Unicef also offer charity gifts for Christmas.
Help the animals
Is your little sister crazy about dolphins? Does your friend love turtles? Why not support them in their love for animals by adopting one in their name. With WWF you can help to protect endangered species by “adopting” an animal as a gift and make a monthly donation from £3.
You can even go one step further and adopt a pet from a shelter. Organisations such as RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) lets you find pets for adoption in your area. Celebrate the Christmas spirit by giving a new home to a shelter animal!
Offer experiences
Instead of goods, give your loved one a great memory they will (hopefully) remember forever. Think about what they care about and what kind of experiences could make them happy. You can of course offer them a city trip or a voucher for a nice restaurant, but there are also plenty of more affordable options. A few suggestions: take them to a wine or beer tasting session, go on a museum tour or take a cooking class together.
DIY Christmas gifts
If you are more the creative type, you can make your own Christmas gifts this year (and why not your own decorations while you are at it?). Nothing says better “I care about you” then a self-made gift on which you have spent time and effort to make it.
For example, create your own personalised tea blend, infused oil, vanilla sugar or even bath treats! Check out this article from the blog Little Green Dot, for more ideas. It is even better when you make an upcycled gift from materials that otherwise would end up in the bin, check out our guide for upcycling with TerraCycle.
Durable presents
Not the crafty type but still care about the environment? No problem! Plenty of sustainable brands have come up with clever ideas to make sure we produce less waste. What do you think about a reusable coffee mug such as Keep Cup or a durable water bottle from Klean Kanteen? For more zero waste gifts, check out this blog post.
Zero Waste Bonus Tip
To avoid creating more waste from wrapping, you can wrap your gifts in old newspaper, magazine pages or even in fabric, to make your presents look cool and unique! Take a look here and here for inspiration.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at TerraCycle!
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