While the holiday season is a joyful time for celebration and giving, it can also be a time filled with excessive waste, packaging and consumerism. Spread cheer, and make a positive impact on our planet with these sustainable gift ideas, all of which will help you to give a gift that truly matters while also reducing your carbon footprint.
DIY Holiday Gifts
Show your love by taking the time to make something that will then be meaningful to someone else because you’ve made it. From soaps to knitted slippers, you can learn how to do anything online these days!
Baked Goods Instead of Bought Goods
Gift handmade treats from your kitchen instead of over-purchasing unhealthy sweets that make you feel bloated and gross afterwards. Replace sugar with monkfruit sweetener, or turn your gramma’s shortbread recipe vegan!
If they like things spicy, mix our Sunshine in a Cup Spiced Immunity Honey into your favourite recipes.
Locally Shopped Products
It goes without saying, but shop local wherever possible! This is essential to ensuring we all have a holiday dinner on our tables this season!
Regifted Items
Collect items from your home that you no longer use and give them a second life! Re-gifting saves that beautiful thing from going to the landfill and saves you money.
Plants & Seeds
Take any opportunity to propagate the plant kingdom! Give seeds, seedlings or plants this season instead of fresh cut flowers when visiting your family.
Charitable Donations
If you’re already overwhelmed by possessions in your life, ask your family to support a charity in your name.
Second-Hand Items & Antiques
Shop at second hand shops or antique malls and find that unique item that has a story behind it. The most sustainable gift is one that already exists.
Bring Homemade Vegan Egg Nog
A popular holiday gathering beverage, make your own vegan egg nog to share with loved ones (or to enjoy yourself). Here’s a great recipe!
Use the Whole Food in Shared/Gifted Meals
The holidays can be the most wasteful time of year so you might want to rethink food prep. Eat root to stem as some may say, and use your veggie off-cuts to make your own broths, gravies or even crackers in the dehydrator. Only cook what your family needs and share the rest.
Use Ribbon Alternatives
Substitute ribbons and bows for freshly foraged sprigs or make your own bows with up-cycled materials. Use craft paper and twine instead of tape if you can because tape and all that shimmery paper can’t actually be recycled, contrary to what most people might think.
Most of all, enjoy each other. Happy holidays from our family to yours!
