The best sustainable gifts for Christmas in times of Corona

Christmas is the time of giving – giving back to your friends and family who have been there for you even in a rough year like 2020. Christmas is also a time when we spend a lot of money on useless stuff – a typical US household spends more than $1.500 each season [1]! So this year, why not spend less, or if, at least spend some money on sustainable gifts?

Gifts underneath the Christmas tree: What to give for Christmas this year? Here is a list of the best sustainable gifts for Christmas, especially in times of Corona!

With climate change raising awareness and the zero waste movement becoming more popular, sustainable gadgets and home-made crafts are a welcoming change and can sure make your Christmas special! Here are 25+ ideas in 6 different categories:

1. Sustainable electronics and technology

Electronics are always a great gift for the tech-savvy, but usually they are hardly sustainable. But there are options to improve this and also save some money:

  • Used (second hand) electronics from marketplaces (such as ebay or craigslist)
  • Refurbished electronics (e.g. Refurbed)
  • Sustainable new tech (e.g. a sustainable smartphone from Fairphone, bio plastic headphones, wooden watches…)

2. Green entertainment and hobby gift ideas

Most people enjoy gifts for their entertainment and hobbies. Maybe it is a good idea to gift your friend something for a new, eco-friendly hobby?

  • Second hand books, DVDs or console games
  • Gardening tools (e.g. a nice herb garden for the kitchen window)
  • Plants, seeds or (home-made) seed bombs for those with a balcony or garden
  • Recipe books (maybe even self-made)
  • A (used) instrument
  • A starter kit to make your own…. scrap book, garden, jewellery, shampoo, beer,…

3. Eco-friendly kitchen and travel items

For those who like to cook, there are nice options to introduce them to sustainable gadgets:

4. Homemade crafts for the foodies

Homemade stuff is not only usually cheap, but also much more personal than anything from the store. Especially for your foodie friends, you can easily make some nice gifts yourself:

5. Zero-waste swaps for the bathroom

The bathroom is the perfect place to start with for zero-waste swapping of items: You can gift your friends their first swap and see if they love it after they first tried!

  • A bamboo toothbrush
  • Fancy shower soap
  • A shampoo bar
  • Homemade body scrub (e.g. from ground coffee)
  • Aloe face cream from your Aloe plant
  • Zero waste cleaning products

6. The best present especially this year: Time together!

Right now, time with one another when we can hardly see us or hug is more precious than ever. So you can gift your time for Christmas! Here are some ideas for nice events and activities:

These are just some of many green, eco-friendly and sustainable gift ideas. What do you give this year for Christmas? Share in the comments!

References:
[1] https://fortunly.com/statistics/christmas-spending-statistics/#gref

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