:: Ethical gift guide

Posted by Joelle on December 4, 2007

The annual frenzy of consumption that is Christmas is almost upon us, billions spent on unwanted gifts, credit cards maxed out, cheap plastic toys made by exploited workers in far eastern factories, acres of trees made into bright wrapping paper only to be discarded. It’s rather depressing when you start to count the cost of Christmas like this.

Perhaps the most ethical thing to do would be to opt out of buying gifts altogether. But for someone who gets as excited about Christmas as I do, and who truly loves choosing and wrapping presents, that bah humbug attitude just won’t do at all.

So, I’ve put together a guilt-free guide to some of the loveliest presents out there that are all ethically and sustainably produced.

This is the first of a few gift guides we will be posting over the next week or so. Guides coming up include handmade gifts, and present ideas for children. Keep a look out soon for plenty of good ideas.

Green gift guide - cosy
Click on product names for links through to shops where you can buy them. I’ve tried to include mostly things than can be delivered anywhere.

Bamboo container £12: Bamboo, growing up to 1m per day, is one of the most sustainable crops available. These bright stylish jars are made in Vietnam under strictly controlled ecological and ethical standards.
Hottie cover £15 / $36 AUSD: Snuggle up with one of these adorable hot water bottle covers, handsewn to order using vintage children’s fabric.
Candlestick £16: These gorgeous candlesticks are made from vintage saucers with handturned candle holders made from sustainable wood.
Gladys slippers £65: These luxurious slippers are lovingly made by ’slow fashion’ label Keep & Share.
Burt’s Bees hand creme £9: All natural beeswax and banana hand cream from lush ethical beauty store How on Earth
Bird pillow $98: Handmade from hemp and organic cotton, and decorated with cute drawings by Shelly Klein.
Sun Jar £19.99: Solar panels charge up during the day so LED lights can glow by night in these gorgeous jam jars designed by Tobias Wong. An eco design classic already I reckon.
Seat belt pillows From £40: Woven from end-of-line seat belt webbing that would otherwise be destined for landfill, these smart cushions come in a surprisingly wide array of colours.

Green gift guide - Christmas
Tree decorations made from recycled circuit boards £2.99 and recycled CDs £3.99
Heart cardholder £8.95: This fair trade wire cardholder is a fine way to display your cards, and could double up as a noticeboard at other times of year.
Wooden blocks £11: Made from sustainable wood painted with non-toxic child safe paints, these beautiful old fashioned blocks would look just dandy on a mantlepiece.
Peace on earth card $3.75: If like me you can’t bear not to send Christmas cards, but feel bad for wasting paper that will only see one use, look for recycled cards. Especially those recycled in their raw state like these handmade from old maps and salvaged paper.
Fair trade chocolate coins around £2: by Divine, various stockists.

Green gift guide - nature
Bird seed star £6 for 3: Why should all the tree decorations be for us to enjoy? Let the birds in your garden join in the feast with these lovely bird seed stars.
Bird watching kit $20: with everything a wannabe twitcher could need from bird identification charts to binoculars.
Goat £25: For a truly unusual and ethical gift, why not buy a goat? The Oxfam Unwrapped scheme will deliver your goat to someone who’ll really benefit - a nomadic farmer in the developing world.
Oslo hat £25: Cosy lambswool hat from Howies, a lovely company who care about the planet, and care about making really good quality stuff that lasts.
Instant herb garden From £24.99: Why not buy a voucher for a ready-to-go organic vegetable or herb garden from Rocket Gardens in Cornwall? They will send a box of baby plants ready to plant out in your garden or window box. Easy peasy: instant garden.

I hope that has given you plenty of ideas. If you have any more suggestions for ethical or eco-friendly gifts, please share them in the comments section as I’d love to hear about them.

Check back soon for more gift ideas.

Categories: christmas, green, shopping
Tags: bamboo, candlesticks, chocolate, christmas, christmas gift guides, cosy nights in, cosy woollens, days in the garden, decorations, gift guide 2007, gift guides 2007, giving presents, green, maps, nature, recycling things, vintage fabric

3 Responses to “Ethical gift guide”

Kirsty says:
December 4th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
It still boggles my head that bamboo grows so fast! And it’s so versatile - I’m going to treat myself to some bamboo yarn in the new year.

I think my favourite thing in your guide has to be the sun jar - fabulous!
Joelle says:
December 4th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Bamboo yarn? I never knew there was such a thing!
Andree says:
December 4th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
I rather like the hottie cover- how sweet! And the cushion covers made from seat belts - whatever will people think of next!? And the heart card holder…oh, some lovely things you’ve found.

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3 Responses to “Ethical gift guide”

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