Christmas is coming and is undoubtedly one of the most festive and magical times of the entire year. It is not by chance that most people anxiously await this season, after all it is a season full of tradition, but also marked by the reunion with those we love the most. We can thus say that, for many, the Christmas season is synonymous with sharing, joy, love, and happiness.

 

But Christmas is also synonymous with presents, right? It is almost inevitable that we don't offer something to our loved ones or even receive a gift from someone special. This habit has already become normal in our society, which makes this season one of the most magical, but also one of the most consumerist times of the year, consumptions that most of the times are excessive and not very sustainable.

 

In an era where we are increasingly fighting to reduce our ecological footprint and were buying sustainable should no longer be an issue, we leave in this article some tips for you to make conscious choices and some suggestions for sustainable and ecological gifts that you can offer your loved ones.

 

Tips:

Before you start shopping your sustainable gifts, it is important that you follow some important tips that will help you decide what to buy, as well as maintain a sustainable outlook throughout the entire process.

 

1. Make a list: as with grocery shopping, we suggest you make a list of the people you really want to give something to for Christmas as well as a list of gift ideas that each person would like to receive. This will allow you not to feel lost and forget someone and will also allow you to filter the people around you and give gifts to the people who are really closest to you.

 

 

2. Think about the needs of each person: sometimes in the middle of the Christmas euphoria we don't even know what to give each person and we often end up buying a last-minute gift. This problem is easy to be solved, after making a list of the people you are going to offer something to take a little time and think about the tastes of each person, what the person may really need or even something that is useful to him or would like to try. It is important that each person likes and uses what you are going to offer, right?

 

 

3. Give priority to national and local: for more conscious choices, we recommend that you give priority to national brands, especially local brands, like small businesses in your region. This way you will be supporting the local economy as well as these small businesses, which are many times family businesses.

 

 

4. Buy less: the last tip we give you is to buy less! To avoid excessive consumption, it is important not to over-consume, we recommend, for example, that you buy only one (preferably sustainable) gift for each person.

 

Sustainable gift ideas:

With these tips in hand, it's time to take a look at some sustainable gift suggestions and some brands you can support this Christmas:

 

1. Reusable bottles

Giving a bottle seems a little strange at first, however we assure you it is a great sustainable gift idea!

 

It is increasingly recommended that we do not use plastic bottles to transport our drinks, because it is urgent to reduce the consumption of plastic. In this sense, nowadays we find more and more alternatives, such as reusable bottles. These bottles turn out to be great friends of the environment, because unlike traditional plastic bottles that are discarded after the first use, reusable bottles, as the name implies, can be used several times, thus being a more ecological and environmentally friendly option.

 

In addition, you can find cute reusable bottles or even customizable ones, which would make a perfect sustainable gift! It should be added that some of these bottles are thermal, thus keeping drinks hot or cold for a longer period of time.

 

Suggested brands:

https://dopper.com/

https://www.flaska.eu/

https://24bottles.com/

 

 

2. Cell phone cases

In the technological and digital age, we live in, we can say that cell phones are indispensable in our daily lives and certainly every adult you know has one, right?

 

So why not offer a cell phone case? Let's be honest, cell phone cases come in very handy as they help protect your phone, however, not everyone puts cell phone cases on their wish list to buy.

In this sense, surprise your close ones with a different sustainable gift that we are sure you will love!

 

Suggested brands:

https://www.zeroish.pt/

https://www.puro.it/en/puro-green/

https://pt.mmore.net/

 

3. Hygiene kit

At Christmas time it is very common to see hygiene and personal care kits on sale, so this can also be a gift option for a loved one.

 

However, prefer brands with sustainable and organic products because the products are made of more natural materials, which on the one hand will respect your skin and on the other will also respect the environment and often the animals, since usually these brands do not test or use animal matter in their products.

 

Suggested brands:

https://www.shaecoshop.com/pt/

https://naua.care/

https://perpurr.com/

 

4. Socks

Giving socks at Christmas has already become kind of a cliché! Although it is said that only grandparents give this kind of gifts at this time of the year, why not give some sustainable socks to your friends, for the Secret Santa or even to your grandparents?

 

We are sure that this sustainable gift will get a few laughs, but at the end of the day, everyone is happy to receive a new pair of socks, because it is the kind of product that everyone is lazy to buy.

 

Besides, nowadays, you can find on the sustainable market, socks for all tastes, from the simplest, to the funniest ones. So, if you want a cliché gift, but original at the same time bet on giving sustainable socks this Christmas!

 

Suggested brands:

https://www.wearethought.com/collections/bamboo-socks

https://chule.pt/

https://www.slownature.com/

 

 

5. Books about ecology, lifestyle, veganism, sustainability

Giving books to adults or children is always a good initiative, so if you have a friend or family member who likes to read, offer a book this Christmas.

 

Since we are talking about sustainable gifts, for books, we recommend that you offer a book on topics related to sustainability, ecology, minimalist lifestyle, or even vegan lifestyle.

 

Nowadays we can find hundreds of books linked to these themes, from cookbooks, tips, testimonials, etc. Here are some of our suggestions:

 

Viva Verde (Live Green) by Jen Chillingsworth : https://www.wook.pt/livro/viva-verde-jen-chillingsworth/23371751

 

Cozinha Vegetariana para Bebés e Crianças (Vegetarian Cooking for Babies and Children) by Gabriela Oliveira : https://www.fnac.pt/Cozinha-Vegetariana-para-Bebes-e-Criancas-Gabriela-Oliveira/a964286

 

50 Ações para Salvar o Mundo (50 Actions to Save the World) (children's book) by Kim Hankinson : https://www.fnac.pt/50-Acoes-para-Salvar-o-Mundo-Kim-Hankinson/a8136332

 

6. Voucher for workshop

Giving others the chance to learn and live a unique experience is also possible this Christmas.

For this, another sustainable gift you can give is a voucher to experience a workshop. There are hundreds or even thousands of workshops that can be attended, so just choose one that suits the person's tastes, preferably linked to the topics of sustainability and ecology. For example, if the person in question likes cooking, you can offer a vegetarian or vegan cooking workshop!

 

Suggested workshops:

Restoration and Recycling Workshop - https://www.cursos-artlier.com/workshops/oficinarestauro

Online vegan workshop - https://dicasdaoksi.pt/produtos/

Homegrown crops workshop - https://cultivosdacaseiro.pt/cursos-e-workshops/

 

7. Sustainable clothing

Giving a piece of clothing can also be a great option, however we encourage you to do conscious consumption and give what the person really needs. For example, if the person really needs a new coat and you know it, it may be the ideal gift to give them.

 

Fortunately, there are lots of sustainable clothing brands on the market today, we leave here some suggestions of sustainable brands that you may like.

 

Suggested brands:

https://vintageforacause.pt/

https://isto.pt/

https://heysoleil.com/(baby and children's clothing)

 

8. Sustainable jewellery

Who doesn't like to receive a piece of jewellery? Jewellery is a delicate and elegant piece that is always full of symbolism.

This Christmas if you want to offer a piece of jewellery to that very special person, we suggest you opt for sustainable brands, which produce ecological or even recycled jewellery.

 

Suggested brands:

https://mejuri.com/world/en/

https://kamad.fr/

https://kimai.com/shop-jewelry/

 

9. Sustainable shoes

Of course, and still on the topic of fashion, giving shoes also seems to be a good sustainable gift idea!

 

Besides Verney, where you can find several modern boots and sneakers, there are also other sustainable shoe brands that we highly recommend.

 

Suggested brands:

https://www.zouri-shoes.com/

https://minuitsurterre.com/

https://mukishoes.com/

 

10. Toys

Children cannot be left aside, because they are the ones who most experience the magic of Christmas, right?

 

As we know, when it comes to gifting a child, toys are almost always the most frequent choice. But make a difference and offer different toys, more sustainable and ecological, choosing for example wooden toys.

 

Suggested brands:

https://www.ludicenter.pt/

https://www.sosostore.com/

http://www.bleebla.com/epages/960486605.sf/pt_PT/?ObjectPath=/Shops/960486605/Categories

 

Make this Christmas a more sustainable one, starting by offering sustainable gifts to those you love is already a big step! We suggest that you also read our article on how to make sustainable gift wrapping, so your gifts will be 100% sustainable!