7 sustainable Christmas gifts for 2021

What counts as a sustainable Christmas gift?

Christmas gift ideas which have a focus on protecting the planet are a great gifting option. They come in many shapes and sizes, allowing you to choose the perfect gift for your loved one while keeping one eye on reducing things like wastage, single-use packaging and your carbon footprint.

There are lots of things to consider when it comes to choosing the perfect sustainable Christmas gift, such as:

• How much packaging it needs
• How environmentally-friendly the packaging and product is
• Whether it’s a replacement for a less environmentally-friendly alternative (for instance, a reusable coffee cup)
• The carbon footprint of its supply chain
• If the company has made a commitment to sustainability as part of its business practices.

Once you know what to look for, it’s much easier to find environmentally friendly options. We’ve also been thinking about these factors when choosing the gifts for our guide, so without further ado, let’s take a look at some great sustainable presents!

For the friend that’s always on the go: a beautiful lunchbox or coffee cup

We all have that one friend who seems to be allergic to sitting down and is always out doing something. Perhaps they have a busy job, or love to fill up their time with lots of different hobbies. In short, they’re always rushing from one thing to another, without much time to relax.

That often means they rely on a quick ready-made sandwich from a café rather than a proper dinner, or perhaps they forget to drink enough water because they’re always rushing around.

There are some really stylish options out there for reusable crockery which they can take with them on their daily adventures.

For example, why not get them a beautiful lunchbox? This works on two levels: firstly, it can be used over and over again, eliminating the need for single-use sandwich packets. And secondly, it means they can make their meals at home, saving them time, money and wasted food. A sustainable win!

There are so many options out there for stylish lunchboxes made with sustainable materials. We particularly like those which avoid plastic altogether and use materials such as stainless steel, rice husk or bamboo instead.

We love this rice husk box from Huski Home; it’s BPA and silicone free and is completely biodegradable.  What’s more, using rice husk in these boxes saves them from being burnt as waste, which is yet another bonus for the environment!

If you’d rather go with a coffee cup, your busy pal may thank you for going with a collapsible option. This means they can simply fold it down and throw it in their bag for whenever they need it. This Squoffee cup is fully recyclable and comes in two cute colours.

For the sports fanatic: Erbology’s Gym Bunny Bundle (coming soon!)

While Christmas is the time of year to relax and enjoy, soon enough it’ll be January. Set your fitness-loving friends up for a great start to the new year with our Gym Bunny Bundle.

It contains four of our bestselling products which are the most popular among gym-goers, runners, hikers and anyone who wants to look after their physical health.

It includes our Organic Chia Seed Powder, made from cold-pressed chia seeds. It’s a fantastic option for adding into their post-workout smoothie, as it contains natural plant-based protein and fibre. This will help them build muscle mass and provide a steady flow of energy. As it’s made from cold-pressed seeds, it also allows them to get a more concentrated dose of protein and fibre than from the seeds alone.

Next up, we have our Organic Cordyceps Mushroom Powder. This mushroom has its roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been used for thousands of years. It’s particularly associated with energy and athletic performance, and may also help support their natural immunity. 100% natural and organic, all they’ll need to do is mix half a teaspoon into their morning coffee on the day of their workout.

And, because we know that every good workout needs an excellent snack to follow it, we’ve added six packs each of our delicious Organic Activated Coconut and Cacao Energy Bites, and our Organic Cashew Cheese Crackers.

As always, the whole box is vegan and gluten-free, making it perfect for any gym-lover in your life. All of our products are ethically and sustainably-sourced from small independent organic farmers, and we always use environmentally-friendly packaging.

For the introvert: beautiful sustainable stationery

We live in a world that seems to favour extroversion, which can mean that the quieter people among us sometimes don’t get the credit they deserve. Show them you care this Christmas with a thoughtful gift of some beautiful stationery.

This can be especially great if you know someone who struggles with stress or their mental health, as there are some excellent options available to help support them. It’s also a good way of letting them know that you care.

We love the Joy Wellness Journal from Papier, which includes structured entries for your friend to track how they’re feeling. It has space for gratitude lists, meal planning, water intake and an area to write down ‘what went well today’.

Alternatively, the brand also offers beautifully designed notebooks and plain planners.

You could also go one step further and get them a Wellness Journal Gift Box from Wearth London. This also contains a face mask, candle and a bar of chocolate in a beautiful, eco-friendly gift box.

For the stylish one: a wallet made from reclaimed materials

Do you know someone who knows how to hunt down all the best sustainable fashion? Maybe they have an eye for the best finds in any second hand shop, or they’ve scoured the internet for the best new sustainable clothing brands?

It can be tricky to buy gifts for such a pro, so we’d recommend going with something which is both useful and timeless.

Here we turn to our friends over at Elvis + Kresse. This is a fabulous company makes stylish accessories out of reclaimed materials, including decommissioned fire hoses!

The result is a beautiful wallet (or purse) made from materials that would have otherwise gone to landfill. Their billfold wallet is vegan, can be easily wiped clean, and they’ll even repair it for life. If that wasn’t enough, half of the profits go to firefighters’ charities.

Related reading

• Vegan edible homemade gifts for Christmas 2021
• Our best festive vegan cocktails and canapés