12 Days of Blogmas: Day 8 🎀

On the eighth day of Christmas, GingerLeafLiving gave to me……………………………… Eco-friendly gifting ideas!

How do you help someone have their most sustainable year in 2025? The biggest results will come from lobbying for large scale political and systems change, but as for something you can fit under a tree, here are a few ideas of more eco-friendly gifts you can gift this year to help those around you lessen their impact on the planet.

• Firstly, when shopping for ideas, there are lots of eco gifting options for you to browse to find the perfect gift. You can visit your local waste free shop for browsing packaging free gifts (and refilling your store cupboard staples!) or use websites like the Ethical Superstore and a range of eco gifting sites to help you pick presents that have been selected for their minimal impact but maximum enjoyment. Just an internet search away!

• Reusable water bottle – Still know somebody who uses disposable plastic water bottles every day? Get them a bottle they won’t want to be without! With so many designs and styles to choose from, including insulated for hot and cold drinks, gifting someone a water bottle they will enjoy using is an easy way to change hydration habits into the new year and beyond 💦

• Beauty – Know a skin care connoisseur? The beauty industry can be full of disposable products and packaging, so set them up for a waste-free year with useful gifts, such as washable/reusable make-up pads, solid shampoo bars or even setting them up with a refill subscription service, such as for deodorant, razors or shower gels (check out Wild). Making the products we use everyday more sustainable has a big impact over time, so taking the first step towards a more eco-friendly bathroom is a thoughtful and impactful gift 🫧

• Seeds – If someone you know has a garden, or even a space for pots on a balcony or patio, gifting seeds for wildflowers or vegetable growing is a lovely way of getting people started into introducing plants into their space and making their outdoor areas more wildlife friendly. There are seed mixes for a variety of spaces and functions, for example butterfly or bee friendly mixes. Or if your recipient is a keen cook, gifting herb or vegetable seeds so they can grow their own would be a great way of supplying them with produce long after the Christmas season. What better gift than something you can enjoying watching grow and flourish throughout the year! 🌼🐝🦋

• Reusable coffee cup – We’ve all been there: you decide to get a takeaway drink but then remember you have left your reusable cup at home or it won’t fit in your bag. Gifting a collapsible cup will not only space on single-use cups used, but is easy to carry around due to its ability to collapse to a smaller size (see example here). There are plenty of colours and designs to choose from to make sure you get one your loved will will be sure to never forget! ☕

• Stationery – Perfect for students and planners alike, sustainable stationery makes a great gift. A few years ago I was gifted a notebook and set of paper pens from Eco Scribe which I have just finished using and really enjoyed! The pens are plastic free and once used up can be separated to recycle each of the parts. A fantastic edition to desks and homes for the New Year 📝

There are plenty more ideas out there, from more eco-friendly cleaning kits, to ethical chocolate and reusable bags. If you think someone in your life is lacking something that would make their life easier and more sustainable, a gift that helps them achieve this would be the perfect thing to find under the tree. Maybe browsing these sites and ethical shops will give yourself some wish list ideas too!