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DECEMBER 16, 2022

A Guide to Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas

A Guide to Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Did you know that plastic pollution in the Philippines accounts for around one-third of plastic waste emitted into the ocean? It's not a good number, but don't be discouraged! We can still do our part to live more conscious and sustainable lives–our gifting habits included.

Here are some sustainable gift ideas for the holiday season:

1. Homemade Gifts

Often, homemade gifts are more meaningful than store-bought presents. After all, nothing beats a personalized present! Remember to consider their interests and personalities when choosing the idea. If you feel stuck (or maybe their hobbies are a bit hard to get gifts for), you can try engraving their name or a special message on the present.

Want your gifts to be extra sustainable? Think of home-baked goods like cookies, cakes, and chips or knitted items like coasters or coin purses.

2. Ecobags or Reusable Tote Bags

A crazy amount of plastic bags are thrown away each year, especially during the holidays. Reusable bags are practical and great for everyone (we all have stuff!). You can go for tote bags with cute patterns or cuts if you want something chicer. There are also designs with zippers, pockets, and compartments that fit all kinds of styles.

If you want to take it a step further, use reusable wrapping paper! You can use anything from old newspapers to colored magazine pages to wrap your presents. Store-bought wrapping papers are cute, but they can also be expensive and might end up in the landfill after just one month.

3. Office and Home Essentials

Coffee mugs or water bottles are simple but sensible presents for your friends who enjoy preparing beverages. There are tons of sustainable options too! Try to go for mugs and water bottles with good thermal insulation. They keep iced drinks colder for longer, reducing the need for refrigeration.

As a bonus, you can add a stainless-steel straw or a wooden spoon for stirring. They are better than using disposable plastic utensils!

4. Personal Care Items

Give the gift of self-care this Christmas! This has been a long year for most people, so why not give them well-deserved self-care essentials? It's hard to go wrong with aromatic body washes, creamy lotions, or hair products. Remember: the secret is in the scent!

If you're overwhelmed with how to start, try to think of it as a process from head to toe: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion. You can check Firsthand Supply for the best-smelling body cleanser you'll ever use. Their packaging is made from recycled milk jugs (bonus eco-friendly points!)

For your friends who like going to the salon, get them Naturally Drenched's Rebalance Pre-Conditioner Treatment. It's formulated to be incredibly nourishing and hydrating, and the bottle is made from recyclable aluminum.

If bathroom items aren't your thing, you can opt for facial tools. Some of our bestselling tools are the Reusable Cotton Rounds, Razors, and Loofas. All these items are sustainable, reusable, and great for gifting!

5. Vouchers and Digital Gift Cards 

Yes, you read that right! Gifts don't have to be physical to be great. Sometimes, the best gifts are in the form of well-chosen vouchers and gift cards. Think of spa days, concerts, meal vouchers, or virtual learning experiences. The opportunities are endless!

Running out of time to go gift shopping? We have digital gift cards that can make gifting easy! They go from PHP500 to PHP5,000, so you can let the lucky recipient choose from our curated skincare and self-care essentials. The best part is that they won't get thrown away. That's one less piece of waste in our oceans!

You can also check the Christmas gift boxes we designed with Run Rabbit Run. Each gift box contains an immersive and luxurious spa experience that you can have at home. Look out for limited edition cocktails, skincare bestsellers, and the most aromatic scented candles. Read more about it here.

6. Period Care Package

Periods are the worst. Your body is in pain, your hormones are going haywire, and all you want to do is rest. But with period care packages, they don't have to be so bad! These gift ideas often contain sweets and chips for cravings, menstrual care essentials like pads or tampons, and other feel-good items like stuffed toys or sheet masks.

You can elevate your period care package by switching out the disposable menstrual products with reusable period essentials from Scarlet. They carry a line of period underwear & cups for all ages, and their products are designed to be ultra-comfortable and durable for the long run.

The Scarlet Everyday Brief can last anywhere from 2 to 10 years, depending on how they're taken care of. By switching to reusable options, we can save 45 billion period products annually going to our landfills.

7. Upcycled Clothing 

You might have heard about this idea before, given that it's a trendy term. Upcycled clothing means using old clothes, fabrics, or vintage garments and transforming them into new items worth more than the originals.

Instead of buying new clothes to gift to your loved ones, try to explore locally upcycled clothes to be more sustainable. Some brands worth checking are Craftcha, Ara Pilak, or And Again Clothing.

These eco-friendly gift ideas are not the immediate solution to eliminating plastics from going into our oceans. However, they can be the start of our collective effort to make our planet more livable! At the end of the day, the holiday season should benefit everyone. Our gifting habits should also honor all species which depend on the ocean for food and habitat.

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