Christmas Gift Guide: Top 15 Sustainable Gifts for 2019By Francesca Brooking
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year but it can also be the most wasteful. So, we’ve put together a round-up of 15 gorgeous gifts that are kind to the planet too. Discover our top sustainable Christmas gifts for 2019 (and if you’re in need of some more inspiration, check out our charity Christmas gift guide here):
1. Best Gadget: House of Marley Liberate Air Wireless Earbuds
What: House of Marley Liberate Air Wireless Earbuds (£129.99)
The lowdown: It doesn’t get much better than House of Marley’s Liberate Air Wireless Earbuds for the eco-conscious music lover in your life. Made from bamboo, natural wood fibre composite and Marley’s signature REWIND™ fabric, the earbuds are sustainable, sweat-proof and water-resistant. A 9-hour on-board playtime and a combined total of 32 hours in the case give these earbuds an impressive battery life, making them the perfect companion on the go. The sleek compact case is designed with an auto on/off feature to accommodate Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and tap controls on the earbuds allow for an easy unchained listening experience. Compact, lightweight and stylish, they’re one of our favourite must-have sustainable Christmas gifts this year.
Where: House of Marley online, Amazon and Argos.
2. Best Positive Social Impact Collection: WAWWA Clothing
What: WAWWA Clothing See the Wood Black Organic Pullover Hoody (£60)
The lowdown: Sustainable Manchester clothing brand, WAWWA Clothing makes organic, vegan, planet-friendly clothing with a positive social impact. The brand’s new AW19 collection ‘Can’t See the Wood’ was designed as a reactionary ode to the beauty of nature and forests following the increasing number of global wildfires. A hero piece of this new collection is WAWWA Clothing’s See the Wood Black Organic Pullover Hoody, a black, timeless piece made out of 100% organic cotton. The hoody is Fairtrade approved and manufactured using renewable energy. An eye-catching screenprint made with water-based inks is emblazoned on the back. Easy-to-wear and oh-so-comfortable, this hoody is an ideal staple for those chilly winter days while raising awareness about the state of our planet.
Where: WAWWA Clothing online.
3. Best Sustainable Coffee Gift: Grind At Home
What: Grind At Home (starts from £9).
The lowdown: Cult high-street coffee brand Grind has now made it possible for customers to enjoy its coffee in the comfort of their own home with its Grind At Home collection – and it’s sustainable! One of our top sustainable Christmas gifts for coffee lovers, the collection starts from £9 for the Whole Bean and Ground Coffee tins. Choose from Grind’s House Blend with hints of chocolate, hazelnut and cream or the Black Blend with lighter floral notes. Both coffees are certified by the Soil Association, which means that they contain no nasties, pesticides, chemicals or solvents and both flavours come in Grind’s signature stylish pink tins. Fans of Nespresso will love Grind’s latest addition to the collection: the UK’s first-ever completely compostable Nespresso coffee pods. These compatible coffee pods are made entirely from bio-plastic so they disappear after a few weeks in your food waste or compost bin. The prices for the Nespresso pods start from £10 for 21 pods with a letterbox-friendly subscription from £12.99 per month.
Where: Grind online.
4. Best Single-Use Alternatives: Sky Ocean Rescue Pass On Plastic Collection
What: Sky Ocean Rescue Pass On Plastic Collection (starts from £15).
The lowdown: Sky Ocean Rescue has teamed up with ocean conservation movement Project 0 and top celebrities including Kate Moss, Harry Kane, Cara Delevingne, Sienna Miller, Rita Ora, HRH Princess Eugenie of York, Fearne Cotton, Ronnie Wood, Will Poulter and Bob Geldof to launch a reusable limited-edition product range to encourage people to #PassOnPlastic. Each celebrity has their own signed range of reusable products, which includes a reusable water bottle (£25), a coffee cup (£17.50), a tote bag (£15), an on-the-go cutlery set (£15) and a three-piece beeswax wrap set (£20). All proceeds from the Pass On Plastic range goes towards initiatives protecting ocean health, including Sky Ocean Rescue’s partnership with WWF. An ideal Christmas gift for those wanting to cut down on plastic, each product in the range offers a reusable alternative to the 5 most common single-use plastic items contributing to the quarter of a tonne of plastic entering our oceans every second.
Where: Sky online.
5. Best Zero-Waste Winter Product: Coffee Logs
What: Coffee Logs (£7.99)
The lowdown: I know what you’re thinking. Lumps of coal under the Christmas tree aren’t exactly what everyone dreams about – but hear me out. Coffee Logs are no ordinary fireplace fodder. A thoughtful gift for those who love to snuggle up in front of a roaring fire (or maybe just for yourself), Coffee Logs are one of the UK’s pioneering products making both coffee and fireplaces more sustainable. Each day, 95 million cups of coffee are consumed in the UK alone which creates thousands of tonnes of coffee bean waste. However, bio-bean recycles this waste into eco heating briquettes suitable for wood-burners and multi-fuel stoves. Known as Coffee Logs, these briquettes are a sustainable alternative to wood or other conventional fossil fuels. The grounds from 25 cups of coffee are packed into one log alone.
Where: B&Q and Morrisons and online Amazon, Ocado and LogsDirect.
6. Best Zero-Waste Beauty: Ethique
What: Ethique Gift Trial Pack for Normal Skin & Hair (£11)
The lowdown: Award-winning New Zealand-based Ethique is the world’s first zero-waste beauty and lifestyle brand and it’s adored across the globe. The natural beauty brand creates solid bar products in the place of plastic-packaged liquid formulas. Only using 100% compostable packaging where necessary, Ethique has saved 5 million plastic bottles from manufacture, and therefore landfill, since 2012. It offers skincare, haircare, bath and body care and every product is vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and made with high-quality, sustainable Fairtrade ingredients. Ethique’s Gift Trial Pack for Normal Skin & Hair makes a great sustainable beauty gift. It contains fan favourites including Pinkalicious and Wonderbar for hair, Bliss Bar for face and Sweet Orange & Vanilla for body. It’s one of our favourite sustainable Christmas gifts for beauty lovers.
Where: Holland & Barrett nationwide and Ethique online.
7. Best Sustainable Swimwear: Stay Wild Swim Collection
What: Stay Wild Swim Collection (from £70 – £170)
The lowdown: Stay Wild Swim is a zero-waste luxury swimwear brand which makes all of its products out of recycled ocean plastic. Each piece is made from ECONYL® yarn, a regenerated nylon created from fishing nets and other plastic waste rescued from oceans and landfills worldwide.and thread made of upcycled PET bottles and innovative hygiene layers from biodegradable tree pulp. The brand, which was first established to tackle the global plastic crisis, has a stylish line of swimwear, t-shirts and reusable water bottles with an important environmental message at its core. A Christmas gift for beach lovers, Stay Wild Swim swimwear is elegant, sophisticated and timeless and can fit a range of body shapes.
Where: Selfridges and Stay Wild Swim online.
8. Best Fashion Essentials: SANVT The Perfect T-Shirt
What: SANVT The Perfect T-Shirt (£35 Men / Women)
The lowdown: Imagine if you found the perfect t-shirt? Sustainable fashion brand SANVT is making that a possibility with its Perfect T-Shirt for both men and women. Specialising in high-quality essentials, SANVT is a brand which is dedicated to reversing the trend of unsustainable practises in the fashion industry. Investing in high-quality materials, the brand ensures that its products are made to last. The brand is now officially carbon neutral, all packaging is plastic-free, employees from top to bottom are treated fairly and each Perfect T-Shirt generates 5kg of CO2 which is about 50% lower than a conventionally produced t-shirt. The Perfect T-Shirt comes in 3 neutral colours: black, grey and white for a style that can be worn with anything. Both comfortable and sustainable it’s the perfect staple gift for any wardrobe.
Where: SANVT online Men / Women.
9. Best Sustainable Activewear: Nimble
What: Nimble Activewear Collection (various prices)
The lowdown: Providing the perfect Christmas gift for eco-conscious fitness lovers, Nimble is an Australian activewear brand that places ethics and quality at the heart of its business. The brand’s activewear collection is proudly designed by women for women and it’s made to the highest quality using its range of custom-engineered fabrics, MoveLite and COMPRESSLITE™ from post-consumer used plastics. A total of 6 recycled plastic bottles are spun into every pair of Nimble leggings which amounts to over 800,000 bottles saved from landfill this year. What’s more, the activewear range is super comfortable, flattering and supportive, helping you reach your peak physical performance every workout. You can’t go wrong with these sustainable Christmas gifts.
Where: Selfridges, Browns and Nimble online.
10. Best Eco Running Shoe: Giesswein Merino Wool Runners
What: Giesswein Merino Wool Runners (£119 Men / Women)
The lowdown: Giesswein’s 100% merino wool footwear collection gives wearers the gift of sustainable and long-lasting comfort. The brand implements a 0% waste policy throughout the entire production of its merino wool trainers. Giesswein’s Merino Wool Runners are not only eco-friendly but they provide wearers with maximum comfort and grip. The super lightweight and flexible qualities of the shoe makes it ideal for travel and being on your feet all day. The natural properties of Merino wool keep your feet warm in winter and cool in summer, providing superior temperature control. The wool is soft and odour-resistant, creating the perfect shoe to accompany your active lifestyle.
Where: Giesswein online men and women.
11. Best Feminine Protection: Modibodi Sensual Hi-Waist Bikini
What: Modibodi Sensual Hi-Waist Bikini (£20)
The lowdown: Australian underwear brand, Modibodi is leading the charge on eco-friendly period and leak-free underwear. Combining style with science and modern technology, Modibodi’s underwear collection is designed to empower women while taking care of the environment. Made to be worn without the need for a pad or tampon, the Modibodi Sensual Hi-Waist Bikini helps to drastically reduce the amount of period-products which end up in landfills. A single pad can take up to 500 years to break down whereas the Hi-Waist Bikini is designed to be worn, washed and worn again. A handy sustainable stocking filler, the bikini comes in 4 colours: black, blue horizon, beige and grey mist, and with a pretty, soft lace waistline and higher leg that sits on the hip, it’s both stylish and comfortable.
Where: Modibodi online.
12. Best Homeware: LIND DNA Monstera Autumn Leaf Table Mat Collection
What: LIND DNA Autumn Leaf Table Mat Collection (large w 35 x l 42 for £20, small w 22 x l 26 for £12)
The lowdown: Homeware brand LIND DNA is bringing chic sustainability into the home with its new Monstera leaf table mat collection. A simple gift for those on a mission to make their homes more sustainable, these leaf-shaped mats are a stunning statement on the dining table. Their look and feel varies with the different leather surfaces so you can have a myriad of options to mix and match colours and surface structures. The colours to choose from are gold, sienna, nature, black and burned cherry so you can create your favourite combination depending on the mood, season and style of your dining decor. The leather in question is made from the recycled leather of furniture, bag or shoe productions which are mixed with the natural rubber of trees to create a durable, sustainable and sleek design.
Where: LIND DNA online.
13. Best Eco Herb Garden: Seedball Italian Herb kitchen Grow Kit
What: Seedball Italian Herb Kitchen Grow Kit (£18)
The lowdown: One of our top sustainable Christmas gifts for plant lovers, Seedball’s Italian Herb Kitchen Grow Kit is a fun and easy way to start growing your own parsley, basil and oregano from seed. Each recycled aluminium pod contains two peat-free coir disks and one seedball with five to ten organic herb seeds. Simply fill up the pod with warm water and watch the coir disc expand and then place the seed ball on top so it can soak up enough moisture to grow. A beautiful addition to any kitchen window, each seed ball has its own mini-ecosystem which protects them from harm and gives them all the nutrition they need to start sprouting. It’s a 100% green gift made from organic, recycled and natural materials that can be reused and recycled.
Where: Seedball online.
14. Best Sustainable Luxury Makeup Brushes: Artis Elite 3 Brush Set
What: Artis Elite 3 Brush Set in Rose Gold (£104.44)
The lowdown: Dubbed ‘the Rolls Royce’ of makeup applicators, Artis’ luxury makeup brushes are loved by many, including Oprah and Kylie Jenner. It’s no secret that they come with a hefty price but you may be surprised to learn that these bad boys of makeup are both certified vegan and cruelty-free. The bristles on an Artis brush are made with a proprietary synthetic fibre called CosmeFibre instead of animal hair. It does mean that it’s plastic but synthetics are still currently the only vegan alternative to animal products. To compensate, the handles on the Artis Elite Collection are made from metal with a rubber grip and, unlike animal hair, the CosmeFibre is non-absorbent, meaning that you apply less makeup which saves on waste and money. The Artis Elite 3 Brush Set is versatile, stunning and long-lasting, and makes for a great luxury sustainable beauty gift.
Where: Artis online.
15. Best Zero-Waste Gift Experience: Buyagift
What: Buyagift Gift Experiences (prices vary depending on the experience)
The lowdown: The ultimate sustainable gift you can give is not materialistic but memories to cherish. This year Buyagift is on a mission to encourage eco-friendly gifting and it has partnered with Cool Earth to offset four times the amount of carbon generated by the experiences it offers. Just some experiences on offer include a terrarium workshop (from £69), in which participants design a self-sustaining indoor botanical garden to take home, a vegan cookery class (from £49) and eco camping in a solar-powered hut or yurt (from £45). Simply buy the gift online, receive a voucher by email or post, log onto the voucher website and contact provider to book the experience. Make your sustainable Christmas gifts memorable with Buyagift.
Where: Buyagift online.
