10 Ethical Christmas Gift Ideas To Consider This Year
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This Christmas, give the gift of ethics and sustainability with my guide to ethical gifts. From recycled fashion to zero-waste beauty, I’ve covered you with 10 eco-friendly and socially responsible present ideas.
One of the biggest challenges I have during Christmas is finding sustainable and ethical gifts for my loved ones. I’m sure I’m not the only one who struggles with this. But, shopping ethically and finding sustainable gifts is meaningful and is better for the Earth than conventional gifts.
However, shopping ethically is easier once you know what to look for. Besides, there are so many ethical small businesses and major brands globally that you can quickly find the most sustainable gift. In this post, I’m sharing ten ethical gift ideas to make shopping sustainable and easier.
Check Out These Sustainable Gift Guides!
What Are Ethical Gifts?
Most of us know that major retailers like Amazon and Walmart tend to put their company profits before the well-being of animals, the Earth, humans, and the environment. I’d be a hypocrite if I said I didn’t shop at these places. Still, I’ve recently started shopping with smaller businesses and shops on Etsy and online to minimize this contribution.
Shopping with these brands supports companies that use horrible and unethical practices such as child labor, animal cruelty, poverty wages, pollution, and inhumane working conditions.
On the other hand, ethical gifts and sustainable products are suitable for the environment and positively impact the Earth. To be ethically made means that the company is producing products that do not harm people, animals, or the environment.
So, if you’re like me and want to start shopping more ethically, here are some small business brands and ethical gift ideas to consider this Christmas.
Ethical Gift Ideas
Organic Cotton Totes & Travel Bags by Vaughan & Unwin
Vaughan & Unwin is a “London-born brand” that loves Turkey and its nature. They create woven totes and travel bags for every occasion. Each bag is designed with 100% organic Turkish cotton and is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified. These bags protect workers and animals during every stage of production. In addition, for every bag purchased, they plant a sapling on your behalf to the TEMA Foundation (The Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats).
The travel and tote bags are simple, bright, and cute, with vibrant patterns. I love how minimalistic these bags are, yet they have such a pretty Turkish pattern on each one. These bags are the perfect gift for travelers, adventurers, bloggers, mommies, and anyone carrying many things throughout the day.
If you’re in the United Kingdom, check them out at https://www.vaughanandunwin.com. Unfortunately, shipping is available only in the UK.
Vegan and Cruelty-Free Makeup From Bite Beauty
If you’re shopping for a beauty guru needing a new makeup palette or some foundation, introduce them to vegan, cruelty-free, and ethical makeup from Bite Beauty. Their products use superfoods with remarkable skincare benefits, such as oranges, sunflower seeds, grapes, passionfruit, and more.
Their vibrant and colorful makeup collections make them the perfect sustainable gifts for makeup artists or lovers. They have a palette and shade for every skin tone and skin type. Check out their website at https://www.bitebeauty.com.
Eco-Friendly Accessories from Embellished Truth
Embellished Truth is a sustainable accessories store in London that sells “trans-seasonal luxury” items such as handbags, clutches, and jewelry. Each bag is made with friendly leather from vegetable tans in Europe. The tanning process is free from chrome and other heavy metals and uses vegetable matter.
Each accessory is made to order with prints inspired by Indian culture and embellishments. For each addition purchased, 10% of the proceeds go to NHS COVID-19 Urgent Appeal. Another 5% goes to the charitable work of the Fashion Revolution to educate and help bring awareness and transparency to the social and environmental impact of the fashion industry if you buy their Truthful Warrior shirts.
Shop for the latest in high-fashion eco-accessories at https://embellishedtruth.com/
Organic Tees From PlainAndSimple
I have just the brand for you if you’re looking for something comfy and organic. PlainAndSimple creates premium organic t-shirts that are “made to be re-made.” The company’s mission is to reduce waste by producing premium quality essentials that last and can be re-made into new products at the end of their life.
As a result, they have created the most sustainable t-shirt with a lifetime guarantee and made by ethical manufacturers. You can never go wrong with gifting plain white or black tees, especially to men. It’s a classic gift and a fashion staple for all genders.
Shop for organic tees at https://www.plainandsimple.com/
Art Prints and Home Decor From Megan Heloise
Megan Heloise is a home decor and lifestyle brand in London. She creates gorgeous art prints, stationery, homeware, and stylish and sustainable gifts. All items are shipped in plastic-free packaging that’s widely recycled, and she uses soy wax, which is renewable, for the candles.
All of the products currently available are a celebration of women and nature. Her creations use simple bohemian and elegant lines, making these the perfect ethical gifts for a boss bade or the girl next door.
Shop for elegant and bohemian artwork and gifts at https://meganheloise.co.uk/
Non-Toxic Candles From Eco Candle Co.
Candles are the perfect gift for any holiday or occasion. However, you may get a toxic and heavily scented candle if you shop incorrectly. Eco-friendly candles such as the ones featured on Eco Candle Co. use 100% soy wax in their candles.
All their products are handmade in small batches to ensure freshness and quality. In addition, they use the best ingredients available and choose to work with socially and environmentally responsible companies.
Shop for high-quality candle gifts at https://ecocandleco.com/
Sustainable Toothbrushes From Barnaby’s Brushes
I know what you’re thinking. Gifting toothbrushes is weird on Christmas. But think about it. This would be the perfect Christmas gift for someone who prefers practical gifts or something unique. We all know the importance of brushing your teeth and switching your toothbrush every six months. However, we may not know how many toothbrushes are constantly found in the ocean and contribute to the sea’s destruction.
This is where Barnaby comes in. Barnaby’s Brushes uses a sustainable stainless steel handle with interchangeable bamboo heads to solve this problem. The bamboo part is biodegradable and decomposes, making it environmentally safer.
Shop for unique and eco-friendly toothbrushes at https://barnabysbrushes.com/
Eco-Friendly Cookware From Caraway
Are you looking for the perfect ceramic pot or cooking utensils? Then check out these eco-friendly kitchen utensils and products at Caraway. Caraway uses high-quality ceramic-coated aluminum cookware free of toxic materials that can make their way into food.
They produce less Carbon Dioxide during manufacturing, use recyclable cardboard, and include biodegradable cork trivets when shipping products. In addition, they support BSCI and SMETA-certified manufacturing partners where employees are safe, paid fairly, given benefits, and work regulated hours.
Give a loved one the gift of ethical cooking by shopping at https://www.carawayhome.com/.
Ethical Toys From Green Toys
If you’re shopping for the perfect Christmas gift for the little ones, I recommend shopping ethically with Green Toys. Green Toys uses 100% recycled milk jugs to create all its toys. In addition to using recyclable materials, each purchased toy that gets recycled helps save one gallon of water.
They have a toy for every child between the ages of newborn to 5. Some toys on their website include jump ropes, books, toy cars, stackable cups, and more. So, if you’re worried about your child playing with something potentially harmful, this is the company for you.
Shop for the cutest eco-friendly toys at https://www.greentoys.com/
Organic Scrunchies From Kooshoo
Scrunchies are the staple of every fashionista’s closet or makeup routine. However, some scrunchies are made unethically or use heavy elastics, which can damage your hair. At Kooshoo, they use organic fabric to create scrunchies knotted and dyed by hand.
They use fair-trade certified garment companies and organic cotton crops in every product. No synthetics and pesticide-heavy cotton are used to create the scrunchies. So, if you’re looking for an ethical gift to use as a stocking stuffer, this is perfect.
Shop for these ethical scrunchies at https://www.kooshoo.com/
Why You Should Shop Ethically This Year
I hope you enjoyed these ten ethical Christmas gift ideas to consider the next time you shop online. While shopping ethically is more complicated than conventional shopping, it’s essential to remember it this Christmas season. Unfortunately, as we shop, we tend to forget how the materials used to wrap, gift, and produce these products can potentially harm the animals, the environment, and ourselves in the long run.
The more you shop ethically, the more demand for ethically produced products will increase. So, sustainable shopping supports your values in the short term and paves the way for more options to be available down the road. Also, shopping ethically makes you feel more powerful and will make you feel suitable for contributing to a small change.
What did you think of these ethical gift ideas? Let me know in the comments.
That’s the first time I’ve seen a bamboo tooth brush with a steel handle. I use an electric toothbrush, so it’d be nice to see bamboo tooth brush heads I could use with that. Also, what’s soy wax? Never heard of that before
Hi, I love the idea of ethical brushes since it’s a common household item that we use every day. Soy wax is a candle wax made of soybean oil.
I love those art prints!! Thanks for sharing this
Katie, The prints are super cute.
love all these suggestions – especially those travel bags and the non-toxic candles. i never realized how bad candles are for us and our pets to breath in. i’m glad companies are creating healthier / safer options.
Hi, Me too. I never knew about soy wax candles until I started being slightly more ethical when shopping for items during the pandemic. The travel bags are cute, and I love the simple designs on them.
Thanks for sharing. We’ve been looking for items from smaller companies to gift this year.
Angel, I’m glad this ethical gift guide could help. I’m also shopping small this year.
I love these ideas thank you I am forever looking for this style of presents for my family.
Jeanine, Me too. Shopping ethically is so hard, especially around the holidays.
I love this list! I have been trying to make some more ethical choices with spending my money and these are wonderful ideas. The prints and candles are on my Christmas list now!
Kaybee, Yay, I’m glad that you like the prints and candles. I personally love the t-shirts. I have added a few of these companies to my shopping list this year.
Sustainable gifts are the way forward. I love the bamboo toothbrushes.
Jamie, I’ve never used bamboo brushes. How do they feel? I’m considering getting a few for the family so we can start being more ethical.
This is a nice list of ways to gift your loved ones and the planet at the same time. Thanks!
Lesie, You’re welcome! I hope you can shop slightly ethically this year.
Love your sustainable gift ideas
Jean, thanks!
I’m trying to make more of an effort to shop more ethically so these recommendations are very helpful, thank you so much for sharing x
Soffy, I am also trying to be more sustainable this year. Thanks a lot for reading.
I love art prints and scented candles. Thanks for the gift ideas
Rayo,
You’re welcome. I love the art prints too.
Some of these items are amazing.
Never seen a bamboo toothbrush before. Really like the look of the candles and toys. Will check them out.
Hi, I bought a few of these toothbrushes recently. Enjoy Christmas shopping, ethically, of course.
Reusable cloth gift bags are my favorite – I’ve been using them for years and always collect them once the holidays are done so I can use them again and again! This is a fantastic list with lots of great ideas, the scrunchie looks so soft and I love the candles!
Hi Alex,
Thanks for reading. I love reusable bags, especially soft ones. I have a ton of them that I use for so many different reasons. I hope you’ll shop with any of these small businesses.
Those scrunchies look absolutely adorable! Last year we did a donation to a couple of charities rather than a present each.
Simona,
Thanks for reading the gift guide. Charities are always an excellent option for Christmas. I hope to do so soon.
I love the green toys! They’re so cute looking too. It’s a really good reminder to shop ethical when it comes to toys!
Corinne x
Corrine,
I really agree. Children are more likely to get sick from toxic chemicals, so shopping green and ethically is a great way to give them the gift of fun and safety.