This year, why not give a gift that doesn’t end up in a landfill. Give the gift of GREEN!

We are all trying to make the world a better place. And every little bit helps. This year we have started composting, we try and avoid buying plastic when we can and we really try not to buy bottled water when we go out (dammit sometimes I forget my water bottle, but I am getting better!).

With Christmas not far away, my thoughts have gone to what I’m buying for the family this year… and how I can make Christmas awesome whilst still thinking of being green. Here are some of my suggestions!

1. The Gift of Travel and Experience

Giving the gift of travel and experience means that there is no waste, and you are giving the gift of memories!

Websites to check out:

Contiki

Take Me Tour

2. Reusable Bags

Yes we always leave our bags in the back of the car – it happens all the time (gah so hard to remember) – but if you can get some reusable bags that fold down to almost nothing, you can keep them in your handbag and thus – never forget!!!

We love these:

3. Food Wraps, Bags, and Covers

The perfect way to store food in the fridge as a substitute for plastic wrap.

We love these Queen B Beeswax Wraps (3 pack of large) from Biome Eco Store.

4. Gardening Must-Haves

We bought ourselves a composting bin only a few months ago and it has been life-changing with all of our food scraps now going into making great fertiliser for our vegetable patch.

Our Picks:

5. Personal Yet Practical Eco Gifts

Menstrual Cups

Sure, they are personal. But they save women so much money and they are very handy!

Our picks:

6. Bath and Beauty

Avoid buying plastic containers full of chemicals for your hair.  Instead, try these beautiful and natural shampoo bars!  No waste and gentle!

7. Books on Sustainability

Rhonda Hetzel is a retired journalist and technical writer best known for her award-winning blog, ‘Down to Earth’.  Full of handy hints and gentle, practical advice. Rhonda lives the simple life and shares in this book her many experiences on how to go about simplifying and starting your own Down to Earth life.

8. Slow Fashion

Fast fashion is one of the biggest contributors to waste and pollution. And although we can’t blame people for using and buying fast fashion (it’s okay, we’re not judging you!) and we have been wearing fast fashion for a long time, too, we’re also trying out best to shift slowly, too. If you want to shop from brands that use eco-friendly methods and promote sustainable fashion, here are our picks:

9. Go Second-hand:

We need to get rid of the ‘ick’ factor when it comes to second hand goods.  Second hand is good for the environment and sustainable – so go have a look at your local Op Shop to see what they might have to offer.

Some ideas on gifts from a second hand store include:

• A great novel from an op shop
• Some retro cookware
• A vintage style velvet jacket

10. Travel Essentials

One of the many occasions where we use a looot of plastic is whenever we travel so bottles and other eco-friendly travel essentials will definitely be useful!

How will you be eco-friendly this Christmas?