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Here’s a round up of some great zero waste Christmas gift ideas for friends and family.
ZERO WASTE CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS
Is it possible to give a zero waste Christmas gift?
Yes!
Christmas is a time of year often associated with excess.
But it is totally possible for us all to do our bit to reduce the amount of waste and over-consumption of yet more STUFF by consciously choosing to gift a zero waste gift this Christmas.
Great ways to tackle the zero waste gift challenge include creating handmade gifts, shopping for pre-loved second hand gifts, giving experiences instead of physical gifts or giving gifts that aren’t swathed in single-use plastic.
Of course one of the best ways to deal with zero waste Christmas gifts is to do what the adults in our family have done for the last few years.
We selected a charity and all agreed to gift money to that charity on behalf of every adult who we would previously have bought a gift for.
But if you really love gift giving in its truest sense, but want to do your bit for zero waste, here’s a list of ideas for zero waste Christmas gifts you can give to the ones you love this Christmas.
27 Zero waste Christmas gift ideas
1. Reusable bamboo fibre coffee cup
Did you know that around 100 billion single-use coffee cups go to landfill each year?
These make great zero waste Christmas gift ideas for anyone who loves coffee.
Not only will you be helping them towards zero waste, you’ll also be helping them save money if they make their coffee at home.
2. Experiences
Give an experience!
Half of the joy for the recipient will be that you’ve done all the organising.
Here are a few ideas to pique your imagination…
Tickets to a sporting event, tickets to the recipient’s favourite band, a brewery or wine tour, pre-book and pay for a meal at a restaurant.
3. Mason Jar gifts
Mason Jars are brilliant!
Of course they are great for storage.
But they are also great for creating homemade gifts in.
How gorgeous is it to receive all the kit you need to make delicious chocolate brownies?
I love this simple Mason Jar brownie gift idea from Baking With Granny.
Then… the Mason Jar can be made use of once the gift is used.
4. Plant seeds or plants
Either gift seeds for plants that can be planted in the spring.
Go for vegetable seeds and you’re also giving the gift of food!
Or gift a plant.
Do your research and make sure the plant is suitable for the person you’re giving it to.
Maybe stick to cacti if they aren’t great at remembering to water!!
Scott & Co. Seed Sac Gift | Buy now
5. Stainless steel water bottle
Single-use plastic is a massive issue.
Reducing the amount of single-use plastic bottles of water and juice bought each year will go a long way to helping reduce the amount of single-use plastic in the world.
Buying a stainless steel water bottle is a GREAT way to do this.
Bonus – they come in all sorts of cool colours and patterns and because they are stainless steel, they keep water at a lovely drinkable temperature.
I literally take my water bottle with me every day.
Stainless steel water bottle | Buy now
6. Online lessons
Now here is a truly zero waste Christmas gift idea!
The array of courses and lessons you can now take online is quite staggering.
Whether you know someone who loves to craft or someone who would love to improve their photography, there is a course out there.
There are also courses for health and fitness, learning to play a musical instrument and all manor of academic and vocational subjects.
Udemy is a huge online learning place that offers over 8000 online courses with everything from photography to computer coding and cookery.
7. Glass liquid soap dispenser
Want to buy someone special something special for their home as a Christmas gift?
A glass liquid soap dispenser can come in many styles and means that it just needs to be refilled – there are companies like Method who do liquid soap refills – rather than being replaced with a new dispenser every time the soap runs out.
Eco-jars soap dispenser | Buy now
8. Soda Stream with glass bottle
How very retro!
Anyone growing up in the 80s would likely have got bizzy with a fizzy Soda Stream.
Then they went totally out of favour.
But Soda Stream is BACK!
We’ve had one for three years and absolutely love it.
Plus we have a bunch of friends and family who also now have them as a result of seeing ours in action.
Just make sure to go with the Soda Stream with the glass water bottle if you want to be super eco-friendly.
9. Homemade sweets and candy
Now this is one for if you have the time… and the willpower!
Homemade candy is the most delicious gift to give.
Use a Mason Jar to gift it in for an extra special touch
One of the most popular Christmas posts on Mums Make Lists is for Christmas candy recipes.
We’ve also got a post specifically on candy you can make in the slow cooker... Crockpot candy recipes.
10. Vintage jewellery
Now this doesn’t have to be hugely expensive.
You can find some wonderful vintage pieces that will feel unique to their owner.
If you’ve not got time to trawl vintage fairs and stores, pop over to Etsy.
They have a wide array of vintage jewellery pieces at all price points.
I hope these ideas have got you started with your Zero waste Christmas gift list.
I’ll add to the list as ideas come to mind.
More zero waste Christmas gift ideas
Here’s a bunch of other ideas that should hopefully help get you inspired...
- Reusable cosmetic pads (cotton wool)
- Reusable sandwichbags
- Digital magazine subscription
- Homemade spice blends
- Family photography gift vouchers
- Solid shampoo and conditioner bars – Lush make great ones!
- Organic bamboo kitchen equipment – chopping boards, utensils, dish cloths
- Bulk bags of delicious fairtrade coffee
- Homemade infused olive oil – super quick to make but highly impressive presented in a glass bottle
- Soy wax candles in glass containers
- Bamboo travel utensils
- Bee’s Wrap Reusable Wraps
- Massage gift certificate
- Netflix or Now TV subscription
- Local art
- Stainless steel food containers
- Stainless steel drinking straws
More zero waste
Want more on zero waste and reducing your single-use plastic use?
Read these popular posts…
- Zero waste Christmas ideas – how to have a zero waste Christmas
- Plastic free living tips – 7 single use plastics to ditch now
- 6 Easy ways to reduce YOUR plastic footprint
- 9 Zero Waste Bathroom Single-Use Plastic Swaps
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Luci is the founder of Mums Make Lists (Est. 2011). Over the last decade or so, she has used her experience as a mum to create useful guides to organising family life. During that time, she has found the most joy in creating lists of ideas and inspiration to make it easier for busy parents to plan and host kids’ parties and find great gifts. Read more.