Photo by Vítor Santos on Unsplash
Table of Contents
Reusable Coffee Cups
For the office worker or avid coffee lover, a reusable coffee cup could be the very gift to put a smile on the recipient’s face. Every day, thousands of workers make their way into cafes, lured by the smell of a rich espresso or creamy chai latte to kick-start their day. However, armed with a throw-away coffee cup, they are contributing to the growing waste problem.
Every year, we are putting millions of throw-away coffee cups into landfill, without them ever having a chance of seeing a recycling plant. In fact, of the 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste produced since the 1950s, including those coffee cups, only nine percent has been reused in some way. By gifting your friend a reusable coffee cup, you may just be preventing thousands of additional coffee cups from ending up in tips too.
Vermicompost Bin
It might not be for the squirmish, but a worm farm is the perfect gift for the eco-minded friend with a green thumb. Once established with a colony worms, you can recycle your kitchen scraps and turn them into the most amazing fertilizer for the garden. Microorganisms from those worms even help your plants to become more resistant to pests and disease. Vermicompost bins are available in various sizes and are easy to maintain. Just add your food waste and let the worms do all the hard work. Your friend is sure to appreciate the option to reuse food scraps opposed to throwing them away.
Fabric Shopping Bags
Several governments around the world have taken a stand against single-use lightweight plastic bags. Many countries have chosen to ban them, while others have imposed taxes for their use. You can make a difference by gifting your friends and family with fabric shopping bags. There are so many styles and colors to choose from, and by giving them a reason to stop using plastic bags, they are no longer taking their share of non-renewable resources.
Recycled stationery
For something a bit more tactile that will be useful for home or office, consider a beautiful stationery set made from recycled materials. Often, these sets are specifically designed to be gifted and feature cardboard encompassed pens and recycled paper bound with recycled cardboard covers.
Handmade soap
Body wash gift sets have long been a favorite gift option for your nearest and dearest. However, did you know the products you choose could be harming the environment? While a decision was made to ban microbeads in the United States, there are still many countries that allow these environmentally harmful practices to continue.
If you want to make a difference and not support those manufacturers who still insist on using plastic, consider handmade soap. You can try your hand at making it yourself or purchase it from an eco-friendly or local supplier. When beautifully gift wrapped, it makes for the perfect gift.
Healing the planet begins with the decisions that we make every day. When you’re looking for eco-friendly gifts for friends or family, know that whatever decision you make, you’re doing your part for the environment. Consider any of these five options for the perfect environmentally friendly gift.
