Best ethical gifts: great eco-friendly presents for the environmentally conscious
No need for waste when it comes to presents
Christmas, for its many positives, is not a particularly environmentally friendly holiday. Food waste is at an all time high, seemingly everything comes wrapped in useless single-use plastic, and novelty toys, played with once and then discarded, end up scattered all over the house before eventually being chucked.
When you're trying to be a bit more environmentally conscious, this can be a pretty depressing spectacle. But it's not impossible to have a slightly more eco-friendly Christmas – and some of it's down to the gifts you buy.
We've collated the best vegan, vegetarian, plastic-free and ethical gifts out there so you can spread festive cheer with a clear conscience.
- Best vegan cookbooks 2019: brilliant vegan recipes you need in your life
- Best vegan chocolate: dairy-free and plant-based treats
Best ethical Christmas gifts
If you want pampering without the plastic, this is the one for you. Containing two bamboo toothbrushes, a bamboo face cloth, a pumice stone made from natural lava, and a vegan soap, this is the perfect set for anybody who needs a bit of me time.
Orange and cardamom marmalade can be smeared on toast, used in cooking or even in cocktails. But what makes this pot special is that £1.50 of all profits are donated to the Hands Up Foundation, which supports aid projects in Syria. Five jars would buy a school bag, a uniform or a set of books for a child in a refugee camp – so you may as well get one for all the family.
Over the course of our lives we use hundreds of shampoo and conditioner bottles – so why not cut out the middleman and get a solid bar?
This rosemary and lime solid conditioner bar will leave hair soft – and smelling great – as well as being incredibly long lasting. If drained properly and used three times a week, it'll last three months: much better than a cheap bottle.
A lovely little stocking filler, this bright and bold scrunchie is made in Malawi from ethically sourced cotton.
Instead of chucking away endless disposable plastic razors, why not give someone a plastic-free bamboo one? It works well, it reduces plastic, and it looks really cool in the bathroom, too.
Being vegan shouldn't mean you miss out on the best Christmas treats. This vegan pannetone, which comes in classic, chocolate and mixed berries, will greatly please the plant-based people in your life.
Made by a Fair Trade organisation in Swaziland, these earrings are made with recycled paper. All products are "made with love" – and they're gorgeous, too.
If you're trying to reduce the number of *things* you're buying this Christmas and you'd prefer to give something more meaningful, this is a perfect choice. This gift provides a life-saving vaccine pack, which helps protect vulnerable children from dangerous diseases – an absolutelyfantastic present.
