Are you already thinking about Christmas presents? Here in Berlin, autumn with its changeable weather has already arrived and we want to make ourselves comfortable indoors. For us, the autumn and winter months are a time of contemplation and coziness. We treat ourselves to good food, we do puzzles and play board games - we simply want to have our loved ones around us.
But you probably know that feeling before Christmas: the next few months are often characterized by consumption. Black Friday encourages bargain hunting and then comes the pre-Christmas period and the stress of buying presents. We would like to share with you 7 tips for sustainable (Christmas) presents so that the autumn and winter months don't degenerate into stress and the focus is on joy.
1. Tip: What is needed?
What do you or the person you are giving the gift to really need?
Gifts are a nice gesture, but they only make people happy when they are needed. So try to give fewer gifts and choose each one carefully. We recommend that you put yourself in the shoes of the person you are giving the gift to: Can you fulfill a wish? What would be good for the person? How can your gift promote a healthy trait, reduce stress or improve their well-being?
Our personal favorites for the feel-good effect are handmade candles, a board game or a nice puzzle, as well as high-quality oil or vinegar in a special flavor.
Tip 2: Sustainability at all levels
Do you want to put a smile on someone's face with your gift and do something good for the environment at the same time? There are a few criteria that you can use to identify truly sustainable products and make sure that you don't fall for greenwashing 🙂
You will have the greatest impact if you focus on quality and durability and prefer to buy a high-quality gift instead of many cheap products. There are many sustainable products from small regional manufacturers that are great as gifts. The use of recycled and natural materials, fair production, as well as vegan and organic ingredients are strong signs of more sustainable products. When searching, make sure that you find a lot of information about the materials, that the team is introduced and that the production locations along the entire value chain are described and question absolute statements such as “Made in Germany” (here it is often not mentioned that only the last step, such as printing or packaging, takes place in Germany).
Our personal sustainable favorites are houseplants, beeswax candles, natural cosmetics and reusable products such as glass straws, jute bags and glass drinking bottles. (Do you already know our CARRY Bottles? Discover HERE our diverse and lovingly designed bottles.)
3. Tip: Gifts with donations
Have you ever thought about who your gift will benefit?
We usually give gifts to a specific person, but a sustainable gift also has a positive impact on the environment and on the people who made it. If you want to actively support this, you can choose a gift with a donation component. There are now many companies that support great projects. We also have a few beautiful bottle designs with which we plant wildflowers for bees , support the Berlin animal shelter andfight breast cancer .
There are also exciting initiatives where you can “just” give a donation, without a product. For example, you can plant trees or sponsor animals, vines, olive trees, mango trees and much more. For your donation, you often receive a certificate, a coordinate or even the yield of your “sponsored tree”.
4. Tip: A voucher instead of a product
Maybe you don't want to give a product as a gift or you're unsure what exactly the person receiving the gift will like?
Instead of just buying something, you can also give a voucher as a gift. If you want to support a company or brand, but are unsure which design or color the person will like, a voucher could be just the thing. Vouchers are also great as a last minute gift, as you can often print them out yourself.
5. Tip: Plastic-free packaging
Another factor that can make your Christmas present particularly sustainable is the packaging. When shopping, try to make sure that no unnecessary packaging is used. You can also buy lots of great things completely plastic-free or waste-free, for example in the packaging-free store next door.
If you want to wrap your gift yourself so that it looks particularly beautiful under the Christmas tree and there is a surprise when you unwrap it, then choose sustainable packaging. Natural wrapping paper without a glossy coating, newspaper or even tea towels are great for this. You can also just wrap the gift with a high-quality ribbon and decorate it with a fir branch or cinnamon sticks. There are also reusable alternatives such as artfully designed bags or woven baskets in which you can drape your gift wonderfully without using any plastic.
Tip 6: Look for sustainability labels
Sustainability seals can help you evaluate products for their sustainability. However, sometimes the many different seals can make a decision more difficult rather than easier. A good indicator of a meaningful seal is if it is awarded by an external institution and not by the producing company itself. This is because external parties have defined and visible criteria for awarding the seal.
Did you know that the seals are used for different areas? Here you can find some well-known seals:
- Organic or fair trade usually refers to food.
- Global Recycled Standard (GRS) refers to recyclable materials such as textiles and some plastics.
- B Corp and GWÖ are certifications that look not only at a single product, but at the entire company, including production, products, materials and corporate culture.
Interesting Fact: Certification is often associated with relatively high costs, so it can be difficult for small companies to get certified. So, if there are no seals, it does not automatically mean that the product is not sustainable.
Tip 7: Bring in your personality
For us, the best gifts are those that come from the heart and where the gift-giver's personal character is reflected in the gift. To add your personality, you can make something yourself, create lovely packaging or write a beautiful card. Your gift can carry a message that comes from the heart or it can support a shared project that is close to your heart.
There are also many companies that give you the opportunity to personalize your gift. With us, you can also design your own drinking bottle with a high-quality print (from 25 pieces) and even personalize it with individual names. This is particularly interesting for clubs, special occasions and also for companies as sustainable gifts for employees. You can find more information about this HERE and in our next blog post 🙂
With this in mind, we wish you lots of fun looking for gifts, many cosy moments in the cold months and a peaceful Christmas!
