Ethique Gifts That Care About You And The Planet

We are all aware that we are in the middle of a climate emergency and for the eco-conscious amongst us, it is important that we consider the effect that Christmas may have on the planet.

With all that gift wrapping, an abundance of food and more decorations than you can shake a stick at, there is a lot of unnecessary waste during the festive period and so it is important than we do as much as we can to minimise it.

At Holland & Barrett, we have a wide range of eco-friendly gifts which are made from sustainable, recycled and ethical materials, as well as eco gifts that are made from all-natural products ( as well as being suitable for vegans).

How much waste is generated at Christmas?

From Christmas cards, gift wrapping and ribbons to festive decorations, there is a lot of waste over the festive period.

Research suggests that paper waste during Christmas is equivalent to 5-12 million litres of biofuel. Which is enough to power a bus to go to the moon 20 times!

At least Santa’s sleigh is a little more eco-friendly – he just uses renewable reindeer power!

Our Christmas gifts that care about you and the planet will give you some ideas about how to make the festive season more sustainable.

How to be more eco-friendly this Christmas

Because of the effect that our everyday lives are having on the planet, we should start taking steps to become more eco-friendly wherever possible, over the festive period.

Here are a few suggestions for how you can go about being more eco-friendly this Christmas:

Reduce waste

As we have already mentioned, there is a lot of excess waste generated at Christmas time and so it is a good idea to try and reduce unnecessary waste.

One way in which waste can be reduced throughout December and at Christmas, is to make sustainable choices when it comes to packaging.

Ensure that the packaging of the gifts that you buy is recyclable or, better still, biodegradable.

Some of our box gift sets including The Sleep Box, The Clean Beauty Box and The Active Box are made from cardboard which is 100% recyclable.

Choose natural skincare and beauty products

If you are looking at buying beauty and skincare gifts this Christmas, you should try to choose natural products wherever you can.

The processes and ingredients of more synthetic cosmetics releases chemicals can damage the environment. So choose organic gifts and natural gifts this Christmas.

Our Clean Beauty Box contains a range of eco-conscious beauty products made with natural ingredients.

Products include Dr Organic Rose Otto Face Scrub, Q+A Eye Serum and So Eco Complexion Sponge. We like to think that looking good should not cost the earth.

The Dr Organic Online Only Bundle provides a wide range of natural beauty products to cover you from head to toe.

This bundle has a value of over £94 and contains products such as Moroccan Argan Oil Facial Oil, Snail Gel and Tea Tree Lotion. It is a great present for anyone who loves natural beauty products.

Are there any gifts which are suitable for vegans?

Absolutely! It is estimated that there were 600,000 vegans in the UK in 2019 and this number is growing all the time as more people choose this sustainable way of living.

This is equivalent to 1.6% of the population and so it is likely that you will have someone vegan to buy for this Christmas.

A vegan diet could reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by up to 73%, which makes it a great way to reduce your environmental impact on earth.

We have a wide range of vegan gifts available to choose from including vegan chocolate, sweets and treats and vegan beauty products, where no animal products are used.

The Vegan Box is the ultimate Christmas gift for anyone following a plant-based diet.

This box is bursting with vegan goodies including Doisy & Dom Ballers, NINE Original Seed Bar and Booja Booja Hazelnut Truffles.

The outer packaging is made from cardboard, which is 100% recyclable.

Sukin Signature Skin Pack is naturally made with beautiful botanicals, natural extracts and essential oils.

This gift set contains Foaming Facial Cleanser, Hydrating Mist Toner and Facial Moisturiser for a completely cruelty free, vegan skincare routine.

The products are also free from parabens and sulphates. A lovely present for anyone to find under the tree this year!