8 Eco Friendly Christmas Gifts

Photo de Kira auf der Heide sur Unsplash

We are already at the beginning of December! Christmas is fast approaching. Starting to think about the Christmas gifts to offer. For some of us, finding gift ideas has never been a problem. But for me, that’s not the case, it’s more of a headache. I would really like to please my loved ones. But there is also something else. I would like to offer responsible, environmentally friendly gifts that will not end up in the closet. I would like to share with you some ideas.

Here is a list of 8 eco-friendly gift ideas for all budgets, hope it will help you!

The products we recommend are our favorites, not sponsored recommendations.

1. An experience

You can offer an intangible gift, such as an experience. These can be tickets for theater, wine tasting, a cooking class, a yoga class, a tree climbing trip, an escape game… Why not offer an experience with you? It’s a chance to get together and spend some time together after the holidays!

Cours de yoga, Photo de Geert Pieters sur Unsplash

2. Food or Beverage Gift

A food gift can delight gourmets. You can find nice assortments of spices for those who like to cook. For most gourmands, there are delicious spreads, such as Jean Hervé products (http://www.jeanherve.fr/en/). Bulk stores often sell products from local producers, a good option for an eco-responsible gift. On the drinking gift side, there is a lot to choose from. You can offer a good bottle of wine. There are also more and more small local breweries. Why not offer a small assortment to beer lovers? Or local fruit juices? Finally, you can always turn to coffee, tea and herbal teas. There is something for everyone.

Épices, Photo par monicore sur pixabay

3. A reusable object for everyday use

Plastic is not fantastic. A stainless steel bottle makes a great gift for every day. The Gaspajoe brand (https://gaspajoe.fr/), for example, offers very pretty water bottles in different sizes. Mine never leaves me. This avoids buying plastic bottles, which in addition to polluting are bad for your health, unlike stainless steel. For those who bring their lunch to work, there are also stainless steel lunch boxes.

Bouteille en inox, Photo de Domenico Loia sur Unsplash

4. Healthy and ecological cosmetics

On the cosmetics side, why not offer soaps made in a real local soap factory? If you can understand the list of soap ingredients, and it is not as long as the arm, well done, you have found a real handcrafted soap! An example? Here is the composition of a soap from the Canola soap factory (http://www.canola.fr/), near Grenoble: saponified sunflower oil, Alpine water, glycerin from saponification, lavender essential oil. And that’s all! Soap factories are increasingly offering solid shampoos, and soaps without essential oils or perfumes, for people with really sensitive skin. Another example of traditional soap making: the Pilat soap factory (https://savonneriedupilat.fr/).

Savon artisanal, Photo de Kristina Balić sur Unsplash

5. A “Nothing new” gift

But what is a “Nothing new” gift? The process is explained here: http://riendeneuf.org/en/, and you will find ideas “Nothing new” there: http://riendeneuf.org/cadeaux-non-neufs-noel/. A “Nothing new” gift can be an object to which we give a 2nd life. For example, we can offer used clothing. Second-hand clothing does not rhyme with old rags. There are more and more stores offering a rigorous choice of clothes, with very beautiful pieces. We completely forget that we are in a thrift store. Finally, a “Nothing new” gift can also be an intangible gift, such as an experience, or a homemade gift.

Jeans, Photo de Leighann Renee sur Unsplash

6. A homemade gift

Let’s talk about homemade gifts! A gift that you make yourself can be a nice box of homemade cookies, or a granola jar for breakfast. When you can buy a gift in 1 minute and 2 clicks, a gift made with love, in which you have invested your time, it has become rare and precious. Besides, I’ll have to tell my brother about it, because he makes really good cakes. 😋.

Cookies maison, Photo de Markus Spiske sur Unsplash

7. An eco-responsible yoga mat

An eco-responsible yoga mat is a great gift. If you know a beginner in yoga who doesn’t have a mat, don’t hesitate. I started practicing yoga with the Gotta Joga app, and I was practicing on a fitness mat. The dog upside down was exhausting for me, because my hands were always slipping. A yoga mat, with a good grip, changes everything. A great gift idea that will be used every day! You will find at Tayrona a selection of eco-responsible and non-slip yoga mats (https://www.tayronalife.com/collections/tapis-de-yoga).

Tapis de yoga, Photo de rawpixel sur Unsplash

8. A Gotta Joga gift card

I admit, I’m biased on this gift idea 😉. Do you want to introduce one of your loved ones to yoga? Or encourage a friend to take a break, and take some time to do some good, both mentally and physically? You can offer a Gotta Joga gift card: https://app.gottajoga.com/offrir ! The Gotta Joga gift card gives access for 6 months to all yoga classes in the app.

Carte cadeau Gotta Joga

This list proposes different ideas, and some of them may seem (very?) strange, such as the idea of offering a second-hand item. But perhaps you are still interested in the idea of a “Nothing new” approach. Adapt to the person you are giving the gift to! Is the gift for your sister or brother, who does all her shopping in bulk at local producers? Chances are that your approach itself will really please him, not just the gift. For others, offer a great experience with yourself.

Another way for us to be in an eco-responsible approach is to limit over packaging. Sometimes you can find boxes ready, but really over-wrapped, with a lot of plastic. If there is a bulk store near you (https://cartovrac.fr/), check it out! In general, these stores offer eco-responsible gifts. Ask the people who run the store for advice and ideas, they will be happy to help you. And it will also be an opportunity to try shopping in a bulk store, if you’ve never done it before!

We wish you a very happy holiday season! Feel free to tell us about your ideas for a more environmentally friendly Christmas!

Claire Reynaud

Geek @ Gotta Joga