The art of eco-friendly gifting

Special occasions supply us with a welcome excuse to shower gifts on our loved ones, but celebrations, like birthdays and Christmas, often come with an unsavoury side of waste and toxin overload. There are bouquets, bound in single-use plastic; fad toys and wrapping paper, destined for landfill, and fragrances, bubbling with harmful synthetics.

Once you’re aware of the impact of traditional gift-giving on the planet, it’s easy to feel uncomfortable about changing things up. After all, isn’t the whole point of gifting, to buy something you know the recipient will love?

In this state of unease, we resort to buying that coveted plastic toy for our kids, or our partner’s go-to cologne. But what if your selection is their next must-have, and they’re just waiting for the introduction?

With Mother’s Day around the corner, we were inspired to bring you a selection of earth-lovin’ gifts for your favourite people. If you’re anything like us, you’re forever badgering your beloveds to live more naturally, and sustainably. Like the earth, you’re rather fond of the dear souls, and you’d prefer they remain in tip top health.

Eco-gifting is the perfect opportunity to acquaint your crew with products they’d never buy for themselves, and also a chance to educate about why your gift is better for them, and better for the environment.

Give experiences, not things

With eco-tourism exploding in Australia, why not gift your special someone with a sustainable getaway? Choose the beauty and solitude of CABN Life, in South Australia, or New South Wales, a luscious rainforest retreat, at Queensland’s Daintree Ecolodge, or an idyllic coastal experience, at Ramada Eco Beach Resort, Broome.

A holiday too upscale? Think tickets to a show, a voucher for their favourite restaurant, a zoo membership … the options are boundless. Gifting an experience will create lasting memories, which can’t be thrown in the trash!

Kit them out with reusables

Single-use plastic is so nineties – if someone in your circle is still toting plastic bags/bottles this century, they’re basically Gollum. You’ll be doing your fave a favour, in bringing their reusables game up to scratch. 

Set them up for a plastic-free (and stylish) shop, with Earth Wrapping String Shopping Bags in Dusty Pink, Natural, and Dove Blue. At only $9.95, grab them a few, and they’ll never again suffer the indignity of shopping with the plastic version.

Our gorgeous range of reusable drink bottles, and Keep Cups, will keep your giftee hydrated, and caffeinated, on the go. Some of our favourites are the Oasis Insulated Drink Bottle in Midnight Floral and Marble, and the leakproof, Reusable Coffee Cup from rCUP, with its genius 360-degree spout and pop-top lid.

Create something they’ll treasure forever

There is no more precious a gift than something you, or your little people, have made from scratch, to be framed and kept forever. With a Sow ‘n’ Sow Flower Press, you can immortalise the beauty of their favourite blooms, using them to create inimitable cards and artworks. Incidentally, this stunning flower press makes the perfect pressie for the nature lovers and creatives in your clan, no matter their age.

Conscious packaging

It’s not commonly known, but much conventional gift-wrap is lined with plastic and can’t be recycled. A biodegradable and recyclable option is Kraft paper; tie it with twine and embellish with natural materials (like dried flowers, made with your Sow ‘n’ Sow Flower Press!). Or, choose wrapping that’s a gift in its own right! Try parcelling your present in a gorgeous table cloth, table runner, Turkish towel, or tea towel.

Reframe your thinking

Think of eco-gifting as a means of spurring positive change and lessening the burden on the environment. No one will be hurt that your gifts and cards aren’t gleaming with glitter. Your loved ones will likely be glad to curtail the garbage overflow that occurs around Hallmark occasions, and excited to try something new.

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