Ethical Gifts

Your carefully chosen eco gifts are sure to be presents for the future.

Christmas, birthdays, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and other special festivals throughout the year all add up to one thing: lots and lots of present buying.

Do we have more money than sense?

Sometimes I think so when I see all the trash around that is loosely classed as 'gifts'. And, all too often, your carefully chosen offering is simply shoved into the back of a wardrobe or cupboard.

Now could be the time to finally resolve to ditch some of the more wasteful tat, and turn instead to gifts that have more long term benefit to communities and the planet.

Of course there are hundreds of shops and websites dedicated to eco gifts made from organic cotton, recycled materials, Fairtrade products and even elephant dung, but sometimes it's nice to offer something a bit different. Charities such as Oxfam run highly successful high street shops that sell ethically produced goods, but they also have online stores where instead of buying a tangible present you pay for something that goes to a developing community, while the recipient of your 'gift' gets a certificate or card that represents the gift. They even operate wedding lists!

You can pay for an animal such as donkey, a goat or a yak, a series of school dinners, saplings and food growing packs. The more generous can splash out on new toilet facilities, allotments, or a whole mango plantation! You could also buy membership to an eco charity, for example the Soil Association, The Wildlife Trust or National Trust.

For veggie wannabes, an introductory organic fruit and vegetable box is an affordable way of going green, and you can supplement it with chocolate, honey, cheese and other organic products.

Planting a tree is an awful lot more sustainable than putting a few fresh flowers into water. Organisations such as World Land Trust offer a range of packages from an acre of rainforest to your very own reserve. The Woodland Trust also offers a tree sponsorship scheme.

If it's flowers you're after, buy locally produced blooms, or cut the carbon footprint of your bouquet further by sending a virtual version.

From whales to dormice, there's an endangered animal out there that needs your sponsorship. Adopters normally receive a gift pack containing an adoption certificate, a fact sheet about the animal, and sometimes a soft toy version. Most wildlife charities offer this service, and it's especially good for kids.

THE WRAP TRAP

It can be tempting to splurge on cards and wrapping paper, but it doesn't do the planet any favours - your giftwrap was once a tree! You can easily find giftwrap made from recycled paper, and you can reuse your own. Another option is to use aluminium foil, which can be recycled or even reused (after a wash). Recycled foil is available from the Natural Collection or Ecotopia.

Bags and boxes are an alternative to wrapping paper that can be recycled by you, and the person you are giving them to. You could reuse specially made gift bags you've received, or bags from nice shops. These can be personalised and the name of the store disguised with scraps of wrapping paper or ribbons.

Greenest of all, dispense with wrapping altogether: hide presents and make a treasure hunt; wrap something in a pretty scarf or fabric offcut; or conceal it in a bag, box or tin, maybe found in a local second-hand shop.

Tie up with reusable fabric ribbons, a string of beads or even plain string. Use baubles instead of bows, and these can then be hung on the tree, or even hair accessories.

Make your own cards from recycled paper, or send e-cards.


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