Try Eco-Friendly Gifting For The New Year


 

Giving gifts to your loved ones on special occasions is a beautiful way of showing them you care. With the festive season fast approaching, you are sure to be looking out for some thoughtful and unique gifting ideas. Usher in this coming new year by showering your love on not just your family and friends but also on the environment we live in.

 

Go green this time and spread joy with these amazing eco-friendly new year gift ideas that are exciting to share and gentle on the environment.

 

5 Thoughtful Environmentally Friendly Gifts for the New Year

 

Make sharing gifts with the ones you care about a sweet and thoughtful process with these lovely gift ideas that can easily be customised according to the unique tastes of your family members and friends.

 

1. Potted Plants 

 

Potted plants make for cool eco-friendly new year gifts for those who love nature and plants in general. Ditch cut flowers and gift a live potted plant to your friends this time. Choose a low-maintenance succulent or fern for your forever-busy niece and a gorgeous flowering shrub for your brother, who is a gardening enthusiast. Just ensure you choose native plants to gift and avoid exotic ones which may be bad for the environment. 

 

2. DIY Items 

 

One of the best ways to show you care is to invest your time and energy in creating homemade gifts. With a bit of imagination and some spare time, you can make various DIY gift items like homemade scented candles, hand-embroidered hankies, and hand-knitted scarves. The more artistic ones among you can paint a portrait or a coffee mug with your loved one’s favourite colours. DIY gifts are highly customisable and much appreciated by the recipients.

 

3. Homemade Edible Gifts 

 

Given that the modern lifestyle is hectic for most people, never underestimate the comfort homemade festive goodies can bring to someone’s mundane life. Love to bake? Why not whip up some delicious orange cinnamon cookies to share with your elderly neighbour? Or how about creating some gorgeous hot chocolate bombs for your best friend this year? Not only do homemade edible items make for great eco-friendly gifts, but they also add a touch of warmth to the gift-giving process. 

 

4. Local, Handmade Gifts 

 

Don’t have the time to make DIY gifts? Not a problem! Visit your local artisans and crafts shops to find unique handmade gifts like painted ceramics, wind charms, crystal jewellery, table covers and wall hangings. Look for shops that follow sustainable practices to ensure that you buy eco-friendly gifts. 

 

5. Gift an Experience

 

Wondering what to gift your environment-conscious cousin who practices a minimalistic lifestyle? How about getting her a pass for a weekend gardening workshop where she can learn how to grow her own kitchen garden? Is your sister struggling to find time for herself as a busy mother? Offer to babysit your nephews on a Saturday evening so that she gets to go out with her friends and unwind. Sponsoring an online course for your friend or booking a spa session for your mother are also lovely gift ideas. 

 

Wrapping Up

 

In the UK, about 700 million pounds are spent on unwanted gifts every year. If you put in a little effort and let your creative juices flow, you will learn the secret to giving the perfect gift that is both useful and aesthetic.

 

Make your own environmentally friendly gifts at home or source your new year gifts from small artisan shops, thereby supporting your community as well. Spend more time with your loved ones, do things together, exchange meaningful gifts and have a great new year!