Gifts that don’t cost the world

Your Challenge

Instead of reaching for the first thing on the shelf in the shops, or those buy-one-get-one-free offers, take a moment to think carefully about your festive footprint and how you can make your gifts more sustainable.

To give sustainable gifts:

Think quality over quantity. Give fewer, but better-quality items, made from materials that are built to last a long time, rather than disposable, cheap, poorly made items.
Shop second hand. Vintage clothes, books, home furnishings, and refurbished technology can all make great sustainable gifts.
Think homemade. A more wallet-friendly alternative is to make some nice fudge or biscuits, or cultivate one of your plants and repot it for a friend to watch grow. Or you could make homemade candles. Gift a homemade coupon book, donate your time to help babysit, visit a local park, or maybe a nice cosy picnic under blankets in a lovely spot, or hold fire till the summer.
Give experiences. Bring people together by gifting your time, or with purchased experiences. There are lots of options to choose from that will reduce your Christmas footprint. You could buy tickets to shows, concerts or events, tasting experiences, or a class to learn a new skill that you could do together. Other ideas include making a restaurant reservation or planning a day out to a National Trust or Wildlife Trust location? These ideas make your gift last longer – having something to look forward to later in the year, or a memory that will last a lifetime.
Give a give that gives again. Consider donating to charities, including WWF. For example, you could sign up for an animal adoption to support our work, or purchase items from our shop. You can support other charities too by gifting memberships or shopping from their stores. That way your money helps fund their work.

Be careful to look at the materials that gifts are made from and keep sustainability in mind. Ensure any wood, card, bamboo or paper gifts are made from 100% recycled or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified materials. Avoid single-use plastic items (especially glitter) that can’t be recycled, and look for things like Fairtrade or Organic-certified food and clothing.

Why you're doing this

Festive holidays like Christmas and Hannukah can result in overspending and generate a lot of waste for our planet. UK citizens are expected to spend an average of £611 per person ^[1]during the festive period. In addition, around half of UK adults say they have received gifts they don't want at Christmas.^[2]

Buying fewer items, but ones that are better quality where possible, means we’re giving quality items that will last, and be loved, for a long time. Picking things that are built to last reduces the chances they will end up in landfill. This could also be better for your wallet – if you buy one quality gift rather than lots of cheaper, disposable or poor-quality items.

Gifting experiences for your loved ones will help to reduce demand for physical resources. It will avoid filling homes with unwanted presents too.

How you'll make a difference

Buying second-hand items saves on resources needed to make new products, so it has a much smaller carbon footprint. And it can help you pick up a bargain that’s better for your wallet. This helps reduce emissions and creates a more sustainable future.

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