Ethical Christmas Gifts

Christmas seems to be a time of year when all my attempts to live more sustainably goes out the window.  I have all the excuses: that it gets very busy; I don't have a lot of money; I'm buying presents for other people......  But I want this year to be different.  My budget may be even lower then it has been in the past but, I think with a little planning I should be able to do everything I want to.  Even if I don't, the experience will help me improve what I do next year.

This year I want to focus on the gift giving side of things.  Depending on what my family wants I may still have to buy some items less 'ethically', but this is how I'm intending on purchasing sustainably this Christmas.

Buying from Christmas Fairs

The number of craft fairs increases around Christmas time and it's usually a good place to find locally made, hand crafted products.  Don't get me wrong they can be a bit hit or miss, but they are also an opportunity to support local crafters and I'll definitely be looking at any I can find so see if I can pick up a gift or two.

Shopping Online
Unfortunately where I live doesn't have a whole lot of shops which sell products with an ethical and/or sustainable back story, so it looks like I'm going to have to hunt online.  I'll be looking at the usual websites, like Etsy and Not On the High Street, but I have also found other online stores like Ethical Superstore, Ethical Shop, and Be Good Shop to try out.  The questions I'll be asking when doing the shopping (other then would they like it - obviously) is:

• Is the item made from sustainable and ethically sourced materials?
• Is it Fair Trade and does it support local communities?
• Is the item made in the UK?

This is all the questions I'll be asking this year, but if it goes well I'll add some more for next.

Wrapping the Presents

Every year I buy rolls of wrapping paper which only get thrown away at the end of Christmas (the way Christmas paper is made means a lot of it can't be recycled).  So this year I want to do something which produces a lot less waste and have been thinking about furoshiki (a type of traditional Japanese wrapping).  I've decided to buy some scarves and fabric from some charity shops to wrap the presents in.  That way they will also get a scarf to wear if they like it or they can donate them back to a charity shop.  That way the charity shops get an income from the first sale (and possibly a second if they are donated again) and no additional paper needs to go to the landfill.

Christmas Cards

This is the one item I have already brought.  I don't send out too many any more thanks to social media.  But of the ones I do send  out I always make sure that the cards are recyclable and I always buy cards that help support a charity.  This year I've brought from the RSPB, but a pick a different charity each year.  I'm also looking into making some of them myself, and this might be a more sustainable option in the long run.

Christmas can be a really stressful time of year and it can be difficult to remember some of the ethos you have been trying to live by the rest of the year.  I am still learning, and always will be, but I think if I can give it a good go at this time of year then the rest of the year should feel like a breeze.