Guest AuthorIt is always a perfect time to gift something special to a loved one. But a gift becomes even more meaningful when it is thoughtful and not random and wasteful. Amid growing awareness about climate change and irresponsible consumption patterns, it seems but natural to buy eco-sensitive gifts that show some love to mother earth.
Here is our pick of five sustainable and eco-friendly gifts
Ethical beauty products
There are many high-profile and lesser known brands in India today creating zero-cruelty and ethical beauty products and you can take your pick according to your budget and preferences. Check out ‘Bon Organics’ for instance, where every product is genuinely handmade with certified organic ingredients.
All ingredients have organic certifications to ensure that everything from the soil they are grown in to the water used has no adulteration. From goodies for face, hair and body, spa treats and gifts for him and her to green home products like laundry and dishwashing bars and organic towels, they have it all. You will find something here that is just right for a loved one who worries about environmental conservation and whether or not a gift is biodegradable.
‘No Nasties’ gift
The ‘No Nasties’ site is not just about brand promotion but informs us about the plight of cotton farmers in India and how we have lost over 300,000 lives in the last 20 years to debt and poverty.
This is the largest number of suicides recorded in human history, they inform us and tell us and the farming community is in such a state due to high costs of “modern” farming, genetically-modified seeds and synthetic farm inputs. The company hence tries to address this issue by choosing organic and fair trade farming practices.
The company now offers clothing that is not just organic, fair trade and vegan but carbon-neutral too. ‘No Nasties’ is also the first clothing brand to be Fairtrade licensed in India so buy a little something from them for a special someone and help the planet and a farmer in the bargain.
*Greet with trees®!*
Grow-Trees.com is not just an organisation but a movement to expand green cover, and nourish wildlife habitats and forests with afforestation drives that engage and benefit local communities.
A big part of this initiative is the involvement of corporates and individuals. Anyone can now contribute or gift trees to honour a cause or a loved one. What can be better after all than a living and breathing gift that significantly benefits the planet?
Surprise a loved one with this green gesture and inspire others to do the same. Grow-Trees.com will carry your greetings via an eTreeCertificate® to the person you are honouring to let them know about your heartfelt gesture. You can also gift trees to several people at once.
This social initiative is pioneering a web-enabled, cost-effective service for individuals and companies so that they can plant trees globally, so, be a part of this mission while showing a special someone that your love for them is evergreen.
Earth-friendly utilities
Big change begins with small gestures so why not initiate a friend, a sibling or a special someone into a more sustainable way of living by offering them a gift hamper packed with earth-friendly goodies like a bamboo or a neem toothbrush, exfoliating loofahs and other zero waste and eco-friendly personal care products?
Check out the Brown Living site to shop for guilt-free gifts that promote slow living, resource conservation, biodegradable packaging, fair trade and ethical sourcing, vegan and plant-based products and a lot more.
Eco-friendly stationery
Visit greenthemap.com to choose quirky, sustainable and upcycled stationery, notepads, diaries, pouches, newspaper pens and pencils. Most of the products are made with 90% upcycled materials and are handcrafted. They also have reversible and organic face masks that can last upto 30 washes, veggie bags, home accessories ranging from furnishings, glasses, planters, coasters and a lot more.
Green The Map calls itself an eco-friendly retail and B2B online marketplace and it even has conference and event merchandise along with corporate gifting options made from waste, offcuts and surplus fabric. So go ahead and shop for a gift that is truly green.
Aravind Sundaram
Guest Author
