Guest post by Anette & Susanne Bastviken, the sisters behind the green company Radical Broccoli. More info on these change makers below!
www.radicalbroccoli.com
Now that Christmas is around the corner, it’s time to present to you the ultimate minimalist, eco-friendly, ethical Christmas present guide! Christmas and the surrounding months are for some people synonymous with shopping mania, to-do lists, and stress and for those who want to avoid that, we have some cool tips. What’s better than giving gifts with meaning, that are great for the planet too? Minimalism is actually about having fewer choices, and thereby less stress in your life. What could be better than that?
1. Buy tickets to a musical/theater/cinema/concert/stand-up comedy show/art gallery opening.
2. An invitation to go for a cool hike, maybe plan it as a weekend getaway, and stay the night at a cabin in the woods.
3. Homemade gifts are always a winner (except maybe those you brought home from the ceramics class in 3rd grade?). What about granola (we have a delicious suggestion here), sauerkraut ( this is a great recipe) or crisp bread? Give it in a big glass jar with a gift-band tied around, and you will be begged to make more.
4. A treatment at an organic spa.
5. Minimalist kit – everything needed for people who often buy food/drinks at cafés to take away, and don’t want to use so much single-use plastic. Something like this.
6. To the true environmentalists, a thoughtful gift is a washing bag that prevents microfibers from your clothes to enter the ocean. Radical! Guppy bags are cool.
7. Organic makeup or cosmetics. Some favorites worth mentioning are: Evolve Organic Beauty (in Oslo you can find it at Green Spirit), ZAO nail polish without toxic ingredients, and The Body Shop has tons of goodies.
8. A homemade “gift card” to go second-hand shopping!
9. Sustainable swimwear from the amazing brand Halla Halla.
10. If your mother/sister/father/boyrfriend/friend is into yoga, we recommend that you have a look at Hejhej yoga mats!
11. Eco-friendly candles is a super cool gift. There are tons of brands online, or most likely in your closest mall or health store.
12. Lingerie in organic cotton. Oysho and Lindex have some affordable choices.
13. If they are into more luxurious eco-conscious brands, check out Mara Hoffman, Reformation, and Stella McCartney
14. Sunglasses from W.R.Yuma that are 3D printed from plastic waste. Just amazing.
15. If the person is into surfing, you should check out these sustainable surfing brands: Eco Fins surfboard fins made from recycled waste, Bees Knees natural organic surf wax and EcoLeash from the Ecosurfshop.
16. The “perfect” white T-shirt made from sustainable materials from The White T-Shirt Co.
17. For the pricier gifts, have a look at Patagonia. The company is taking huge steps towards sustainability!
18. Sustainable water bottles are very popular, and some types have such a nice design too.
19. Take away cups are lovely gifts for the coffee or tea lovers.
20. Check out ethical gifts from charity organizations – you can give away vaccination, invest in building a school, providing a birth certificate or give a family goat.
21. Order used books from Amazon, or give a Kindle or a subscription to an audiobook app or Spotify!
22. Give a subscription to a city-bike!
Other tips for an eco-friendly Christmas
Use newspaper as gift wrapping, and decorate the presents with thing you can find in nature, like pines.
Recycle the wrapping.
Swap a meat meal for a veggie meal.
Make a plant-based hot chocolate with homemade hemp milk instead of using cows’ milk!
Have a lovely pre-Christmas time!
About the authors
Anette and Susanne Bastviken are the girls behind the green company Radical Broccoli. They are always searching for inspiring people, products, and food that is in line with the values they live after, and that can make the oceans cleaner and the earth a better place. This is well documented on the blog, where you can read about everything from second-hand clothes, organic products, and green wellness, to delicious plant-based food and hardcore facts about plastic and recycling.