What is Sustainable Gifting?
Sustainable gifting is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional one-time-use gifts that are easily discarded. It avoids waste and keeps resources out of landfills, and it’s the practice of giving gifts that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible. By choosing gifts made from sustainable materials and produced by fair labor practices, you can support local businesses while reducing environmental impact.
Are you looking for a way to make your gift-giving more meaningful and impactful? Look no further than sustainable gifting! In this blog, we'll explore everything you need to know about sustainable gifting, from understanding what it is to incorporate it into your gifting ideas to its impact on the environment.
With the world facing growing environmental challenges such as climate change, deforestation, and pollution, it's more important than ever to consider the impact of our gift-giving on the planet. Traditional gifting methods often rely on mass-produced products, wrapped in excessive packaging, and shipped long distances, all of which contribute to environmental degradation. By choosing gifts that are meaningful and have a positive impact, you’re thinking about the wellbeing of the environment!
"We are not above nature, we are a part of nature. "-Jennifer Nini
5 top reasons why sustainable gifting is important?
So, whether you're looking for eco-friendly products, locally made products, second-hand items, or something else, there are plenty of sustainable gifting options. But first, let us understand why sustainable gifting is essential.
- Environmental Impact: Sustainable gifting reduces the ecological impact of the production, transportation, and disposal of gifts. For example, choosing a wooden toy made from sustainable wood sources instead of a plastic toy reduces the carbon footprint and pollution caused by the production and disposal of a plastic toy.
- Social Impact: Sustainable gifting supports fair trade practices and promotes ethical production, ensuring that the local community and artisans are treated fairly and paid a living wage. For example, buying a hand-woven scarf made by a community of artisans in a developing country supports their livelihood and empowers them to improve their living conditions.
- Economic Impact: Sustainable gifting supports local economies and small businesses. For example, buying a jar of locally made honey supports the local beekeeping industry and helps to preserve the area's biodiversity.
- Personal Impact: Sustainable gifting allows you to connect with the person you are giving the gift to on a deeper level by choosing a thoughtful and meaningful gift that aligns with their values and interests and for example, buying a book about sustainable living for someone interested in environmentalism.
- Future Impact: Sustainable gifting helps to create a better future for all by reducing waste, preserving resources, and promoting sustainable practices. By choosing sustainable gifts, we can create a more just and equitable world for future generations. For example, buying a solar-powered bike instead of a traditional fuel bike helps to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and promotes the use of clean energy.
Creative Ideas for Sustainable Gifting to Show You Care
Talking about sustainable gifting is easy, but finding the perfect gift for someone special can be difficult. With the right approach, you can make your gifts meaningful and sustainable. Let us explore five creative ideas for sustainable gifting that show how much you care about the environment and your loved ones. From eco-friendly gifts to homemade items, there are many ways to give sustainable gifts that will make them feel special and appreciated.
Here are top 5 recommended sustainable gifts available:
1. Eco-Friendly Home Decor
If you want to present something to someone who wants to contribute to environment-friendly changes, consider reusable kitchenware, such as metal straws, wooden spoon sets, tea/coffee filters, and refillable water bottles. Give the gift of a sustainable home with eco-friendly decor items such as beeswax candles, bamboo utensils, or a terrarium. These gifts add a touch of greenery to the house and promote sustainable living practices.
Eco-friendly wooden gift set: Check out this eco-friendly wooden gift set comprising a glass bottle and cup with a tea filter, an excellent quality wooden bowl, a set of wooden spoons, forks, and chopsticks, a Japanese canvas cutlery pouch, and all of this inside a rattan basket. A perfect eco-friendly gift!
2. Locally-made Sustainable Gift Items
When you ditch plastics and purchase gift items in a reusable gift box, you’ve not just made an environmentally conscious choice but by gifting to another person, you’ve inspired them as well. With our curated gifts such as Malaysia’s local souvenir gift and Tiffany joy gift box, you’re gifting loved ones with useful, reusable items packed in a plastic-free box. This inadvertently leads to lesser wastage on our planet. Below we share a snippet of what you can expect with each of our environmentally conscious gifts.
Malaysia's local souvenir gift: Here’s a Stardust Green paper box with a yellow sleeve and a surprise sticker that reads, "Someone wants to make your day better." Inside are some delectable Malaysian Dodol snacks, peanut candy snacks, a wellness candle jar, a handsewn batik Handkerchief, and a personalized handwritten message card.
Tiffany joy gift box: For those of you looking for a holistic yet sustainable gift box for ladies friend, this Tiffany joy gift box his comes in a special Apprecious emerald green box with a cotton ribbon decor. The package contains a square silk scarf suited for all-year-round attire, a heat-resistant double-walled glass bottle with a tea filter, a tea bag, a velvet eye mask, a stunning A5-sized weekly planner, and a personalised handwritten greeting card. Joy in a box, actually!
3. Handmade and Upcycled Gifts
We all know our hardworking Malaysian local artists hardly get the recognition they deserve! We at Apprecious are always striving to support more local artists. We often visit them, talk to them and understand what drives them. So we highly recommend supporting local artisans and crafters by choosing handmade gifts such as pottery, jewelry, or knits made from sustainable materials. Alternatively, opt for upcycled gifts such as a reclaimed wood cutting board or a bag made from repurposed fabric. Consider giving delectable homemade snacks, preserves, or baked goods as a culinary gift. One such gift is a Nasi lemak gift bag.
The zip-and-handle Nasi lemak purse represents prosperity; it is a gift in itself. So select either the bag alone or the bag with the following items inside:
- Local pineapple tart cookies
- Locally baked walnut cookies
- A Halal-certified collagen bird nest with delicious osmanthus
- A custom-written CNY season greeting card
Go local while giving a sustainable gift! This bag can be reused for a long time. Use it for quick grocery shopping, a fashion hand bag or a keys holder. So versatile, beautiful and meaningful at the same time.
4. Reusable Gifts
Have you ever experienced a moment when you receive a gift from someone and you liked the gift but you loved the gift ‘box’ better? That may happen if you choose a gift such as our Couple vintage rattan basket.
This rattan basket includes a host of goodies like freshly baked fruit cake wrapped in a batik handkerchief, a Hainanese tea cup and dish, Mamak Teh Tarik powder from Penang in a foil bag, and a tea filter made up of cotton material and a personalised greeting card. That sounds like a perfect picnic basket for couples! Even our parents will reminisce the old times with this gift set.
5. Experiences
Instead of material gifts, give the gift of an experience such as a cooking class, a hiking trip, or a visit to a local spa. These experiences not only promote sustainability but also create lasting memories.
Some ideas include a thrilling outing, a vacation in the wilderness, a rewarding trek, a theatre outing, a practical workshop, a culinary experience, or a spa service that gives unforgettable moments.
Alternately, stay home and prepare a special meal, plan a party or game night, or volunteer your knowledge and expertise to assist someone with a specific task.
Remember, sustainable gifting is not just about the product itself but also the entire life cycle of the gift, from production to disposal.
Final thoughts
Gift wrapping is an important part of the holiday season, and with a few simple changes, you can make your wrapping more environmentally friendly and unique. Opt for reusable, natural wrapping paper, like kraft paper or fabric, when possible. To add an extra special touch to your gifts, try using compostable embellishments such as pine cones, dried flowers, leaves, or twigs!
We frequently need to pay more attention to the wastefulness of gift wrapping and packing as they are only used once. Still, opening presents is a delightful way to create anticipation and surprise for the recipient.
Firstly, wrap the gift in a dishtowel, handkerchief, fabric bag, or scarf.
Secondly, by cautiously removing the wrapping from any gifts you receive, you can reuse the paper.
Somebody said rightly, "the greatest gifts are not wrapped in plastic but in love."
With the world becoming increasingly aware of its environmental impact, we need to make conscious decisions regarding our gifting habits. The first thing to do is decide what environmental impact you want your gift to make.
So, join us on this journey of sustainable gifting and make a difference in the world!