Gift giving is a part of end-of-year holiday culture and finding the gift sooner will save you time and money than buying one on the same day. Besides, you also have time to choose the perfect eco friendly gift for your friends, colleagues, family members, or your loved ones in general. Here are ten green gift ideas.
1. Birds & Beans Coffee
Did you know that the boom of coffee industry resulted in deforestation? Habitat loss actually affects migratory birds and local wildlife. And there are only less than 40% coffee farms which remain organic and environmentally responsible.
Also, the humans are also affected because of the lowered coffee standards and increased demand of coffee. Now, coffee workers have to find work and money to support themselves and families. Birds & Beans Coffee wants to change that.
In their website, the company states, โAt Birds & Beans Coffee we pay our farmers the top price for coffee so they can keep growing coffee the old-fashioned way and so they can keep supporting their workers and families.โ
So by buying and giving your loved ones this coffee, theyโre going to get delicious, certified bird-friendly coffee and you will help protect endangered honeycreepers and regenerate forest canopy in Hawaii. If you loved ones are also fond of birds, this coffee is just the right gift.
2. National park visits
National parks protect the wildlife and its habitat from any human activities that can potentially destroy ecosystems. However, visiting national parks would be a dream to nature and wildlife lovers, and as long as you respect animals that live there, youโre not being irresponsible.
That said, you can take your loved ones to these national parks and enjoy your moment together. By visiting, you also support the maintenance of wild land of the parks. And sometimes when you visit one, youโre gonna get a stamp, just like stamps in your passport, which is fun.
3. Adopt an animal
Symbolic adoptions from organizations like World Wildlife Fund will help and support the animals youโre โadoptingโ. There are snow leopards, wombats, walruses, Sumatran tigers, and many more wild species that you can choose in WWFโs adoption list.
When you adopt an animal in your loved onesโ name, theyโre going to get an adoption kit that includes a plush toy of your choice of animal, a species card, adoption certificate, photo, and a gift bag. They get all the goodies and the animals can keep surviving.
4. Biodegradable yoga mat
Do your eco conscious loved ones like doing yoga, pilates, or meditation? Or are they determined to do one of those for the following year? A biodegradable yoga mat like this M-life Eco Luxury Yoga Mat from John Lewis would be a perfect gift for them. Even though itโs biodegradable, the mat is durable, stylish, and lightweight.
5. Heifer international donation
Giving donation to this charity organization in your loved onesโ name will be a meaningful holiday gift. Heifer International sustainably works to end world poverty and hunger as well as womenโs empowerment and environmental care.
And you can donate not just money but also livestock like chickens or alpacas. You can also donate shares of a gift or even an animal to the family that needs it. Sending a girl to school and giving stoves for a village, irrigation pumps, and more things are also possible things to donate.
6. Endangered Species Chocolate
Just by knowing the name, youโll figure out the purpose of the brand. This brand offers a range of chocolates and chocolate spreads which are fair trade certified, vegan, and sustainably produced.
Every 10% of their net profits would be donated to conservation organizations. From 2016 until this year, the organizations which will receive the brandโs donation are Rainforest Trust and the Wildlife Conservation Network. Each chocolate bar wrapper features the mentioned organizations to increase awareness.
According to the brandโs website, โ10% of our net profits are donated annually to current 10% GiveBack Partners; each is guaranteed a minimum annual donation of $10,000 and is free to use the funds on projects they deem most important. With over $1.3 million generated in the past three years alone, each chocolate purchase adds up to big support that helps wildlife thrive.โ
7. Zoo membership
Seeing and experiencing wild animals in their habitat are not always possible for some people. That is why you can go to zoos instead. Now, there are cases of zoos which neglect their animals like Surabaya Zoo some years ago, but some others are actually the foundation which wildlife conservation organizations thrive. Education programs of responsible zoos create empathy for animals, too.
What you can do is research about zoos and decide if the animals are in good hands. A good example of responsible zoos is The Oakland Zoo. Itโs not only responsible, but it also offers membership that will get you discounted admission to over 125 reciprocal zoos and aquariums in USA. I love animals and if I got a responsible zoo membership, I definitely would flip out.
8. Book: The Invention of Nature
If your eco conscious loved ones happen to like reading, then this book is a great gift. The book is actually a biography of an influential naturalist who blended poetry with science, Alexander von Humboldt. But in reality, itโs an enjoyable portal into nature that will move people to be passionate about the wild world and also take action, even the least concerned ones.
9. Lush charity pots
This brand keeps on making products that benefits both its customer and the environment. Lush fights against animal testing and the brand makes fresh, organic, and mostly vegan cosmetics. But they donโt stop there. Theyโve also got charity pots.
Charity pots are cosmetic products that gives 100% of purchase price to animal rights, environmental rights, and humanitarian rights organizations that Lush has partnered with. Each pot has a sticker on the lid, telling you which charity that youโre going to โdonateโ to. Buying these, gift wrapping them, and giving them to your loved ones are just perfect.
10. Responsible wildlife trips
Some of us who really care about animals would love to see them directly in the wild. However not all of travel companies truly care about the wildlife. There are cases of drugged up tigers and abused elephants just so that tourist can see them all the time, interact with them, or take photos of them.
But the good news is, there are also responsible and animal conscious tour companies. They donโt make animals work for them or milking money out of them. An organization (or company) called Responsible Travel is helping responsible tour companies with exposure (through awards) and you can find them easier.
The next time you want to take your loved ones to see the wildlife as a gift, make sure to find the trustworthy ones in terms of environmental and wildlife friendliness.
Whatโs your go to holiday gift for eco conscious people? Do tell us in the comments down below. Make sure to click here for a related reading!
Source(s)
https://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/gift-guides/10-gifts-also-give-wildlife/page/8/
https://www.realhomes.com/buying-guides/ethical-and-eco-friendly-christmas-presents
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