Sustainable Christmas gifts

Year after year, Christmas is at our doorstep sooner than we think. Hohoho! Now is the time to get all the presents and give it to the loved ones. With all the joyful anticipation, we at Green Pearls® have thought about how to make the distribution of presents a little more sustainable. Here come some tipps for more sustainable Christmas gifts 🙂

Convenient Secret Santa 

Thanks to an increasing number of nieces, my family has become bigger and bigger – and so does the gift pressure. Last year we found a good, relaxing and sustainable way of giving out the Christmas presents. Namely: Secret Santa! In a secret raffle, everyone picks a person – the only one to be presented. Through the reduced amount of gifts, resources, CO2 and of course the stress level is reduced 🙂 Try it out!

What should I get? 

Experiences stay sustainably in mind 

I personally like experience gifts best. Before one gives away things that no one really uses, why don’t we give away the best thing we have – our time! Preferably during a short vacation, far away from the regular chaos. How about a time-out with your favorite person in the sustainable, recreative atmosphere of one of the Green Pearls® hotels? I can hardly think of anything better than relax in a sustainable way and enjoy fun and luxury without having a bad conscience.

Do something good 

Meanwhile, one can support or even take over a sponsorship for good causes in the name of the person receiving the gift. A Christmassy donation for a good purpose or a project supporting protection of the environment is a reasonable idea. The international green projects of the Green Pearls® hotels give inspiration, such as the water treatment project at Hotel Niedersachsen at the island Sylt. Or how about a godparenthood for bees? It is a great thing to make someone the godparent of the endangered species.

More recycling and diy!

With suitable presents, one can support the loved ones to use less non-recyclable materials. With a hip textile bag, you will save someone from buying plastic bags while shopping – the environment says thank you! There are also great reusable coffee cups available to transport the beloved and urgently needed coffee in the mornings. Goodbye, disposable cups!

And nearly everyone likes something self-made! An option would be a self-designed cook book with seasonal recipes or vegan food. Inspiration of recipe ideas from our Green Pearls® partners can be found in our blog articles: Green recipes, recipes from all over the world, or recipes specifically made for the winter and Christmas time.

Wrapping paper? No thanks! 

I know – the moment of unpacking is the best part about Christmas. However, the wrapping paper is not eco-friendly. One paper role needs the following recources in the making: 180g wood, 8,4 liters of water and 0,336 kWh, enough to light up an energy-saving lamp for 33 hours. Statistics show that in Germany alone, around 8000 tons of wrapping paper is used for Christmas. Does it have to be like that?

Not at all. There are great alternatives to wrap presents in a beautiful and at the same time sustainable way. How that works? Try wrapping your presents in old newspapers. Together with a fir branch and a nice cord, it looks nice and protects the environment.

Or how about a present in a present? Especially clothing articles such as socks or t-shirts are suited to be wrapped around other small presents. Thematically combined, such as a cook book in a tea towel, this way of saving wrapping paper is a real hit!

Actually, sometimes one can do completely without the gift wrapping, in order to protect resources. Decorated with a nice ribbon, some presents are an absolute eye-catcher just like that.