An Ocean Friendly Christmas
- EUMCS Committee
- Nov 17, 2020
- 4 min read
The Christmas Season is nearly upon us. This year it looks slightly different. Edinburgh has no Christmas Market and many people won’t be travelling home to spend the festive season with their families. But we still want to share some ideas for sustainable gift-giving this year.
We Ocean Advocates believe in making small changes for a big impact. There is so much waste at Christmas time and whilst we all want to share, there is a sustainable way to give.
I’m not going to ruin the festive cheer with any sad statistics about the negative impacts of Christmas but trust me when I say that if you want to give an eco-friendly and ethical gift, this is the list of conscious ideas for you!
Let’s start with some Ocean Advocates favourites!
4ocean - famous in their field, 4ocean collect a vast amount of ocean plastic to recycle and make into bracelets. Since they started 3 years ago they have salvaged more than 11 million pounds of plastic. Each bracelet bought pays for 1 pound of rubbish to be removed from the ocean. There are different colours associated with different ocean creatures, my personal favourite is coral. Stay tuned next semester for our raffle where you may be in on a chance to win one of your own…
Ocean Bottle - we all know we should never buy bottled water. But not all reusable bottles were created equal. Last week we hosted a Q & A session with the founder of Ocean Bottle - check out more details about this on our blog and we have decided that Ocean Bottle is the most superior bottle out there. Their tagline “support livelihoods, stop ocean plastic” could not be more true. For each bottle sold, the equivalent of 1000 plastic bottles are salvaged. We respect the transparency of their company and can say without doubt that they are an ethically and sustainably orientated company.
Pela - the original plastic free, biodegradable phone case. I am a true convert to pela cases. Firstly they are very aesthetic and no plastic is made in their production and a % of the profits go to charity. Need I say more.
Ocean Advocates strive to educate about and make a difference to the abomination that is ocean plastic. But there are other equally eco-friendly ideas that we support.
Stocking Fillers:
Tony’s Chocolate - certified sustainable, delicious, fair trade. Move over Cadbury’s Tony is our main man now.
Paper straws - we all know why this is a good idea
Bamboo toothbrush - again, need I say more
Beeswax wraps - clingfilm is so last year
Eco-friendly makeup - look good, feel better
Eco-egg - not the most glamorous gift, but certainly practical; I was gobsmacked when I first heard about eco-egg. 1 small egg, no washing detergent needed. That means no plastic and earth friendly ingredients. Absolute gamechanger. You heard it here first.
Speaking of soaps, check out this one we recommend (or just find a nice bar at Lush)
Pukka tea - I think you mean sustainabilitea!
A cute tote bag - what else are we going to carry all these goodies in
For those of you who need ideas for something bigger or for someone a bit special here are some ideas:
The together band - ethically made and sustainably produced friendship bracelets - receive 2, one to keep and one to give. Different colours represent different global goals; we love ‘life below water’ and ‘climate action’.
Games - Jenga just got a whole new look at Bureo
Jewellery from recycled materials - support your local artists!
What about a book?
Other minds: the octopus and the evolution of intelligent life
No one is too small to make a difference
Let my People Go Surfing
There is no planet B
This is not a drill
How to give up plastic
The uninhabitable earth
Wilding
Feral
How to save the world for free
Emperors of the deep;
Sustainable Home
We encourage supporting independent book stores and not amazon.
Or why not a second-hand book?
How about a recipe book instead? There are so many vegan and vegetarian or bread recipe books that would make an ideal gift.
Give an experience!
Support a small business, get a voucher for your loved ones favourite restaurant. Or help them learn that skill they’ve always wanted to… pottery? surfing? Sign them up for that class.
Or what about a subscription, but a virtual one to save on waste
Many magazines now have digital subscriptions e.g. The Week
Audible
Headspace
Get creative with your recipients hobbies
For the conscious tech lover:
Fairphone - the world's most sustainable phone, caring for people and the planet
For the yogi:
Cork/ eco friendly yoga mat
For the writer:
A notebook made from recycled materials - our favourite is the Decomposition Book
For the music lover:
House of Marley - headphones and speakers made from sustainably sourced materials; each purchase plants a tree
For the guitarist:
Guitar picks made from old skateboards
We hate fast fashion, we also struggle with the idea of gentrifying second hand clothing. So here are a handful of
slow fashion businesses:
For the gym fanatic:
The dungaree lover:
The outdoorsman:
The one who loves shoes:
The runner:
The fashionista:
What about for that someone who has everything? Or the someone that’s too tricky to buy for?
Donate to charity!
I’ll say it again for those of you at the back… Donate to charity!
Here are a few of our suggestions:
This is a tiny selection of charities! Choose your favourite or support a cause your recipient loves
Need more inspiration? Not sure where to look? These are some of our favourites places
Really can’t find a suitable gift? Really want to make an impact?
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