Your sustainable Christmas shopping guide

Buying sustainable gifts for the people you love this Christmas will help minimise waste, lower your carbon footprint and ensure you are being environmentally responsible. What’s not to love about that! 

Look for: 

• Gifts made from eco-friendly, recycled or repurposed materials 
• Items that include locally sourced or organic materials 
• Items with alternative materials or those made from certified sustainable processes (eg. free from harmful dyes, bleaching, etc.) 
• Items that can help eliminate single-use plastics (eg. zero waste alternatives) 

Here are a few sustainable gifts you can grab and support a local New Zealand business at the same time. 

For the little people in your life, check outB.Box Lunchboxes fromlittlegiantkidsstore.co.nz – they come in six funky colours and feature a large compartment that fits a whole sandwich. Sitting underneath the tray is a gel cooler pack to keep food fresher and cooler for longer. Or, you can remove the sandwich tray and the compartment now easily fits pasta and salads. Its unique flexi whole-fruit holder lets you store a whole apple, as the stretchy seal bends around the shape of your fruit – no need to cut fruit into smaller sizes! Leak-proof silicone seals lets you store wet foods like watermelon and yoghurts. So you don’t need to use plastic lunch wraps. Not only that, you can buy replacement parts for the lunchboxes so they will last a long time, so lots of sustainability ticks there! 

Keen gardeners or those who enjoy outloor living will be delighted to open a gift fromMetalbird.The company began life as a street art project in 2009 when Phil Walters created and installed metal bird silhouettes around his neighbourhood, just for fun. Now Metalbird has become a sprawling global project that will transform your backyard, garden or environment into a work of art. They are made locally from either 3mm Corten steel designed to last a lifetime or from FSC certified wood, sourced from sustainably grown forests in Nelson. Not only that, Metalbird supports bird conservation efforts worldwide. Pick yourfavourite winged creature here. 

Buying second-hand clothing is much better for the environment than buying new fast fashion pieces. It’s also loads of fun trawling through vintage clothing stores or thrift stores trying to find hidden treasure. If you are concerned about getting the right fit, stick to accessories such as handbags, scarves, jewellery and hats. We loveRegenerate Fashion– even though it’s based in Auckland, you can buy from the racksvia the website. If you are in Auckland, you can visit the store in Takapuna or go on the mailing list to find out about their pop up markets. 

A great gift for practical people is a set of low-waste cleaning products from local companyCleanery. Set up by Te Atatu Toasted fan Ellie Brade and her husband, this business sells cleaning product sachets that come as a powder that dissolves in water at home to create an ultra-effective cleaning spray. Wave goodbye to single-use plastic bottles and say hello to going greener. They have a multi-purpose cleaner, a bathroom cleaner and a kitchen cleaner plus a new personal care handwash range. Check out their Christmas gift ideas atcleanery.co.nz 

With the southern hemisphere celebrating Christmas in summer, a new pair of jandals is a perfect present. Check outSubs– heavy duty jandals made from recycled materials. As part of its mission to fight the global plastic crisis, Subs makes jandals (and totes, satchels and t-shirts) from commercial, industrial and consumer plastic waste that was headed to a landfill, as well as plastic rubbish collected directly from the ocean. Check out the rangeon the website and find out how you can wear you new flip flops to a Subsbeach cleanup.  

Reusable coffee cups and drink bottles are the ultimate sustainable gift. For coffee cups, we loveBullet Cup– not only do they negate the need for a single use takeaway coffee cup, but they are also made with 304 food-grade stainless steel, a highly sustainable material that is very recyclable. The cups come in two sizes in a range of colours and can be personalised with a name to make an even more special present. Grab onefrom the website. Or if you want a beautiful water bottle to gift this Christmas, check outthe range from Chunky. The company, started in Queenstown in 2017, collaborates with emerging artist to create amazing designs for its stainless-steel bottles. 

Aoteaoffers a great range of therapeutic skincare, beauty and health products inspired by mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and made with oils extracted from native flora grown on Great Barrier Island. The team from Aotea grows, extracts and manufactures all its products on the island to bring employment opportunity to local whānau. It also provides scholarships to allow rangatahi Māori to attend high school. Visit theonline store. 

Make Give Liveis a social enterprise that makes knitwear hats and accessories on a buy-one, give one model. For every piece purchased, the organisation gives a beanie to a New Zealander in need. It’s2023 Christmas collection includes star and gnome decorations, cotton make-up removal pads and wash cloths and crocheted bottle holders to carry a reusable water bottle. All the products are handmade by volunteers who get together in groups around New Zealand to craft and connect. 

Happy sustainable shopping!