Sustainable Gifts: 27 meaningful ideas that do good

Recommended by Nicola Ng, Customer and community liason 

I’ve chosen the Bird & Blend 3 Month ‘Tea Tasting Club’ subscription as a gift because it gives the recipient the chance to discover a variety of unique and flavourful teas throughout the colder months. For me, tea is a sensory experience, inviting me to pause, enjoy the aroma, and find a little calm in a busy world. There’s even a caffeine-free option which is perfect for relaxing. £35 for 3 months; www.birdandblendtea.com

Image: Vero Manrique

The sweet-spot – literally – of gift-giving, this delectable trio will help turn a humble breakfast into a festive feast. Fruits of the Forage turn the remnants of neglected orchards and hedgerows into delicious jams and chutneys, making this a perfect eco-conscious treat for fellow foodies. To help biodiversity the artisan are planting more of these heritage varieties in small projects across the UK. £14; www.fruitsoftheforage.co.uk

Image: Fruits of the Forage

This Somerset-born Swiss-style hot chocolate is the ultimate liquid luxury. Made with unalkalised natural cocoa and fair-trade, organic ingredients, it delivers velvety richness without compromising the planet. The packaging is fully recyclable and completely plastic- and chlorine- free, so your winter indulgence won’t impact future coastlines. Stir, sip and relish. £8.95; www.harthchocolate.com

Image: Maddi Bazzocco

Because what’s Christmas without a little festive tipple? Discarded’s ingenious vodka turns winemaking leftovers into something far more exciting, distilling pomace and blending it with alcohol rescued from dealcoholised Chardonnay. The result is a clever, clean spirit that champions circularity without skimping on flavour. Proof that even your holiday cocktails can raise the bar on sustainability. £27.95; www.masterofmalt.com

Image: Master of Malt

The perfect stocking filler for the vegans (and dark-choc devotees) in your life, Divine’s 70% Dark Chocolate serves bold flavour with a clean conscience. Entirely plant-based, it’s made with Fairtrade cocoa and no palm oil or additives. A small bar with a big impact, this little block of joy supports farming communities while serving up pure, guilt-free indulgence. £3.39; www.divinechocolate.com

Image: Divine 

Slip into the South Pole Surf Club Hoodie and wear your values on your sleeve, literally. Soft, sustainable and quietly radical; this cosy, organic-cotton pullover was made in a renewable-energy factory and printed with low-waste tech. With a focus on creating clothing through a circular model, the brand designs its products to be returned and remade into new products, eliminating waste.
£45; www.rapanuiclothing.com

Image: Rapanui Clothing

Everyone needs a steadfast beanie to soften the chill of an icy winter and this Community Clothing classic ticks all our boxes. Sewing Bee’s Patrick Grant founded the British-made brand to revive the UK’s declining textile industry and prove that fashion can be both ethical and sustainable. Knitted in Scotland from 100% lambswool, it’s a staple that’ll last year after year.£30; www.communityclothing.co.uk

Image: Community Clothing

It wouldn’t be a Christmas gift list without a pair of these. Step up your sock game and help save tigers while you’re at it. For every pair sold, 10% of profits go to The Rainforest Trust UK, protecting endangered wildlife and tropical forests. £9.95; www.goodthingsgifts.co.uk

Image: Bare Kind 

What says ‘friend of the earth’ louder than the simple act of planting a tree? A small but mighty move that supports vital climate recovery, your gift will help towards re-building much-needed wildlife habitats. With most traditional orchards lost and hedgerows disappearing, every tree helps restore biodiversity and protect our planet’s future. You can even dedicate your tree as a personalised gift, complete with a custom digital certificate — an eco-conscious gesture that lasts far beyond the festive season. £10+; www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Image: Noah Buscher

Gift a year of discovery with an English Heritage membership. From the mystery of Stonehenge and Dover Castle’s secret wartime tunnels to Hadrian’s Wall, Gothic abbeys in Yorkshire, and grand gardens across the East of England, there’s a world of history to explore. Enjoy free entry, exclusive events, and unforgettable days out. Endlessly inspiring, it’s a gift that turns curiosity into adventure, creating memories while supporting the preservation of England’s heritage. £82; www.english-heritage.org

Image: English Heritage

Swap supermarkets and screens with a hands-on foraging adventure across Devon, Dorset or Wiltshire. You’ll be guided by experts who’ll help you identify and gather seasonal wild foods, before enjoying a foraged feast for lunch. Perfect for curious foodies or anyone keen to reconnect with nature, sustainable foraging nourishes the body, mind and planet in equal measure. Kelp brownie anyone? £59.90; www.benutriful.com

Image: Sophia Christie Photography

Recommended by Lucy Purdy, special projects lead

The Unusual Veg Bundle from She Grows Veg quietly broadens what we imagine food can be. I can just see how these offbeat varieties would catch my kids’ curiosity: a reminder that food diversity isn’t abstract but tactile, colourful and growing right in front of them.

Even as a reasonably experienced grower, I still get the thrill of the new: crops that break the monotony of supermarket sameness. By championing open-pollinated, peat-free seeds and celebrating lesser-known vegetables, this bundle nurtures biodiversity and reconnects us with food’s wider heritage. It’s a small, hopeful act that widens the palate and the imagination – the kind of gift I’d be delighted to unwrap this Christmas. £15.50; www.shegrowsveg.com

Image: She Grows Veg, www.shegrowsveg.com

Meet the water bottle that actually lives up to the hype. Frank Green’s triple-wall, vacuum-insulated ceramic beauty keeps drinks hot or cold for hours, minus that unwanted metallic flavour. Made from durable stainless steel and customisable down to the lid and monogram, it’s the perfect personal, practical, planet-friendly gift. Stylish, award-winning and designed to last, it’s the reusable bottle they’ll reach for every single day. £39.99; www.uk.frankgreen.com

Image: Frank Green 

Recommended by Sarah LaBrecque, partnerships editor 

Remember looking at photo albums? I do. Every few years, bringing them out, staring intently at the snaps and tracking back in your memory to when they were taken. Chuckles would arise: ‘Look at your hair back then!’, ‘You carried that stuffed bunny around with you for three years’. Time is unstoppable, children grow up too fast and something about a bulging vault of digital images hidden away on my phone doesn’t satisfy. So this year I’ll be creating a photo book. Papier’s designs are gorgeous: you can choose the colour of the cover and customise the look and feel, plus the packaging is always recyclable. From £28; papier.com

Image: Micheile Henderson

Bold, bright, and perfectly imperfect, each handmade Chindi Rug turns recycled cotton scraps into a rainbow of colours for your floor.  Eco-friendly, bursting with character, and woven by skilled artisans in India, no two rugs are ever the same. It’s the ideal finishing touch for homes with a lively, free-spirited boho vibe.
£16; www.onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk

Image: Fisher Studios / Oxfam

Recommended by Angela Garwood, editorial assistant 

Few things clear my head quicker than a good journalling session, or as writer Julia Cameron calls them; “morning pages”. She says: “Each morning, as we face the page, we meet ourselves. The pages give us a place to vent and a place to dream.” I make a point of buying beautiful notebooks to pour my heart and soul into; this’d be a joyful addition to my collection. Designed and printed in England on 100% recycled paper, this B-corp certified female-led stationary brand is on a mission to help bring beauty, calm and clarity to our days. £14.50; www.goodtuesday.com

Image: Good Tuesday 

From woodland walks to cosy pub lunches, an on-the-go dog bowl can be a lifesaver. Hevea’s foldable version is made from 100% natural, plastic-free, toxin-free, biodegradable rubber. True to the Danish brand’s eco-first ethos, this bowl helps you leave gentler footprints (and pawprints) on the planet, making it the ideal gift for environmentally-conscious families and their four-legged explorers. £10.95; www.peacewiththewild.co.uk

Image: HEVEA

Recommended by Gavin Haines, associate editor 

Apart from the BMX I had as a kid, probably the best gift I’ve received was a bonsai tree. You’d have to have a heart made of MDF, not to be enchanting by the sight of a gnarled leviathan in miniature by the side of your bed. It’s a great way to rewild a room, but pick wisely as some require more upkeep than others. Bonsai Direct have a decent selection, grown in the UK using renewables. From £35; www.bonsaidirect.co.uk

Image: Bonsai Direct 

Give the gift of hope this Christmas. Featuring beautifully told, inspiring stories of real-world progress, a Positive News magazine subscription brings a year-round dose of much-needed optimism. Your gift recipient will receive four copies of our certified carbon neutral magazine throughout 2026 – each one full of stories about what’s going right in the world – plus a free copy of the current issue for Christmas. £36; positive.news/christmas

Image: Positive News

Inspire your people to get moving in 2026 with this powerful and poignant read. Libby DeLana shares how the simple act of walking can be a transformative practice, helping you reconnect with nature, process thoughts, spark creativity, and nurture your wellbeing. Packed with stunning photography and reflective wisdom, it’s a gift that encourages movement, mindfulness, and a fresh perspective; one step at a time. £10.99; www.thedobook.co

Image: Do Books

The key to a better world? Give young people the tools to lead the way. Empower the blossoming changemakers in your life with this bold book of hope by the formidable climate activist Mikaela Loach. Filled with inspiring stories from the woman known for speaking truth to power, Loach shows children how they can fight the climate crisis while building a fairer, more sustainable world. It’s the perfect guide to spark curiosity, courage, and a passion for real change. £14.24; www.uk.bookshop.org

Image: Bookshop.org

Make tidying up a whole lot more joyful with this personalised basket, a beautifully handcrafted and eco-friendly storage solution. Handwoven from naturally grown seagrass, a renewable material that regrows quickly without harming the environment, the shape of each basket varies slightly so no two will appear the same. Finished with hand-embroidered lettering in soft wool and topped with delicate tassels, it’s a charming way to store your little one’s bits and bobs. £27.99; www.bellybambino.com

Image: Bellybambino

For little witches, wizards and woodland alchemists, this Potion Making Kit from The Den Kit Company turns any garden into a spell-making playground. Filled with natural ingredients — from UK-grown rose petals to beetroot and turmeric powders — plus a real science beaker, sieve and reusable bottles, it invites youngsters to mix, mash and conjure their own earthy elixirs. Plastic-free where possible and packed in a hessian drawstring bag, it champions messy, imaginative outdoor play while sparking a deeper connection to nature. A magical, mud-splattered antidote to screens — and a gift that grows curiosity. £29.50; www.thedenkitco.com

Image: Faye Hatton Photography

“Nothing is truly beautiful unless it is made the right way,” said Nick Pecorelli, founder of Little Green Radicals. The award-winning eco-conscious brand believe how businesses operate, and the choices we as consumers make, have the power to change the world. These delightfully quaint dungarees were designed for little people ready for big adventures. Made from 100% organic and Fairtrade cotton, they’re soft, durable and built to last. £44; www.littlegreenradicals.com

Skip the gift cards this year and surprise a young bookworm with something far more exciting; a special something in the post. Akin to a personal book concierge, this children’s book subscription delivers a handpicked, beautifully wrapped story to their doorstep every month — tailored to suit their tastes by real book lovers. With bonus activity goodies, fully recyclable packaging and a donated book for every subscription, it’s a joy-filled gift for budding readers aged 4–12, nurturing a lifelong love of reading. £85 for 6 months; www.thewilloughbybookclub.co.uk

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Gift a budding young musician something that hits all the right notes, a second-hand musical instrument. Eco-friendly and rich in history, you might just spark a life-changing passion. Plenty of high-street music stores sell preloved gems waiting to be enjoyed.
Find out more about where you can borrow and buy second-hand instruments here.

Image: Ria Nurul Kamariah

Inspired by the art of turning waste into beauty, and aptly named after the concept of upcycling, UpCircle — a certified B Corp — gives discarded ingredients a second life in elevated skincare. Their brightening Face Oil, made with repurposed coffee extract, nourishes all skin types with rosehip and sea buckthorn and doubles as a brilliant gender-neutral hair or beard oil. The refreshing Eye Cream blends upcycled coffee oil with anti-inflammatory maple bark extract to help reduce dark circles and fine lines. Packaged in fully recyclable glass or aluminium and formulated without palm oil or parabens, this is a natural, sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free Christmas gift. £37.99; www.upcirclebeauty.com

Image: UpCircle Beauty

Main image: Juliana Malta