This year more than ever sustainable presents can bring vital support to small, innovative businesses and promote more conscious consumption patterns.
I don’t know about you, but for me 2020 has been a year of change and growth. Lockdowns and restrictions got me thinking about what is essential. Before I noticed, I started to get rid of a number of things. I drastically reduced plastic packaging, chemicals in my beauty products and non-recyclable fibers in my clothes.
As my consumption habits evolve and my family and friends don’t really need anything, this year’s Christmas shopping was a bit daunting. So I figured I’d try something different. I was looking for something useful and original, yet sending a message.
After a bit of research, I settled on sustainable presents, such as eco-friendly food packaging and plastic and chemical-free beauty products and home cleaning supplies. For starters, I visited an Italian shop called Negozio Leggero. The concept is simple: a zero-waste, minimum packaging shopping. They sell more than 1,500 food, beauty, hygiene and home cleaning items.
Then I found Apepak, an innovative food packaging and storing cloth which uses organic cotton and beeswax. It’s washable, reusable and 100% biodegradable. Each use saves 1 square meter of plastic film.
Bees are the world’s most important pollinator of food crops and one third of the food that we consume each day relies on pollination.
Their numbers are down 20% since 1995, due to climate change, habitat destruction, predators and pesticides used in agriculture.
As such, for my final sustainable present, I adopted a beehive through 3bee. I loved the fact that I could choose a hive, depending on my preferred type of honey. By doing so, I support the livelihood of beekeepers and the protection of healthy habitats.
A huge plus is also the dedicated App that lets you monitor progress of your adopted hive and the fact that you will receive a sample of the honey produced. Needless to say that I was immediately sold.
If sustainable presents are your thing this Christmas, check them out!