At Emma Lewisham, we believe you shouldn’t have to compromise between beautiful gifts and a beautiful planet.

We know it can feel like a challenging time of year to stay sustainable, so below we have compiled our list of top tips for sustainable gifting. And remember, it's not just about buying from ‘perfectly sustainable’ businesses (in fact these don’t exist). It's simply about shopping consciously and trying to minimise your impact while still finding gifts that your loved ones will cherish.

Together, let’s minimise waste this holiday season: 

1. Sustainable packaging 

   Look for brands who offer more sustainable packaging. This could mean they use compostable courier bags, recyclable cardboard, reused boxes, or they may even offer a ‘naked’ packaging option where you can opt out of any ‘bells and whistles’ packaging such as decorative tissue paper or information cards.

2. Pre-loved presents

   A circular solution at its best, shopping second-hand is one of the best ways to reduce your impact. It means we can use what already exists, keep resources in circulation and remove the need for new natural resources. And, what we love most about shopping second-hand is thinking about the memories made and the life already lived by your pre-loved piece of clothing, furniture or homeware - how special.

3. Plants for presents

   Consider gifting greenery this year, whether it’s an indoor plant that filters air and brings life to a space or an outdoor plant that might one day be home to a rope swing or abundance of fruit - you can never go wrong with a beautiful living present.

4. Sponsor something special

   If you have a loved one that has a cause close to their heart, why not consider making a donation on their behalf to an organisation doing good things in the world.

5. Gift an experience

   Why not gift an experience instead of a product this year? Maybe it’s a weekend getaway, a beautiful dinner, or a pottery class - whatever it is, the memories made will be a gift that keeps on giving.

6. Reusable wrapping

   When it comes to wrapping, a great reusable solution is the Japanese furoshiki method, using pieces of square fabric. You could use fabric you already have at home, or reach out to local clothing designers who always have left over fabric scraps on hand.

7. Circular solutions

   When choosing your gifts these holidays, look for gifts that can be reused over and over again and ideally have a recycling solution for when they can no longer be used. This could range from cosmetics that can be refilled to clothing companies that offer repairs to coffee capsules that have recycling programmes in place. 

Take a look at the limited edition holiday packaging for our refillable, planet positive skincare here.