All you need for Christmas is an ethical gift guide
By BEL JACOBS
Christmas can be a time of wanton consumerism or considerate consumption. Make, recycle, donate - and, when you need to buy, buy sustainably. Whether the receiver is a joker or an intellectual, a giver or a taker, a rebel or a child, this gift guide, featuring gifts from responsible and ethical sources, will - hopefully - make it easier than ever.
THE CURIOUS MIND
FROM TOP LEFT. Remember the elephants: each notebook has a hardcover bound with 100% vegan PU leather. £14.95, www.dingbats-notebooks.co.uk. Traditional methods: Maik’s birch serving trays are made in a small family run factory on an island, east of Sweden, using FSC wood. £38, https://maiklondon.com. What the?: twenty cards featuring the best of the German lanAguage's extraordinary range of compound words. £12, www.theschooloflife.com. Bell jar: each Inu dome is hand blown from recycled glass; the base is handmade from sustainable mango wood. From £19.95, www.nkukku.com. Back in black: Votch’s classic vegan leather watch is given a contemporary feel with the all black watch face. £120, www.votch.co.uk
THE EXTROVERT
FROM TOP LEFT. It Girl: Toolally’s glamorous diamond drops are inspired by geometric style of the 1920s. £55, https://toolally.com. Cut glass glamour: a sleek vegan leather pouch printed with Elisabeth Fredriksson's striking 'Duck Egg & Copper' design. £32, https://ethical.market. Step out: made in the UK by No Ones Skin with cruelty free materials, these embossed snake skin patterned pumps will stop traffic. £395, https://noonesskin.com. Twinkle, twinkle: tea light holder with polished gold finished brass edging, made by fair trade producers in India. £29.95, www.naturalcollection.com. Chutzpah: warrior cuff crafted from gold glass and recycled plastic boning, woven together with recycled thread. By Sidai. £35, https://ethicalcollection.com
THE REVOLUTIONARY
FROM TOP LEFT. Backpack: Charlie Feist is the vegan brand responsible for this neoprene loveliness. £54.99, https://charliefeist.com. Run for it: Veja fuses fair trade and ecology, together economy, social initiatives and the environment to create stonking trainers. €99, www.veja-store.com. Says it all: this Sweatshop-free, WRAP accredited & vegan friendly sweatshirt by All Riot. £35.95, www.naturalcollection.com. Save the world: The path to a better capitalism starts with a clear-eyed understanding of our emotional functioning - and this book, £10. www.theschooloflife.com. Stay low: this all-winter knit hat for any outdoor pursuit is made with 100% recycled polyester. £35, http://eu.patagonia.com
THE HEALER
FROM TOP LEFT. Cross my palm: Queens Wood Studio’s pretty folk fortune jewellery is made by water casting sterling silver. POA, www.queenswoodstudio.com. Twit twoo: This cushion cover featuring the wisest of birds is handmade in India by fair trade producers. £19.95, www.ethicalsuperstore.com. Yes, chef: classic blue and white striped apron hand cut in heavy organic cotton by Bambu. £25, www.greentulip.co.uk. A place in the country: these rustic, two-tone, fair trade certified pitchers have been handmade using recycled materials. www.ethicalsuperstore.com. Cuddle up a little closer: this beautifully designed Fairtrade voile quilt is reminiscent of a Moroccan mosaic floor. £140, www.ethicalsuperstore.com
THE JOKER
FROM LEFT. Few purchases say festive like Pachamama’s Christmas tree hat: hand knitted in Nepal in a fair trade working environment, £16.95, www.naturalcollection.com. Pineapple pouch: by Indego Africa, a non-profit social enterprise and lifestyle brand that supports women in Rwanda and Ghana, £26. https://ethicalcollection.com. Kickstart the gift giving: Williamson’s punchy Elephant Tea Caddy is stuffed with tea from farmers who believe in sustainable agriculture. £10.19, www.naturalcollection.com. Meet Albert: a respectable bather doorstop made by Wedgie, an independent UK-based wooden handicrafts company. https://ilovelowie.com. Kiss this: handsome fair trade and eco-friendly Frog Prince, made from 100% hand-loomed cotton by Planet Apple Toys. £29.95. https://ethical.market. Fine cell: the late AA Gill had a dry sense of humour: here’s his design for a cushion made by UK prisoners. £85. https://finecellwork.co.uk
THE CHILD
FROM TOP LEFT. No more plastic: indulge in the pure pleasure of a traditional wooden Ludo board game. £18.95, www.babipur.co.uk. I’m the king of the castle: Beautifully crafted 35 piece building block set including knights and horses for hours of creative play. £25, www.greentulip.co.uk. Start ‘em young: this doll’s house is the ultimate in green living: energy efficient with a wind turbine and solar power, recycling bins and more. £179.95, www.babipur.co.uk. DIY: organic/fairtrade design-your-own-chef’s-hat kit with crayons. From £6.50, www.ethicalkidz.co.uk. Sweet piggy: Made from PlanWood, a material that blends sawdust waste with organic colour pigments. £10, www.greentulip.co.uk.