Gift ideas for an ethical Christmas
If you’re looking for ideas on where to buy ethical and organic gifts and groceries this Christmas, look no further! We’ve selected some of our favourite stores where you can stock up for the festive season without compromising your morals OR health.
Heavenly Organics Skin Care
Please excuse us for recommending our own shop, it’s just that we think our organic, vegan skin care products deserve to be at the top of your Christmas present shopping list! Here at Heavenly Organics we sell a wide range of lovingly handmade creams, oils, scrubs, deodorants, shampoos and balms, which your loved ones will really appreciate receiving as a Christmas gift.
Your friends and family will see how natural, organic beauty products can work as well as, and often much better than, commercial items. Following David Attenborough’s highlighting of the problems of plastic waste in his recent Blue Planet 2 series, plastic reduction is an issue that’s receiving a lot of attention. Our products are not only good for the body but for the planet too, because we do not use any plastic packaging and offer a refill service where possible.
Why not browse our shop to find that perfect present, or buy one of our gift vouchers so your friends and family can choose for themselves?
The Online Vegan Market
If you’re looking for guilty vegan pleasures and free from treats this Christmas, look no further than The Online Vegan Market!
The Online Vegan Market recently launched online, and they also have a physical store in the beautiful spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. They sell a wide array of goodies including sweets, cookies and chocolates, as well as alcohol free wines and various groceries like mock meats, spreads. milks, creams and custard – which are all 100% vegan!
Claire, the owner of the The Online Vegan Market, launched her store as a gift shop in 2015 and quickly decided that she wanted to align her business with her passion for animal welfare – and chocolate! – by selling vegan products.
Check out their online store, where you’re sure to find some delicious and cruelty free stocking fillers and gifts: https://www.theonlineveganmarket.com
Make It Wild
Make It Wild’s founders Helen and Christopher Neave are on a mission to promote a greater knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of the natural world. They are actively creating wild spaces, through projects such as planting thousands of trees on former grazing land in a nature reserve in North Yorkshire, and helping to naturally regenerate local ancient woodland. All of the funds raised through their online shop are reinvested into ecological projects.
In the Make It Wild online store you can find a range of nature-related gifts including various products made from eco-friendly bamboo such as cutlery, toothbrushes and straws, as well as cotton bags, homemade natural soaps and even bird and bug boxes!
For a special Christmas present that will make a positive contribution to the planet you can also have a tree dedicated to a loved one. Make It Wild will plant a young native woodland tree for your loved one, and send a map of the site, showing their tree, as well as a personalised certificate of dedication. What a great and nature friendly gift!
Visit their online store, here: https://www.makeitwild.co.uk
Superfood Market
Superfood Market’s guiding principle is that you should be able to “eat a clean, delicious diet, live free of chemicals and know that the products you love have not come at the expense of our fellow earthlings and environment.” To help people achieve this, they sell a wide range of ethical, natural products, from organic food and drink through to various ecological household items.
90% of Superfood Market’s stock comes from Suma Wholefoods, which is the UK’s largest independent wholesaler and workers co-op. This means that the products you buy help support education, employee rights, healthcare and living conditions for all the workers involved in the supply chain.
If you’re looking to make sure your Christmas is ethical, you’ll find what you need at Superfood Market. Visit their website, here: https://superfood-market.com
Eco Friendly Shop
Eco Friendly Shop, who sell an array of organic, recycled, upcycled, fair-trade, and environmentally friendly goods, launched back in 2003 with a stall at a local indoor market. They had a shop in Glastonbury for 5 years between 2007 and 2012, and recently relaunched their website where you can now find everything from groceries and everyday items to field guides and books on environmentally friendly, green sustainable issues.
Eco Friendly shop have an entire section dedicated to plastic free products and where they do sell plastic, they make every effort to ensure its from a recycled source as well as being recyclable.
In addition to buying online, if you’re in Somerset over the festive period you can visit their pop up shop. It’s by the zebra crossing in the middle of the high street in the village of Street, and they’ll be there until January 9th!
Visit the Eco Friendly Shop’s website, here: https://ecofriendlyshop.co.uk