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Ecologi’s top 20 list of Eco-gift ideas for the festive season 2020

With the festive season fast approaching it’s important to remember that the gifts you buy can show your love, not only for your friends and family, but also for the planet. It can be so easy to just click ‘buy it now’ on Amazon, but more than ever it is important to consider the environmental impacts of your gifts and to support independent businesses that are doing good things. It is much more important to buy less, but buying well is also key! 
It can sometimes be difficult to find small local businesses that sell the thing you are after, and more often than not big businesses dominate our search engines. Some good tips include looking on websites such as <a href="https://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a>, <a href="https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/">NotontheHighStreet</a>, <a href="https://www.trouva.com/">Trouva</a>, <a href="https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/">Social Enterprise UK </a>and local ‘made in’ websites like <a href="https://madeinfolkestone.co.uk/">Made in Folkestone</a> to find independent brands from your local area. A lot of small businesses sell on Instagram too. So, try searching some hashtags such as #ShopSmall #ShopLocal and #SmallBusinessess. If your friend has a company that you think is great – buy from them and tell all your friends to share the message! You can also find ethical brands, and get ethical ratings of your favourite brands on the Good On You ethical fashion App. 
For so many of us the festive season is tied up with consumerism. We learn from a young age that it is all about presents, and that you must buy gifts for absolutely everyone otherwise you don’t care about them. However, we are starting to learn that this is neither sustainable nor necessary. There are so many alternatives to buying presents: you can give your time, give an experience, or even give preloved items. When you do buy presents, it is important to consider whether the person will really value it, and to make sure that it will have a positive impact somehow- e.g. climate smart or supporting local businesses. For those that want to buy less and buy well but have no ideas, we’ve compiled a list of our top 20 eco gift suggestions.

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Guerilla gardening grenades filled with flower power potential, these bombs contain a mix of wildflower seeds that will grow into bright and beautiful nectar rich flowers loved by bees. All you need to do is throw the bomb, and it will split open upon impact with the ground and grow. Seedbombs are quick and easy ways for us all to help our local biodiversity. 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2130 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208110438/Pollinator-Beebom-Seedbom_LS_SQ-S-copy-600x600-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208110438/Pollinator-Beebom-Seedbom_LS_SQ-S-copy-600x600-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208110438/Pollinator-Beebom-Seedbom_LS_SQ-S-copy-600x600-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208110438/Pollinator-Beebom-Seedbom_LS_SQ-S-copy-600x600.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://kabloom.co.uk/product/pollinator-beebom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Seedbomb </a>    Price: £3.95

2.  Climate Positive Gin from the Arbikie Distillery

Dubbed as the ‘world&#8217;s first climate positive gin’ this gin is made from peas! It has a carbon footprint of -1.54 kg CO2e per 700ml bottle, as well as a smooth and refreshing taste with undertones of citrus leaf and lemongrass.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2162 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201209123652/1582043731SinclairBay-1-273x300.jpg" alt="" width="273" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201209123652/1582043731SinclairBay-1-273x300.jpg 273w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201209123652/1582043731SinclairBay-1.jpg 676w" sizes="(max-width: 273px) 100vw, 273px" />
<a href="https://www.arbikie.com/item/23/Nadr-Gin.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Gin</a>     Price: £43

We are spending more time than ever at home right now, so it’s especially important to make it smell nice! Good Candles make candles that are hand poured with responsibly sourced soy wax and they donate 10% of the sales to good causes, including funding climate solutions and planting trees, the National Literacy Trust, and CALM. 
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-2132" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208110924/candle-forest-fire-soy-candle-planting-20-trees-for-every-sale-1_1080x-e1607591955951-300x178.png" alt="" width="505" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208110924/candle-forest-fire-soy-candle-planting-20-trees-for-every-sale-1_1080x-e1607591955951-300x178.png 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208110924/candle-forest-fire-soy-candle-planting-20-trees-for-every-sale-1_1080x-e1607591955951-1024x609.png 1024w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208110924/candle-forest-fire-soy-candle-planting-20-trees-for-every-sale-1_1080x-e1607591955951-768x457.png 768w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208110924/candle-forest-fire-soy-candle-planting-20-trees-for-every-sale-1_1080x-e1607591955951.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px" />
<a href="https://good-candles.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Candles</a>     £35

4. Plastic Free Bath Products from Ethique 

Ethique produces cosmetic products that are 100%  free from plastic and palm oil. They are also carbon neutral and vegan! Try this gift trial pack containing a shampoo bar, conditioner bar, solid face cleanser and solid butter block. This is the ideal gift pack for someone trying to go plastic free and the products smell incredible too!
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-2134 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111425/Picture-Ethique.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111425/Picture-Ethique.png 273w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111425/Picture-Ethique-150x150.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://ethique.co.uk/products/gift-trial-pack-for-normal-skin-hair?geo_redirection_stay=1&amp;geo_currency=GBP" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Gift Pack</a>     Price: £11

Give the gift of long-lasting climate action. Ecologi Gifting allows you to buy your loved ones Christmas Trees (forests of 100, 250, or 500 trees) this Christmas. The trees in these gifts do amazing things, supporting local biodiversity and local communities, and these benefits will be felt for many years to come! Your recipient can keep track of their trees in their very own virtual forest where they can watch them grow and learn more about them. 
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-2135" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111639/gifting_pr_1-1-1-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="533" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111639/gifting_pr_1-1-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111639/gifting_pr_1-1-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111639/gifting_pr_1-1-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111639/gifting_pr_1-1-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111639/gifting_pr_1-1-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px" />
<a href="https://ecologi.com/gifting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Ecologi Tree Planting gifts</a>     Price: From £24.00

The ethos behind this dutch chocolate company is to fully eradicate slavery in chocolate production. They also actively train the farmers they work with to implement more environmentally-friendly production methods, such as minimising the use of pesticides, offset their emissions, and deforestation within their supply chain is strictly prohibited. Try the milk caramel sea salt bar &#8211; it&#8217;s delicious! 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2136 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111755/Tonys-Chocolonely-Fairtrade-Chocolate_1c13dc4e-f908-407c-9805-25aabfcce5a8_1024x1024-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111755/Tonys-Chocolonely-Fairtrade-Chocolate_1c13dc4e-f908-407c-9805-25aabfcce5a8_1024x1024-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111755/Tonys-Chocolonely-Fairtrade-Chocolate_1c13dc4e-f908-407c-9805-25aabfcce5a8_1024x1024-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111755/Tonys-Chocolonely-Fairtrade-Chocolate_1c13dc4e-f908-407c-9805-25aabfcce5a8_1024x1024-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111755/Tonys-Chocolonely-Fairtrade-Chocolate_1c13dc4e-f908-407c-9805-25aabfcce5a8_1024x1024.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://tonyschocolonely.com/uk/en/our-chocolate/product/milk-caramel-sea-salt-180-gram-1-bar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Chocolate</a>     Price: £3.98

55 African elephants are killed a day for their tusks, and in Asia elephants have disappeared from 85% of their historic range. By adopting an elephant you are helping to fund WWF’s work to protect elephant habitats, reduce poaching and address human-elephant conflict. You will receive a welcome pack, regular updates and a personalised adoption certificate to give to your loved one. 
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-2137" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111902/WWF_Elephant_Online_Certificate_1-300x176.jpg" alt="" width="510" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111902/WWF_Elephant_Online_Certificate_1-300x176.jpg 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111902/WWF_Elephant_Online_Certificate_1.jpg 539w" sizes="(max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px" />
<a href="https://support.wwf.org.uk/adopt-an-elephant?_ga=2.225425118.51780786.1605099322-285360307.1605099322" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Adopt an Elephant</a>      Price: from £3 a month

Turtle bags are a stylish way to reduce your plastic footprint. They are made from certified organic cotton and available in a wide range of beautiful colours.
 <img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2138 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111957/Screenshot-2020-12-07-12.28.16-298x300.png" alt="" width="298" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111957/Screenshot-2020-12-07-12.28.16-298x300.png 298w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111957/Screenshot-2020-12-07-12.28.16-150x150.png 150w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208111957/Screenshot-2020-12-07-12.28.16.png 584w" sizes="(max-width: 298px) 100vw, 298px" />
<a href="https://www.turtlebags.co.uk/product-page/organic-short-handled-string-bag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Turtle Bags</a>     Price: £6

E-waste has become the world’s fastest growing waste stream, and a typical new phone creates at least 79kg of CO2 emissions. Reboxed provides a sustainable alternative by selling certified refurbished phones and allowing high-spec handsets that would otherwise go to waste, to find new homes. What’s more, they aim to make every phone carbon positive by planting 10 trees and paying to offset its lifetime CO2 emissions! 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2139 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208112121/reboxed-boxes_1200x_041febd6-a243-468a-aa6d-2b11f4232c28_900x-300x295.png" alt="" width="300" height="295" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208112121/reboxed-boxes_1200x_041febd6-a243-468a-aa6d-2b11f4232c28_900x-300x295.png 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208112121/reboxed-boxes_1200x_041febd6-a243-468a-aa6d-2b11f4232c28_900x-768x754.png 768w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208112121/reboxed-boxes_1200x_041febd6-a243-468a-aa6d-2b11f4232c28_900x.png 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://reboxed.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Reboxed Phones </a>    Price: from £200

10. Zero-waste Shave Gift Set from Know the Origin

This zero-waste shave gift set gives an amazing shave, while also helping to reduce single-use and plastic waste. It comes with a stainless steel razor, 10 razor blades, a shaving bar, razor disposal tin and an organic cotton drawstring bag, all vegan and free of palm oil, and is packaged in a recycled cardboard box.
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-2140 size-medium aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208112313/Zero-Waste-Shave-With-Bag_540x-e1607426694498-300x275.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="275" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208112313/Zero-Waste-Shave-With-Bag_540x-e1607426694498-300x275.jpg 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208112313/Zero-Waste-Shave-With-Bag_540x-e1607426694498.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://knowtheorigin.com/products/zero-waste-shave-giftset" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Shave Giftset </a>    Price: £35

Artfinder sells artwork from local artists that can awaken our imagination and transform our homes. They aim to provide a platform where artists can make a living doing what they love, and anyone can easily find and buy original artworks – no matter their taste or budget. Every single piece is unique and signed by the artist, carrying its own story.
<img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2192" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201211094107/0E143C27-0C31-463F-A4FB-393A68061BD5-300x238.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="238" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201211094107/0E143C27-0C31-463F-A4FB-393A68061BD5-300x238.jpeg 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201211094107/0E143C27-0C31-463F-A4FB-393A68061BD5-1024x811.jpeg 1024w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201211094107/0E143C27-0C31-463F-A4FB-393A68061BD5-768x608.jpeg 768w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201211094107/0E143C27-0C31-463F-A4FB-393A68061BD5.jpeg 1364w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://www.artfinder.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Artwork</a>  Price: From £18

Food wastage contributes 6.7% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Rubies in the Rubble make products that are packed with delicious ingredients that would otherwise go to waste &#8211; not because they taste any different, but because they’re the wrong shape, size or colour. Try this delicious taster pack of chilli onion relish, tomato ketchup and chilli mayo. 
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-2144 size-medium aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208112822/TasterBundle_grande-e1607592019581-300x263.png" alt="" width="300" height="263" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208112822/TasterBundle_grande-e1607592019581-300x263.png 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208112822/TasterBundle_grande-e1607592019581.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://rubiesintherubble.com/products/taster-pack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Taster Pack </a>     Price: £10

Homemade gifts are a cheap and creative way to show someone that you care, all while being great for your carbon footprint! The Sustainable Cooks have a great blog on handmade gift ideas- from truffles, to quilts, to natural lip balm. 
      <img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2145 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113056/dark-chocolate-truffles-1-e1607427084460-288x300.jpg" alt="" width="288" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113056/dark-chocolate-truffles-1-e1607427084460-288x300.jpg 288w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113056/dark-chocolate-truffles-1-e1607427084460.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px" />
<a href="https://www.sustainablecooks.com/handmade-gift-ideas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Blog</a>     Price: from £0

In the UK alone, 2.5 billion coffee cups are thrown away each year. Frank Green’s reusable cups are a sustainable and stylish alternative to this. You can customise to your heart’s content, choosing different colours for the lid, the button, and the base, and all coffee cups are recyclable at the end of their use. 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2146 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113322/Picture1-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113322/Picture1-300x300.png 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113322/Picture1-150x150.png 150w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113322/Picture1.png 375w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://uk.frankgreen.com/collections/reusable-cups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Coffee Cups </a>     Price: from £19.99

Use your gifts this year to make a difference to those who really need it. The Choose Love store allows you to buy items for those living in refugee camps, from a hot meal, to sleeping bags, to legal aid. These purchases also come with an option for a link to a downloadable gift card that can be wrapped up to give to your loved one. 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2148 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113618/Picture-Chose-Love-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113618/Picture-Chose-Love-300x300.png 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113618/Picture-Chose-Love-150x150.png 150w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113618/Picture-Chose-Love.png 602w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://choose.love/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Choose Love Store</a>      Price: from £5

Many tea bags that we buy actually still contain plastic! Teapigs produce quality tea, sourced sustainably, in packaging that’s better for the environment and their teabags are entirely plastic-free and compostable! Their teas are also delicious and they have some exciting winter flavours like gluhwein tea and spiced pear tea. Try this selection box of 12 teas, which allows you to test out a whole range of flavours.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-2149" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113832/Picture-Tea.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113832/Picture-Tea.png 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113832/Picture-Tea-150x150.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://www.teapigs.co.uk/collections/gift-sets-1/products/tea-pick-n-mix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Teapigs Giftset</a>      Price: £17.99

This cookbook is the complete guide to how you can make your food stretch further in order to reduce your waste. Packed full of over 100 creative recipes, Giovanna Torrico and Amelia Wasiliev highlight how you can make use of the food that so often goes to waste. 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2150 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113921/9781784882471-227x300.jpg" alt="" width="227" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113921/9781784882471-227x300.jpg 227w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208113921/9781784882471.jpg 378w" sizes="(max-width: 227px) 100vw, 227px" />
<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-zero-waste-cookbook/giovanna-torrico/amelia-wasiliev/9781784882471" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Cookbook </a>     Price: £16.99

These great-tasting, vegan beers are committed to saving water in an otherwise wasteful industry. Typically it requires 8-10 pints of water to brew a single pint of beer, however the team at Small Beer have whittled it down to just 1.5 pints of water per pint. Try the craft beer gift pack which includes 4 x 350ml bottles of Small Beer and 2 x branded half pint glasses. 
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-2151" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208114137/Picture-Beer-e1607592119908-300x142.png" alt="" width="424" height="200" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208114137/Picture-Beer-e1607592119908-300x142.png 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208114137/Picture-Beer-e1607592119908.png 602w" sizes="(max-width: 424px) 100vw, 424px" />
<a href="https://theoriginalsmallbeer.com/products/small-beer-gift-pack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Beer </a>      Price: £18

Designed scientifically, this odourless, biomorphic worm composter turns food scraps into fertiliser. Drop fruit and vegetable peelings, grain foods, and tea bags into a top opening and the worms-in-residence will quickly turn it into compost! The composter can process over two pounds of food a week, enough to keep up with most or all of the scraps in a two-or three-person household. Spread the easily removable compost next to your plants or in pots, and watch them grow.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2152 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208114254/47184_1_640px-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208114254/47184_1_640px-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208114254/47184_1_640px-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208114254/47184_1_640px.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://www.uncommongoods.com/product/living-composter?clickid=3uJTJq2jsxyLWguwUx0Mo3EFUkEzhLx1AxE7zw0&amp;irgwc=1&amp;utm_source=Skimbit%20Ltd.&amp;utm_medium=affiliates&amp;utm_campaign=8444&amp;utm_term=Online%20Tracking%20Link&amp;trafficSource=Impact&amp;sharedid=housebeautiful.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Composter</a>     Price: £148.30

Lucy &amp; Yak make beautiful, high-quality garments with the aim that everyone that has an input is treated, and paid, fairly. Clothes are made from organic fabrics and produced in a factory in India, where workers are paid four times the minimum wage. All their packaging is also 100% biodegradable and these colourful Co-ords are beyond funky! 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2153 aligncenter" src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208114436/Lucy_And_Yak_29_28_10_201369_2bff3cb9-530f-4331-ad4a-d47006ae5164_600x-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208114436/Lucy_And_Yak_29_28_10_201369_2bff3cb9-530f-4331-ad4a-d47006ae5164_600x-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20201208114436/Lucy_And_Yak_29_28_10_201369_2bff3cb9-530f-4331-ad4a-d47006ae5164_600x.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />
<a href="https://lucyandyak.com/collections/colourful-co-ords?page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to Colourful Cords </a>   Price: £30-52

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Christmas is definitely one of the most wonderful times of the year, however it is also one of the most wasteful. In the UK, an<a href="https://www.biffa.co.uk/media-centre/news/new-research-shows-brits-are-dreaming-of-a-green-christmas" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> extra 30% of rubbish</a> is produced and discarded throughout the festive period when compared with the rest of the year. This is in the region of 3 million tonnes. One big culprit is Christmas wrapping paper. An estimated <a href="https://www.biffa.co.uk/media-centre/news/new-research-shows-brits-are-dreaming-of-a-green-christmas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">227,000 miles</a> of wrapping paper is thrown away in the UK each Christmas, meaning that the average household will go through four rolls of wrapping paper and about 40 million rolls of sticky tape. You don’t want to go through all the trouble of buying super eco-friendly gifts just to wrap it in wasteful, non-recyclable paper! Switching to plain brown paper or newspaper fastened with string or ribbon instead of tape is one way to reduce your waste. 
Wrapping presents in lengths of fabric, following the Japanese art of fabric wrapping: furoshiki, is another option that is becoming more and more popular. These cloths are both beautiful and reusable and can be passed from person to person. When you do use wrapping paper, make sure to do the scrunch test to determine if it can be recycled. This involves schrunching the paper in your hand, and if it remains schrunched it is recyclable. You can also unwrap your presents very carefully and save wrapping paper year after year! 
If you are sending presents to loved ones, <a href="https://heapsgoodpackaging.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HeapsGood packaging</a> has some brilliant compostable packaging options including 100% biodegradable Ecomailers that will break down in 3-6 months! 
There are many ways that you can adapt your wrapping habits to be more sustainable and thus, in our eyes, more in line with the true spirit of Christmas.

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We hope that this blog has given you some great tips for how to have a more sustainable festive season. There has never been a better time to try something different and step back from the excessive consumerism that so often dominates this time of year.
If you want to do more, and help plant trees and fund climate solutions, <a href="https://ecologi.com/plan">sign up</a> to Ecologi today.

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Climate Commitments Survey 2024

Our Climate Commitments 2024 report surveyed 1,400 business owners and decision-makers to businesses with 1-1,000 employees spanning all regions of the UK and 28 professional sectors. 
There were three clear themes that emerged this year. Despite the continuing economic downturn, businesses are still making sustainability a core part of their strategy and reaping the benefits. Whilst more and more businesses are starting their net-zero journey the majority are not on course to hit their targets by 2050. Key barriers around investment, time and tools still remain as well as a lack of government support to accelerate the transition to the net zero economy.
<h3>Read the full report </h3>
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 📁 Download the PDF report <a href="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20240415131731/Climate_Commitments_Survey.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>

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<h3>1. Despite the continuing economic downturn, businesses are making sustainability a core part of their strategy and reaping the benefits.</h3>
76% said becoming more environmentally sustainable is a core business strategy for their organisation in 2024.
Despite the current cost of living crisis nearly two thirds (64%) say that the economic downturn is having a positive or no impact at all on their sustainability commitments with only a third (29%) saying it is having a negative impact. As a result 81% are planning on either increasing or maintaining their investment in sustainability initiatives.
Changing business practices are wide-ranging and have seen nearly half of respondents increasing rates of recycling (49%) or reducing energy consumption (48%) while over a third (37%) have taken the step of using ‘greener’ suppliers and products, been educating employees on best practices to reduce climate change (35%) and increased their use of renewable energy (35%).
For the two thirds of businesses (63%) who have set sustainability targets, they are reporting multiple business benefits. These range from improved brand reputation (34%), reduced costs (31%), increased productivity and/or innovation (30%), attracting more eco-conscious customers (28%), employee loyalty and/or motivation (28%), competitive advantage (22%) and increased revenue and/or market share (22%).

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<h3>2. More and more businesses are starting their net-zero journey but are not on course to hit their targets</h3>
72% of businesses have either measured their footprint consistently over the past few years (35%) or in the last year (37%) demonstrating the momentum in the first step on a net-zero journey.
Around a third have calculated their carbon footprint (30%), set emissions reductions targets (35%), achieved emissions reductions (30%) and funded climate action (35%) but less than a third (27%) were on track to reach net-zero by 2050 or sooner.
Businesses still recognised the role of carbon offsetting as an effective way for businesses to contribute to global climate action (21%) when used as part of a wider strategy (17%) after reducing emissions as much as possible (17%). Funding tree planting still tops the list as businesses’ number one favoured climate action solution (46%), followed by renewable energy (38%), habitat conservation &amp; restoration (37%), rainforest conservation (32%) and carbon dioxide removal (31%).

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<h3>3. Barriers around investment, time and tools still remain, as well as a lack of government support.</h3>
Over a third of UK businesses cited financial constraints (32%), the cost of tools or technology (28%), lack of government support in the form of incentives (25%), time constraints (25%) and the lack of the ability to measure their carbon footprint (20%). 
The business sector is calling out for more support from the government.  Nearly eight in ten (79%) of UK businesses feel that the government should provide more support to improve their environmental affairs, three quarters (76%) feel that the government investing in the green economy would be good for business, creating jobs and lowering their running costs while 73% feel more government support is key to their business increasing its sustainability targets.
With less than half (49%) of businesses yet to apply for government funding to make their business greener there’s a clear desire for more funding (45%) and incentives (44%) to be made available as well as clearer information (40%) on how to access these.

<h3>Businesses can lead the sustainable revolution</h3>
Ecologi remains committed to supporting businesses on their climate journey through our all-in-one platform allowing organisations to calculate their carbon footprint, set targets and reduce their emissions whilst funding high quality climate action projects. Our mission is to inspire and empower businesses to accelerate global climate action.
We’re trusted by over 20,000 businesses. Why not add yours to the list? If you want to make your business greener, better, faster, stronger, speak to our expert team.
You can access the full data set <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vR2QZj3JAUk_f4suOMmd653C6AEiytUp_T5WhBnUOypIkW9Wf9yT61C9TzQ4_GMwQ/pubhtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>

Speak to our expert team to make your business greener, better, faster, stronger

Ecologi Impact Report 2023: Another year of impact for our planet

Impact Reports

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Impact Report 2023: Another year of impact for our planet

Read our 2023 Impact Report to discover the incredible achievements of the Ecologi community.

It’s that time of year again, when we share our annual Impact Report to highlight the scale of the impact funded by our community, and the incredible achievements of the impactful projects that Ecologi has supported over the past twelve months.
Read the full report below, or stick with us here, as we summarise some of the top facts and figures from 2023.

<h2>Over 75 million trees funded</h2>
…in fact, nearly 77 million! As of the end of the year, the Ecologi community has funded the planting of 76.9 million trees in eighteen countries around the world – from Argentina to Tanzania.
This includes 20.6 million trees which were funded by the Ecologi community in 2023, representing 27% of our overall count of trees funded to date.
We also now support reforestation projects in all four nations of the United Kingdom, and have planted 300,000 trees here at home.

<h2>Over 38,000 livelihoods supported through reforestation and agroforestry projects</h2>
We are constantly working on improving our understanding of how our funding for reforestation projects supports local people and communities.
Thanks to improved data visibility across our projects this year, we can report that the reforestation projects we fund support at least 38,000 people – for example through training, employment, investment in micro-businesses, or the provision of healthcare and wellbeing services.

<h2>New habitat restoration projects already showing results</h2>
In October, we launched our first-ever dedicated habitat restoration project – called <a href="https://ecologi.com/projects/wildflowers-wetlands-and-wildlife" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wildflowers, Wetlands and Wildlife</a>. This project supports the Future Forest Company’s projects restoring and conserving habitats and ecosystems that are important for native biodiversity in the United Kingdom – costing only a few pounds per square metre of habitat restored.
In just the last quarter of 2023, our community funded it’s first 5,000 m2 of habitat restoration, and the sites are already seeing some exciting signs that this restorative effort is working – with the return of the Northern brown argus (Aricia artaxerxes) to Stirlingshire, and elusive pine martens (Martes martes) spotted at Dumyat.

<h2>Another half a million tonnes of carbon avoidance</h2>
Our community funded another 565 ktCO2e this year, bringing our all-time total of emissions avoided to 2.96 MtCO2e (million tonnes).
This year, we saw increased demand for a wide range of projects that feature lots of co-benefits, with Community-based projects (like cookstoves and boreholes) averaging 7.25 validated benefits for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Nature-based projects averaging 5.38 SDGs.
The voluntary carbon market has received a lot of attention and scrutiny this year, which has helped to expose some of the poor-quality projects on the market, as well as increasing transparency, due diligence and quality standards across the board. This year, we joined the <a href="https://cmif.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carbon Markets Innovation Forum</a>, to join up with other startups in the carbon markets who are dedicated to supporting only high-quality projects.
Thanks to all these positive changes, as well as a huge demand for high-quality projects, the market is starting to bounce back – and high-quality projects are starting to receive the attention (and funding) they deserve. You can read more about how we review projects before funding them <a href="https://ecologi.com/articles/blog/funding-carbon-credits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

<h2>Our first 1,000 tonnes of carbon removal</h2>
Late in the year, we launched our first carbon removal projects onto our <a href="http://ecologi.com/impact-shop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Impact Shop</a>, enabling our community to <a href="https://ecologi.com/projects/biochar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fund biochar projects</a> for the first time, and our community funded our first 1,056 tonnes of removals.
Carbon removal projects are those which take carbon dioxide (CO2) which is already in the atmosphere, remove it, and store it somewhere in the biosphere (like in forests) or the geosphere (like underground). These tend to be much more expensive on the market than carbon avoidance, and so the volumes are modest. This year, we began to fund projects with durable storage – <a href="https://ecologi.com/impact-shop/support-biochar-carbon-removal-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biochar carbon removal</a> – as well as those with nature-based storage, through <a href="https://ecologi.com/impact-shop/support-certified-blue-carbon-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blue carbon</a> and <a href="https://ecologi.com/impact-shop/support-certified-afforestation-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">terrestrial afforestation (ARR)</a>.
Around 10% of our community’s carbon removal tonnes funded this year went towards biochar, with 40% for blue carbon and 50% for green ARR.

<h2>Read more stats and stories in our full Impact Report 2023</h2>
We’ve collected just a few of our favourite stats in this article, but you can read more – and more in-depth stories from all the projects supported – in the full report, <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSGPflji-t40_-gNYvj9Nam45ZQbcrU8EEFo9uuTk--SakI9khZ_kb3F42lxKq8JlwNzxAqyHK9vOz_/pub?start=false&amp;loop=false&amp;delayms=60000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which you can view here</a>.
As ever, we extend our heartfelt thanks to every member of the Ecologi community who supported these wonderful projects in 2023, as well as all our partners and suppliers and other organisations who we have worked with this year.

Ready to make a difference for our planet? Get in touch, and let’s chat about how we can help you on your climate journey.

Case studies

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Case study: How EET Group is embedding sustainability

Case study: How EET Group is embedding sustainability into IT distribution 

<h2>About EET Group</h2>
EET Group is a value adding IT distributor. They pride themselves on providing expert industry knowledge, tailored logistics solutions, unique sales services, and innovative marketing tools to support their partners&#8217; success.
Founded in 1986, operating in 23 markets across Europe and shipping to over 70 countries, EET Group offers an extensive portfolio of more than 1,100 brands. Their team of 750 employees works collaboratively to deliver unparalleled value to partners and customers.

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<h2>Issue</h2>
The distribution of spare parts was EET Group’s initial business focus and remains a cornerstone today, even as they have expanded their business into other areas. With a 30-year heritage in spare parts distribution, environmental purpose is embedded in their DNA.
Their mission is to extend the lifespan of electronic equipment, including printers, laptops, mobile phones, and servers, thereby diverting them from landfill. They give tech products a second life, before they become electronic waste. The team is already making significant progress in their climate journey, having calculated their carbon footprint and set emissions reductions goals. Their next step involves setting Science Based Targets.
EET Group was looking for a trusted partner capable of assisting them in making a greater positive impact on our planet while enhancing transparency. EET Group&#8217;s decision to collaborate with Ecologi was driven by a desire to attract employees, suppliers, and customers, as well as to enhance brand reputation and drive business growth.
The team also saw the benefit of joining a community that’s working together to collectively tackle the climate crisis, and connecting with other like-minded businesses through initiatives like the Million Tree Pledge.

<h2>Challenges</h2>
There were some barriers to overcome, such as a lack of knowledge about the appropriate climate action, and concerns about potential greenwashing accusations. However, Ecologi’s expert team was available to provide assistance in addressing these challenges.
EET Group was reassured by Ecologi&#8217;s credibility, demonstrated through our trusted relationships with over 20,000 businesses and the fact that our climate experts employ state-of-the-art data and monitoring capabilities throughout the verification and due diligence process. They were also reassured that we regularly update our transparency page with evidence of our strategy, impact ledger and financial information.
EET Group was also confident that Ecologi’s business toolkit and communication guidelines are available to offer practical assistance in using the correct language and avoiding the pitfalls of greenwashing.

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<h2>Solution</h2>
EET Group’s climate journey began by selecting the right portfolio from Ecologi&#8217;s extensive list of high quality carbon avoidance projects. The team introduced ‘climate conscious outbound shipping’, which involved purchasing carbon credits to mitigate emissions from outbound carriers.
Then, at the beginning of 2021, EET Group took the Million Tree Pledge and committed to planting one million trees by 2025. Since then, they have planted one tree for every five shipments leaving their warehouses. With around 1.1 million outbound shipments a year, they have planted more than 220,000 trees annually – that’s an area the size of two tennis courts every single day! EET Group actually smashed their 2025 target and fulfilled their million tree pledge in April 2023.
EET Group has already implemented circular practices and eliminated virgin plastics from their own private label eStuff Infinite consumer products. Now, they are focusing on reducing the environmental impact of their B2B products as well. In the future, they plan to collaborate with Ecovadis and the SBTI to introduce more sophisticated tracking of Scopes 1,2 and 3 emissions, thereby improving the accuracy of their measurements to date.

<h2>Outcome</h2>
EET Group has already funded the planting of a staggering 1.43 million trees and, through purchasing and retiring certified carbon credits with Ecologi, has prevented the emission of over 26,300 tCO2e.

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By sharing EET Group’s impact with customers, suppliers and employees, Ecologi has added even more value to the partnership.
Ongoing sustainability initiatives are discussed at every ‘town hall’ and board meeting, with regular updates on trees funded for planting. The partnership has truly become a part of the corporate culture. EET Group also regularly reports its environmental impact through dedicated company web pages. And to increase awareness of their reforestation initiative, every physical shipment notice includes a marketing message highlighting that for every five shipments, the planting of a tree is funded. They also link directly to both Ecologi and the Million Tree Pledge through their website and social media channels.
The team is regularly invited to talk about their reforestation efforts at customer and supplier events, and they have completed several annual initiatives with suppliers, inviting them to stand together and grow the EET Group forest by contributing trees to the cause.
At Ecologi, we believe that sharing impact is fundamental to the climate journey. Our badges, business toolkit, and communication guidelines have made it easier and more effective for the team at EET Group to share their good work.

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Kristian Lading, Group Chief Products and Solutions Officer at EET Group, is building something of a reputation for his sustainability efforts, both at home and at work. His colleagues fondly refer to him as the “Tree Man” and his daughter describes his job as “selling electronic spare parts and planting trees”. We fully endorse that job description! 
<blockquote>Making a positive impact on the environment and contributing to the fight against climate change is something we at EET take great pride in. We will continue to work with Ecologi and our valued customers and suppliers to grow the EET Forest and support reforestation efforts around the world. It helps us engage with customers and suppliers, and attract new employees, as everybody understands that planting trees is great for our planet.</blockquote>

<h2>Want to make your business greener, better, faster, stronger?</h2>
If this article has inspired your business to start its climate journey, talk to our team today.

Ecologi’s top 20 list of Eco-gift ideas for the festive season 2020

How to lower your impact this Christmas

1. Seedbomb

2. Climate Positive Gin from the Arbikie Distillery

3. Good Candles

4. Plastic Free Bath Products from Ethique

5. Ecologi Gifting

6. Tony’s Chocolonely Chocolate

7. Adopt an WWF elephant

8. Turtle Bags

9. Planet-Friendly Phones from Reboxed

10. Zero-waste Shave Gift Set from Know the Origin

11. Art from Artfinder

12. Rubies in the Rubble Taster Pack

13. Homemade Gifts

14. Frank Green Reusable Coffee Cup

15. Choose love, Help refugees

16. TeaPigs Pick n’ mix Gift Sets

17. The Zero-Waste Cookbook

18. Eco-Friendly Beer

19. Living Composter

20. Lucy & Yak Colourful Co-ords

A note on packaging...

More posts

Climate Commitments Survey 2024

Impact Report 2023: Another year of impact for our planet

Case study: How EET Group is embedding sustainability into IT distribution

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