Alternative sustainable, charity focused, Christmas present ideas for under £40

Christmas is a time for family, food and… presents. The hanging pressure of buying gifts for all of your family every year creeps back at you in December and you suddenly have to wrack your brain for what to buy. But have you thought about buying more sustainable gifts that may benefit charities instead?

We don’t really have an excuse not to try to help our poor planet and those on it. At Christmas time we can forget about what we can do to support the life around us and just get caught up in the material possessions we can buy. There’s nothing wrong with buying material gifts that make someone happy, I do it, we all do it, but here are some suggestions for anyone wanting to add a more sustainable, planet and charity focused gift into the mix (not all suggestions are charity based).

This list goes from least expensive to most.

£Any – Plant a tree on behalf of someone

Read more on the Woodland Trust website

Planting a tree on behalf of a loved one can be such an affordable gift with no fixed cost, so you can pay as little or as much as you’d like. Deforestation is a real problem that affects our planet and the wildlife on it when their home is destroyed. By planting a tree for your loved one, step by step, you are helping to preserve the ecosystem of our world. This is a gift that will make a direct difference and help to contribute towards building a better future for our plant and for those living on it.

£12 – Emergency Relief and Support in the Philippines

Read more on the Global Giving page for this cause

Deadly disasters are hitting our world and the lovely people on it so hard, it’s heartbreaking to see what is happening in the Philippines. You can donate from £12 upwards to their relief and support fund which will support emergency aid like food, water, medicine, and shelter. This isn’t a gift in the sense of the other ideas I’ve listed, but it’s something you could write in a card and let a loved one know you’re helping such a valuable cause on their behalf.

£25 – Save the Rainforest T-Shirt

Read more on the Cool Earth website

If you want a gift you can physically give to your loved one whilst also making a difference, how about this Vivienne Westwood designed ‘save the rainforest’ t-shirt? Made from organic cotton and looking very unique, this piece of clothing both raises awareness and contributes to helping financially. In Vivienne Westwood’s own words ‘I’m asking you to join me in this battle for our planet. I’ve specially designed a shirt for the cause, and if you purchase it, you’ll be making a difference.’. 

£25 – Buy a goat for a village as a Christmas gift

Read more on the Oxfam website

Oxfam offers numerous packages to buy as a gift, not just goats, but also chickens, toilet paper, a water pump and so much more. By buying one of these packages you are sending help to those that need it far more than you do. Oxfam is trying to offer a permanent solution by training farmers to grow more crops, raise more animals and earn a higher income. When adopting a goat you are helping this scheme and also receiving a little adoption pack for your loved one to show them what this gift means to the farmers and communities receiving it.

£36 – Adopt an animal for your loved one from WWF

Read more on the WWF website

Adopting someone an animal is probably the most gift-like of these options because you also get an adoption pack and if you’d like, a stuffed toy of said animal (although if you don’ want this then your adoption money goes further). If you’re buying for someone who watches a David Attenborough documentary in awe and is disgraced by the alarming rate at which our planet is declining, this gift could mean a lot to them. There is a range of animals to choose from including elephants, turtles and orangutans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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