15 Sustainable Christmas Gifts For 2022 Which Will Blow Your Mind

Good for you and good for the planet. 

Christmas present shopping is just the best, finding that perfect gift is such a great feeling.

What if we told you, you could treat yourself, others and the planet?

Sustainability is the way forward and it extends to Christmas too.

There are plenty of ways to be sustainable this Christmas: wrapping gifts in recyclable paper, limiting food waste, purchasing preloved decorations and one-off festive jumpers and eating less meat are just some of the ways you can make the dreams of a greener Christmas come true.

We’ve got the ultimate guide for sustainable Christmas gifts that will literally blow your mind.

With a mix of independent retails and high-street giants, treat someone special, or yourself, while treating the planet.

Why You Should Buy Sustainable Gifts

Buying locally is always a good shout as supporting local businesses and creatives is super important in sustaining community economies.

What’s also promising is that some big names are (finally!!) stepping up and becoming more eco-conscious this gifting season.

Christmas is a time of excess and waste so limiting that through our purchases can have a massive environmental impact.

Oh, and if you can, choose to collect in-store and avoid next-day delivery – huuuuuuge carbon footprint babes.

Discover the best 15 sustainable gifts for Christmas 2022 below.

1. Beeswax Food Wraps

Clingfilm is actually the worst, don’t you think?

Homemade Beeswax Food Wraps are the way forward, trust us!

They’re reusable, plastic-free and biodegradable food wraps which are perfect for people who love to make, and eat, lunch on the go.

The decorative beeswax food wraps come in a range of sizes so choose the ones best suited to your needs.

After use, simply wash them in cold water to reuse again and again.

Tons of places offer Beeswax Food Wraps, from Etsy to Amazon to independent sellers.

A quick search on Google will take you to loaaaaads that are available.

Or, shop around in store in your local city or town to reduce those carbon emissions!

2. Bamboo Cutlery Set

Our next sustainable Christmas Gift is a Bamboo cutlery set.

So, you’ve heard of Bamboo toothbrushes and metal straws, but have you heard of this one?!

There’s plenty of super affordable and substantial bamboo cutlery sets which are made from sustainable materials and are plastic free.

If you’re someone who likes to eat their lunch on the go, and you often pack a plastic fork. Have you noticed they’re super flimsy?

You won’t have this problem with a Bamboo cutlery set, and they’re much more environmentally friendly.

We’d recommend this set from New Living which comes with a knife, fork, spoon, straw, cleaning brush and pouch.

It’s a must-have for any student, of any family member who loves a good packed lunch.

3. Oddbox

So you’ve heard of food delivery boxes, well this is one with a twist.

Most of the shops in the UK don’t accept fruit and veg that doesn’t conform to certain aesthetic standards.

Food that’s too big, too small, wonky etc usually gets thrown away.

With an industry that values uniformity over taste, Oddbox is here to set the record straight, delivering surplus fruit and veg from farmers to your door.

Reducing food waste, reducing carbon emissions and reducing water consumption – could you get more eco this Christmas!

If you’ve got a family member who loooves cooking, why not order them a box for the festive season?

4. Elephant Box

For ultra-chic sustainability, take a look at the Elephant Box lunchboxes.

Available in a variety of sizes, these tiffin vibe lunchboxes can be used over and over again.

Nothing say’s eco-friendly quite like a premium stainless steel lunch box.

Whilst they are on the pricier side, it’s worth it for a high-quality tub to pop your dinner in for uni.

Or, purchase for a friend or family member you know will love it.

5. Blue Goose Coffee

Sustainable coffee did you say? Sign us up please!

Blue Goose Coffee is the ultimate eco-friendly gift for any coffee-lover pals or family members.

This award-winning speciality coffee company offers compostable coffee pods which are full of flavour and bean and coffee grounds in plastic free packaging.

This sustainable gift will tick all the boxes this Christmas.

6. Make Your Own Face Mask Kit

For those self-care fanatics, our next sustainable Christmas gift is a must-order.

Wearth London offer a make your own face mask kit which is made from natural, organic sourced and vegan ingredients.

Unfortunately, single-use face masks are not biodegradable and aren’t recyclable.

So, why not get yourself or a friend a DIY skincare kit which is eco-friendly?

It’s the perfect sustainable gift which is good for your skin and the planet.

7. Recycled Glass Bottle Vase

These super chic upcycled glass vases from Not On The High Street are perfect for student gifting.

Available in six colours, they’re sure to add a splash of personality to a student room.

Vintage vibes coupled matched with sustainable beauty, mean these vases are great for real or dried flours (if you want that rural cottage-core feel).

Super cheap and super sustainable make this a top gifting idea.

8. Cotton Blanket

Made from sustainable cotton and available in three colours, this H&M blanket will make any student room instantly cosy and warm.

As sustainable Christmas gifts go, this cotton blanket won’t break the bank and has a softness that makes it seem way more expensive.

Order yours now or grab a gift for someone in your fam!

9. Floral Street Santal Candle

Soy candles are the one when it comes to sustainable scents.

Complete with eco packaging, these candles from Floral Street are cruelty free making you feel good whilst doing good.

With 40 hours burn time, sustainably sourced ingredients and natural vegan wax these make a great prezzie for your eco-friendly besties.

10. Sea Glass Necklace

There’s just something special about handmade gifts – the love, care, attention to detail, time and passion being put into every unique piece.

These sea glass necklaces from Etsy are no different.

Made from 100% post-consumer glass, the bedazzling pieces are sure make anyone stand out from the crowd.

Plus, when you order from here you’re supporting a small business rather than a big brand!

11. Shower Eco Gift Box

If you’re looking to spoil a nearest and dearest with a nice bathroom gift set this Christmas, then take a look at this sustainable gem.

This Shower Eco Gift Box from Etsy is vegan and made from sustainably sourced ingredients and completely plastic-free.

Give a loved one the ultimate spa experience with eco-friendly shower bits from body scrubs to soap to a soap dish to shampoo and conditioner.

Give love to your body and to the planet with this Natural Spa product.

12. Function of Beauty, Customised Hair Care

The world leader in customisable beauty, Function of Beauty, is the gift all beauty queen’s need.

The haircare range is designed to meet your specific requirements and you can choose from a range of sumptuous scents.

All you have to do is take a nifty quiz to see what your areas of concern are and voila, a product is created just for you.

With 100% recyclable packaging, Function of beauty is on a haircare revolution and wants you to be a part of it.

13. La Bouche Rouge The Brown Lipstick Set

Ok, this is waaaaayyyy over most of our budgets for presents but you never know…

La Bouche Rouge is a range of luxury and environmentally minded cosmetics that rival everything you’ve ever known about lip care.

Makeup packaging is notoriously hard to recycle and is known to have a negative impact on the environment so it’s great to see some brands really trying to break the mould.

Entirely plastic free (including microplastics) and refillable (meaning the canvases can be used for life), La Bouche Rouge is a game changer for sustainable cosmetics.

14. Bambaw Reusable Make Up Pads

Next on our list of sustainable Christmas gifts is the PERFECT present for make up lovers.

Say goodbye to running out of make up wipes or cos’ with this eco-friendly gift you can re use your pad over and over by placing them in the washing machine, or hand washing.

Single-use cotton pads and make up wipes are super bad for the planet, so make the switch and use the Bambaw Makeup Remover Pads instead.

This zero-waste product will be better for your skin routine and for the environment.

15. The Perfect Match – Matches In A Bottle

Our final sustainable Christmas gift for any candle lovers or incense fanatics is Matches In A Bottle.

This product from Forma Candle Studio is super cute with 50 natural wood sticks, a glass bottle and strike paper.

Unlike plastic lighters, these are biodegradable and better for the planet.

Plus, they’re much prettier than your bog standard lighter with tons of colours to choose from so they’ll make a great addition to anyone’s room!

Even the packaging is eco-friendly with a recycled cardboard wrapped in tissue paper.

Wrapping your gifts

There’s no point in having the most incredible sustainable Christmas gifts and then wrapping them up in wrapping paper shrouded in plastic with plastic tape.

As well as your mind-blowing gifts, here are some mind-blowing sustainable wrapping tricks to get you even more eco-friendly this Christmas.

Newspaper

For a super cheap and super sustainable option, wrap your gifts in an old newspaper.

Purchase a few metallic pens and draw a few spirals or simply write the recipient’s names for a bit of decoration.

Brown Paper

Using recyclable paper is the way forward. Get a roll of brown paper and get wrapping. If you’re arty, paint and decorate it yourself. Those personal touches make gifting so much more special.

Reusable wrapping paper

This blew our minds. We found reusable wrapping paper on Etsy (yay for independent creatives) and it’s totally changed our lives. Way cheaper too in the long run.

Gift bags

Wrapping is hard. Yep we said it. Making it neat, tying a nice bow, cutting straight edges and simultaneously holding down paper and faffing around with tape is not the one. Who doesn’t get some stuck on your teeth because who has time to pre-cut tape with scissors?

If, like us, you find this a challenge, cheat and use gift bags. Repurpose ones that you have or buy these super cute cloth ones from Etsy.

Recyclable Paper Tape

Did you know you can’t recycle wrapping paper with sticky tape on it? Well, we certainly can’t let a bit of tape get in the way of all your sustainable festive practices.

Make sure you get paper tape for wrapping your pressies so your hard work doesn’t go to waste.

Hands up if you just want to buy everything for yourself? We know we do!

Sustainable and eco-friendly products have come a long way in recent years and have a much more accessible price point for students.

What’s also great is that as well as independent shops, household names are also pushing sustainability this Christmas.

Head out from your luxury student accommodation and explore what sustainable stores are in your uni city or town.

You might find some everyday products you can swap for a more eco-friendly alternative, which is a winner!

Read next: The Student Guide To 10 Romantic Winter Date Ideas.