Are you looking for a gift for a birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or the holidays? It is a challenge to find the perfect gift that also takes into account the impact on our planet but climeworks has made it easy. In this blog, we have therefore collected original tips for eco friendly gift from climeworks. This way you give a gift that makes your friends and the planet happy.
Short Story of Climeworks
Two co-founders Jan and Christoph met on their first day of university at ETH Zurich and quickly became friends. Besides their love for engineering, they both share a passion for alpine sports and spent a lot of time in the Swiss Alps. Here, they experienced the effects of climate change first-hand. Shocked by the retreat of the glaciers, they vowed to do everything they could to tackle climate change.
Jan and Christoph committed themselves to create a solution that empowers everyone to take climate action. Being engineers at heart, they put all their effort into working on a technology called direct air capture, a way to capture carbon dioxide directly from the air. Climeworks was founded in 2009 and is now the leader in direct air capture (DAC) technology.
First: why give a sustainable gift?
Our consumer society has a major impact on the environment. This is due to CO2 emissions from factories that produce our stuff, water and land use, pollution and deforestation. We consume too much stuff and throw it away too quickly. It is therefore best to shop as little as possible. Because by consuming less, you ensure a lower burden on nature. The same goes for gift giving. With the tips in this sustainable gift guide, you limit the impact on nature. In addition, you inspire the recipient to live greener. So two birds with one stone!
Give an experience as a gift
The most sustainable option is not to give any stuff. Instead, you can gift an experience. Think of a night out, such as a movie visit or a cabaret show. Cook something tasty for the other person, go for a walk together, spend a day at the beach, or take a bike ride. Or book a yoga retreat, cooking workshop, wine tasting or picnic – the options are endless. The activity itself is unforgettable, and the impact on the planet is minimal.
Shop second-hand
Does the recipient have special wishes? Then see if you can score the item second-hand. There are so many beautiful things in vintage stores that it is almost a shame not to even browse through them. In addition, the best part is that you give a gift with a story. Who had that beautiful vase on the table first? Who used to use that unique mirror? Let your creativity run wild!
Donate to charity
Are you looking for a gift for someone who ‘already has everything’? Then you do not have to buy anything new for him or her. Donate to charity instead. Choose the other person’s favorite charity and donate a certain amount.
Bake a (vegan) cake
Let us be honest: it really becomes a party with a tasty cake on the table. In addition, a homemade baking finishes it all off! Do you want to surprise the recipient and the guests twice? Then bake a plant-based variant, for example a vegan apple pie, brownies or muffins. You thus have an original and sustainable gift in your hands, which has clearly been given attention. The great thing is that everyone can enjoy it.
Buy an environmentally conscious gift
The most sustainable choice is not to buy new stuff. However, are you unable to give an experience as a gift? Then you can opt for an environmentally conscious gift that inspires the recipient to start living more sustainably. Buy an item that will last and that someone will enjoy for years to come.
Do you order the environmentally conscious gift online? Install Tree Clicks, a free browser plugin that allows you to plant trees in exchange for online purchases. The prices remain the same for you, but we receive a fee because we introduce you as a customer. We invest this in planting trees and protecting forests in Peru, India and Australia.
Reusable Water Bottle
On the road, at the office, but also at home: a reusable water bottle is indispensable. You save a plastic disposable bottle every day. Good news, because plastic bottles are in the top 5 of most common litter. By gifting a reusable water bottle, you inspire the other person to save plastic waste. For example, choose a bottle from Doper, who invest part of their turnover in sustainable water projects. Moreover customwater.com can also be a great consideration if you are looking for the best customized bottled water.
Reusable coffee cup
Cup of coffee here, cappuccino there… Coffee-to-goes are pure indulgence. Unfortunately, all disposable cups add up considerably. Due to the plastic layer, the cups are not easy to recycle. With a reusable variant, such as this cool glass coffee cup, the recipient can go green.
Phone case made of biodegradable material
Speaking of original, sustainable and useful gifts: Pela’s phone cases are made of biodegradable material. That makes it an environmentally conscious replacement for the usual plastic phone cases. Moreover, they are beautiful too, so you give a stylish gift with a conscious message.
Erasable Notebook
Fan of lists, but don’t you want to use new paper every time? Correct book has the solution: a notepad with erasable pages. Therefore, you can endlessly reuse the pages for handy commotion lists. In addition, the green knife cuts both ways: for every correct book sold, the organization provides one child in a developmental area with writing materials.
Bags made of eco-friendly material
The brand designs stylish bags made from recycled PET bottles. In addition, they provide energy savings in the production process. Order one of their sustainable bags through this web shop and you will plant a tree free in exchange for your purchase.
Sustainable clothing
Clothing made of bamboo, hemp and organic cotton. At We Are Thought, you have come to the right place. These clothes are less harmful to the environment, and oh so comfortable. Think of leggings, socks, and loungewear – in short, clothes that you will undoubtedly never want to take off.
Books about sustainability
Are you looking for a gift for someone who loves to read? Then you are always in the right place with a book. This is a good guide by is recommended for the first steps towards a sustainable life. In how are we going to explain this, explains in clear language how we can put a stop to climate change together. In The Hidden Impact Babette maps out how you as an individual can exert a positive influence on climate change. Each one of them interesting, sustainable gifts for the bookworms among us.
The greenest gift: a plant
Score points with the greenest gift imaginable: a (house) plant. For example, order a plant at Plantje.nl and have it delivered directly from the grower. This is how you bring nature into your home!
Kat Irving is a reporter for Diving Daily. After graduating from NYU with a master degree in history, Kat got an internship at WABC-TV New York and worked on profiling local businesses. Kat was also was a columnist for the NPR. Kat mostly covers business and community events here at Diving Daily