Five Ethical Gifts to Help You Shop Compassionately This Christmas

Ethical Christmas gift ideas

Nothing highlights the amount of material blessing we have in the UK quite like Christmas. But it can also lead to uncomfortable amounts of excess. Instead of enjoying the abundance of Jesus, we can sometimes feel like we’re drowning in stuff.

And the sad truth is, some of this stuff is harmful to people and the world. This Christmas, let’s consider how we can celebrate in ways that don’t exploit people or have a negative environmental impact on God’s creation – both of which push people deeper into poverty.

Instead of yet another scented candle, blessing a friend or family member with a charity gift is a wonderful way to give them a present that has true meaning. On their behalf, you can donate vital eyecare, a goat, chickens and more – something that our local church partners have identified as meeting a real need for children and families living in poverty in their communities.

So, as the Christmas shopping season gets into full swing, we’re sharing our top ethical gift ideas to help you shop more compassionately.

This eco-friendly gift guide will help you consider the sustainability of presents. You might think of ethical gifts as simply being fair trade, or cruelty-free and made with organic cotton or coming in compostable packing. Those are brilliant considerations, but there are all sorts of other ways to give compassionately. Whether that’s by finding a one-off second-hand gem, or by making something from scratch, we hope our suggestions will help you find the perfect gift to bless each of your loved ones.

1. Charity donation gifts

We create a lot of waste by buying things for ourselves and for others that ultimately won’t be used or treasured long-term. We’ve all seen the images from busy London streets of frazzled shoppers seeking to buy the best possible gift… but all too often, we find ourselves out of ideas, and then we end up buying some last-minute gift set which never gets used! (How many of us find year-old bottles of bubble bath we’ve never even opened?!)

This Christmas, why not prayerfully consider, Is God calling me to a zero waste Christmas? Although physical gifts can be a beautiful way of communicating our love for others, Jesus once said, “Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15).

How can we communicate our deep love without buying into the myth that happiness lies in the abundance of possessions? Charity donation gifts are one of many initiatives that are a great solution to this.

Thommy stands outside his church with his Christmas present

Ethical gift idea: If you’re stuck for present ideas for that friend or relative who simply seems to have everything, the uncle who wants nothing; and the couple who would love to change the world, why not use our charity gift catalogue, Gifts of Compassion. Instead of giving more stuff that’ll end up collecting dust, you can help meet real needs for children and families living in poverty. From vital eye tests to chickens, you’ll find lots of thoughtful gifts for your loved ones that help transform lives.

A charity gift gives twice: you get to bless your loved one and a child, family or community who are facing the daily challenges of poverty. We offer a selection of ethical gifts to suit a range of budgets. Your loved one will receive a virtual e-card, which you can personalise, telling them about the impact their gift will make.

You can see the impact of the most popular gifts over the last year, which show the difference your generosity makes.

A loving gift will mean the world to a child living in poverty who wouldn’t normally receive anything.

2. Handmade gifts

Get creative and craft some ethical Christmas gifts! Try your hand at some art, baking, knitting or perhaps some carpentry! In today’s fast-paced world, handmade gifts not only minimise your consumer impact, but they also produce some of the most meaningful gifts!

Use our ethical gift wrap ideas to create your own wrapping paper for your wonderfully eco-conscious, sustainable Christmas presents and stocking fillers!

free knitting patterns for tiny babies

Ethical gift ideas: Check out these delicious recipes for latte chocolate cake and lemon drench cake and get busy baking.

Or why not get crafty with these baby knitting patterns? Either knit the adorable items yourself – or you could print off the patterns and fill a tote bag with wool and knitting needles to give as a wonderful starter kit for a craft-loving friend?

3. Experience gifts

Why not consider organising an experience gift? These can be far more personal than a simple gift card. Think through experiences you can share with your loved ones to deepen your relationships and create lasting memories.

Ethical gift ideas: Try things like seeing a new artist or band, a day at a local attraction or a special meal together. In today’s fast-paced world, the gift of intentional time together is another meaningful way to show your love!

4. Plants and recycled gift ideas

In the UK, an incredible 14 million tonnes of waste is sent to landfill every year. It’s therefore unsurprising that people are becoming more socially conscious about what they buy. You can do your bit for the environment by purchasing Christmas presents without unnecessary plastic packaging, buying more recycled products or giving an actual plant!

Plants can make wonderful ethical Christmas gifts

Ethical gift ideas: Giving a plant is a creative and sustainable gift idea. Spider plants and other succulents grow plantlets that are easy to detach and repot, making them even more personal; or you could cultivate seeds (tomatoes, sunflowers etc) and give new shoots in hand-decorated pots. Friends and family members can plant your gift and watch it grow over time. That way, a little part of you will always be in your gift recipient’s house or garden.

You could consider buying gifts from recycled materials. Many of these items are one-offs, created by skilled tradespeople who are paid fairly. Everyone uses sites like Amazon or Etsy, why not go for something less mainstream and give something you’ve grown yourself, or a box of wild poppy seeds to scatter in a flowerbed?

5. Time and hospitality

When it really comes down to it, ethical gift shopping is about our heart and attitude. What would it look like for the attitude of radical generosity to permeate every aspect of our Christmas celebrations?

Christmas traditions in Brazil

Christmas is about celebrating God’s profound generosity to us. He gave us Jesus Christ, the Greatest Gift of all, to be ‘Immanuel- God with us’. As we’ve freely received, Jesus tells us to freely give (Matthew 10:8).

Ethical gift ideas: Could a radically generous celebration be the gift you give this Christmas? Open your home and your celebrations to those who might be alone. Volunteer at a community lunch as a family, or gather donations for your local food bank. These acts of hospitality don’t have to be financially costly – many people invited would be delighted to contribute to the food required, and they are simply appreciative of being included.

We hope you will be blessed this Christmas as you seek to honour Jesus in the way you celebrate and show love and generosity to those around you.

A version of this blog was originally published by our friends at Compassion Canada. 

More festive content for you!

If you’re looking for more festive content, why not check out our favourite Christmas Bible Verses, perfect for  Christmas cards!