In a world where almost anything can be ordered online, making sure your gift stands out this holiday season can be a challenge. One way to do that is by looking for something that treads lightly on the planet.
Some options include buying secondhand or gifting a fun experience. Alternatively, a well-chosen present could be a great way to spark an interest for green travel or cooking.
Here are some gift ideas that come with a lighter climate footprint. Happy holidays!
Out and about
ADVERTISEMENT
Flying is the source of the largest share of travel emissions. Fortunately, there are other ways to move around the world. Hit up to 33 countries and ride an unlimited number of trains with just one ticket. Europe’s Interrail Pass is the climate-friendly traveler’s ultimate treat. A first-class, 15-day ticket across the region goes for €454 ($527), but you can narrow it down to fewer days or just one country. Or if you have plenty of time, you can buy a 3-month ticket.
For a climate-friendly weekend escape, you can also treat your loved one to a destination accessible by train, or within driving range – hopefully on an electric vehicle – of your hometown. Le Bristol is a century-old hotel in Paris’ Faubourg Saint-Honoré street. The Art Déco palace has placed six hives on its rooftop that produce award-winning honey, avoids single-use plastics and maximizes water savings. The rate for a standard executive room is €2,115 a night, while the Suite Eden with a private terrace and its own outdoor spa goes at €25,000 per night.
For a meal that’s both plant-based and luxurious, try Dirt Candy, in New York City. Chef Amanda Cohen serves a $110 per person, Michelin-starred menu that changes seasonally. The dishes celebrate vegetables in every imaginable shape, color and taste. The current fall menu features a mushroom hot dog, a lettuce-flavored lasagna and sweet cauliflower chilaquiles.
Austin’s Dai Due is promoting the consumption of feral hogs damaging wild areas in Texas and supporting oyster farmers rebuilding natural habitats. The Michelin Green-starred restaurant serves Wild Boar Confit at $35 and roasted Copano Bay oysters at $25.
If you’re looking for a joyful experience that will last more than a few hours or days, try a bike. Greenstar Bikes’ frames combine bamboo and recycled aluminum and come in green, blue and white. Prices start at $595, although the frame can be bought for $395. Available in the US and Canada.
Food and wine
Nothing beats eating chocolate at home on a cold winter night. While cocoa farming can be linked to deforestation, the Chocolate Scorecard, put together by nonprofit Be Slavery Free in collaboration with researchers, includes plenty of sustainable and ethical options.
Classic chocolate lovers will be tempted by Dutch chocolatier Original Bean’s gift box of four different bars selling at €22.95. For hands-on patissiers, Brooklyn’s Beyond Good has a baker’s bundle that includes pure ground vanilla, vanilla extract and three types of chocolate for melting and cooking with different percentages of cocoa, all for $77.
What’s a Christmas meal without sparkles and a toast? The Recaredo family has been producing sparkling wines in the Penedès region in Spain for just over a century. Its Terrers Brut Nature is pesticide-free and biodynamic, which means the winery conceives the vineyards as ecosystems and takes into account the role animals and the native vegetation play when growing their vines. The three-bottle case sells at €105.50.
If you’re serving oysters, salmon or seafood, we recommend pairing with a bottle of Château L’escarelle’s Jardin des Secrets. The blue-and-gold label on this bio-certified French Provence wine screams holidays and three bottles cost €42.
Nestled in an isolated valley in Chile’s Valparaíso region is Matetic Vineyards, an estate where vines grow and geese, chickens, alpacas, sheep and cows graze. The winemaker recycles and reuses all its water, while the vineyards include biological corridors where native plants and animals thrive. Its EQ Cool Climate Syrah is a classic that pairs well with red meat, while the Corralillo Carmenere offers you the chance of trying a variety grown only in Chile.
At home
A growing number of people struggle to keep cool at night, which disrupts their sleep. Eight Sleep has a water-filled mattress cover that allows you to increase or decrease the temperature depending on your preference and the time of year. Prices start at $2,449 in the US, and it also requires an ongoing subscription. It uses less power than an air conditioner, reducing energy consumption while protecting you from the health risks of overheating at night.
Induction stoves are growing in popularity among chefs and home cooks for their greater energy efficiency and reduction in harmful air pollution. One of the best, chefs say, is the Breville Control Freak, a standalone induction burner that allows you to specify a precise temperature from 77F to 482F. The original version is used in professional kitchens, but you can buy one designed for home use for $1,499.95.
For the board game nerd in your life, how about a green spin on an old favorite? Catan: New Energies takes the beloved game and adds a twist – every new settlement brings the game-world closer to climate chaos. Players can also develop renewable energy to grow more slowly, but without the risk of catastrophe. It costs $69.99 in the US.
Kids love to play with cars, fire trucks and dollhouses. What about a wind turbine instead? This kit allows a child not only to build a realistic miniature turbine, but also to conduct experiments with the angle of the blades to figure out how best to power an LED light and rechargeable battery. It even comes with a tiny electric car. It’s available in the US or UK for £45.00/$44.99.
A second-hand gift is nearly always a greener gift. But pre-loved doesn’t have to mean low-end. Prestigious auction houses including Bonhams and Dreweatts have upcoming events offering fine jewelry, books and manuscripts, homewares, art and even old coins. If you have the budget for a diamond pendant, mid-century style chair or luxury watch, this is a good place to look. Upcoming lots include a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, a four-piece furniture set from 1905 and a 19th century guide to the Oregon trail.
Learn and Do
Arguably the greatest gift you can give is knowledge. Making and mending things are increasingly rare life skills that mean less waste and less expense. But it can be daunting to know where to start. In London, Bikeworks offers lessons in maintenance for absolute beginners as well as accredited mechanic courses. In New York City, the community woodworking studio Makeville offers classes where you can learn to make chopping boards, plant stands and spoons.
Especially for a city-dweller, storing all the equipment needed to put your new practical skills to work can be a tough ask. The Library of Things, which has outlets across the UK, offers a gift voucher that can be put towards renting tools like drills, pressure washers and ladders, meaning less buying stuff and less waste. In the US, local tool libraries including those in Buffalo and Minnesota also offer gift certificates.