Awesome Ideas for Eco-friendly Gifts for a Girlfriend
One of the most acute problems of modern society is environmental pollution. Nowadays, our planet is suffering from toxic production and uncontrolled consumption of resources. It is not surprising that more and more people begin to lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle, trying to make at least some kind of contribution to the protection of nature. Is your girlfriend one of the so-called “eco-friendly people,” and you don’t know what present you should give her? Don’t worry! There are some awesome ideas for eco-friendly gifts for women!
How Do Gifts Affect the Environment?
Over the past half-century, scientific and technological progress has led to unbridled growth in the consumption of different goods and services. But the production of all the things that people consume and gifts they give to each other requires a huge amount of natural resources, many of which are not renewable. Huge damage is caused to the environment during the extraction and transportation of mineral resources, production of goods, and disposal of waste.
Thus, the excessive consumption of natural resources causes many environmental and social issues. It not only exhausts the non-renewable resources (such as metals and fossil fuels) but also degrades renewable resources, including water, soils, and flora and fauna. Moreover, such an expansion in consumption has led to an increasing amount of solid waste, the storage or disposal of which causes adverse effects on nature and the human environment. In general, modern resource consumption exceeds the ability of our planet to recover, and consequently, leads to a crisis.
Environmentally friendly gifts provide people with an opportunity to please their loved ones while using natural resources efficiently and carefully and preserving a favorable environment for themselves and future generations.
Why Girls Would Be Glad to Get Eco-Friendly Gifts?
All representatives of the fairer sex are very sensitive and subtle natures, they love nature and living creatures. Even if a girl is not an environmental activist, she will be glad to receive an eco-gift. After all, in any case, it is pleasant to realize that you have a thing that does no harm to the world around you, and thus, you feel that you are making some contribution to the protection of our planet. A sociological poll conducted on a single women website has completely proven this fact.
Common usage of eco goods can and should be a contributing factor in the development of an environmentally friendly product market. Choosing “green” gifts, goods, or services, people support environmentally responsible manufacturers and the development of technologies that cause the least damage to the environment.
Tips on How to Make Your Gift Environmentally Friendly
Now, when you know why girls are glad to get eco gifts, it’s time to think about what you can do to make a present environmentally friendly and please a girl you like. Therefore, consider 7 helpful tips on how to make your gift eco-friendly.
Don't wrap it
The number of wrapping materials produced in the world is growing several times faster than the number of very goods. The harm of wrapping is multiplied by the fact that, unlike goods, people do not use it at all but immediately throw it away. Nowadays, excess wrapping is used by companies to generate additional profit and often isn’t needed in such a quantity. So, if possible, it is better to do without wrapping a gift at all.
Use sustainable materials if you really need to wrap a gift
If you really cannot do without wrapping a gift, use environmentally friendly materials. For example, newspapers and magazines can be great packaging for your gift. Add dried flowers, cotton ribbons, or other alternate materials – and the stylish wrapping is ready! Also, you can use fabric packaging. Today, many responsible manufacturers and sellers offer to pack their goods in fabric bags, thus, replacing unsustainable plastic bags. In addition, check out the Japanese Furoshiki technique of fabric wrapping.
Furoshiki (translates to “rug”) is a square piece of cloth that is used to wrap and carry things of any shape and size. The Japanese have literally turned the technique of Furoshiki into the whole art. It is a very unusual and creative way to wrap a gift! Your girlfriend will be agreeably surprised by such an interesting skill of her loved one. And thus, this is a great way to expand relationships boundaries.
Choose the most qualitative and reliable items
Some of the things people buy are used very rarely, and just for the sole reason that the money has been already spent, and it’s a pity that a thing simply gathers dust. Why does it happen? Many purchases are made under the influence of advertising. So, do not let ads manipulate you when choosing a gift. Buy only what a girl really needs. Before choosing a gift, ask yourself, “Does a girl really need this? Maybe she already has a similar thing? Or maybe she has something that can be used for the same purpose?” Moreover, give preference to the most qualitative items that last longer, even if they are more expensive. A low-quality gift will soon become worthless, and a girl will have to throw it away. The British even have a saying, "I am too poor to buy cheap things."
Think about handmade
If you are good at doing something with your hands, you can always make it a gift. It can be whatever you want – a knitted hat, embroidered napkins, handmade soap, a funny toy, etc.
Give experience and emotions instead of physical items
This idea is old but almost win-win – give experience and emotions instead of things! As you know, a person can enjoy a purchased or presented thing just for some period of time. But positive experiences are remembered for a lifetime! There are some good gift ideas you can take into account:
- A romantic dinner at home if you love and know how to cook;
- Tickets for a theater, cinema, museum, concert;
- Gym, yoga, or fitness membership;
- SPA or massage certificate;
- Horse riding;
- Journey;
- Ballooning;
- Parachute jump;
- Carting.
Try nice vintage gifts
Increased attention to old things is one of the leading trends of our time. To say more, people have been gripped by the longing for the past since the end of the twentieth century. Nowadays, the things of previous decades come back into fashion, and stylish trinkets from the attic, flea market, or second-hand store enjoy great popularity among people of all ages. There are a lot of vintage eco gifts ideas, you just need to choose a thing that your girlfriend will surely like.
Buy gifts from local producers
You should give preference to local items when buying a gift. Their transportation involves less fuel and, accordingly, produces less harmful emissions. In addition, you support local producers and strengthen the economy of your region by buying local goods.
Best Eco-Friendly Gifts for Her
Being eco-friendly and taking care of the environment has already become a new global trend. And that's great! After all, our planet is our home, which we should protect and care about. Is your girlfriend an active environmentalist? Then we would like to bring to your attention 10 best eco-friendly gifts ideas for your beloved girl.
1. Natural cosmetic
Soap and cosmetics are the most common gifts for an eco-friendly woman. If you want your present to be environmentally friendly, choose handmade soap and cosmetics, which are created using only natural materials. Also, pay attention to the packaging: it is better to give preference to hard soap, rather than liquid. In addition, buy cosmetics in bottles that are made from recyclable materials.
2. Eco-candles
Beautifully decorated candles are the second most popular gift for girls. Also, this present can be eco-friendly if you buy soy candles, not paraffin or gel. They are made of natural materials and do not contain refined products. In addition, unlike ordinary candles, soy candles contain no synthetic fragrances, just essential oils. Moreover, such candles do not increase the level of CO2 in the air when burning. Buying such a gift, pay attention to the candlewick – it should be natural too (cotton or hemp). Eco-candles will be a perfect complement to a romantic atmosphere of a candlelight dinner with a girl. So, it is also one of the best eco-friendly Valentine's Day gifts.
3. Eco bottle
Today, there are a lot of options of reusable eco bottles: compact bottles that can be placed in a pocket when empty, bottles with built-in filters for water purification, stainless steel options, etc. In addition, the eco bottle is a great gift for a sporty girl. After all, it is very convenient to take such a bottle for training.
4. Windowsill garden
Today, the city gardening trend is gaining popularity around the world. It implies planting everything that is possible to grow on balconies and windowsills: from violets to tomatoes. Visit a flower shop and buy rosemary, thyme, basil, lavender, and mint. These plants not only look pretty in flowerpots but also can be used as spices or added to tea! Orchids, violets, azaleas, and cyclamens are suitable for those girls who love flowering plants. Ficus, dracaena, palm trees, and succulents will decorate any interior with bright greenery!
Moreover, pay attention to the “eco stick” – a pencil for drawing, which contains real seeds! After the usage, such a pencil can be planted in the ground, and the seeds will sprout!
5. Impressions are better than things
Tickets for a performance or a concert of a favorite music band will be a great gift for a girl you like! If the girl likes outdoor activities, she may be pleased with a certificate for flying in a vertical wind tunnel or a master class in extreme driving. Housewives will like cooking classes with a cool chef, and creative young ladies will enjoy master classes in painting, embroidery, or art. Consider what your girl likes and give her bright impressions! Moreover, you can do it together with your beloved girlfriend, for example, on Saint Valentine's Day. In this case, it may be one of the best eco-friendly Valentine's Day gifts.
6. Sports membership
All representatives of the weaker sex dream of being in perfect shape, especially when summer isn’t so far away. So, it's high time to start active training. Yoga, running, swimming, or dancing – find out how your girlfriend treats different sports and present her a sports membership she will surely like!
7. Pocket library
If a girl never parts with a book either at home or in traveling and can leave half her salary in the bookstore, feel free to give her an electronic book reader! Such a thing is very convenient, as you can store a whole library in it, and it still fits in a pocket or purse of a girl. In addition, according to environmentalists, e-books do not harm the environment: no trees are needed to make an electronic book. About 45 million books are published in Ukraine annually. And 3 million trees are spent on printing such an amount of literature. It is quite sad, isn’t it?
8. Eco-Cup Ecoffee
These cups are made from the world's fastest-growing material – bamboo fiber. To the touch, the material resembles thick but ultralight cardboard. Unlike plastic glasses, the Ecoffee bamboo cup is completely natural, that is, it doesn’t poison the drink or spoil the taste. Moreover, the cup degrades to nothing.
9. Re-Beau jewelry
Re-Beau is a Ukrainian brand that creates jewelry from recycled plastic. The guys regularly arrange volunteer clean-ups, and thus, collect raw materials for further processing. Jewelry is created manually: plastic is washed, crushed, melted with a thermostat, and then poured into molds. You can present to a girl unusual badges or beautiful bijouterie. This is one of the best eco-friendly gifts for her. After all, women like such things!
10. Eco-friendly hemp coat
All women love beautiful and stylish clothes. Surprise your girlfriend and give her a hemp coat that afflicts no damage to the environment! Ukrainian textile company “Devohome” has created hemp-based non-woven fiber that resembles raw sheepskin. The advantage of such a hemp coat is its lightness and cold resistance.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, we must say that caring for nature is not just hollow words but a necessity. So, love yourself and your nearest and dearest people and give them eco gifts. After all, taking care of the environment, we care about ourselves and our offspring!
