Presents with Purpose: An Ethical Gifting Inspiration Guide for Christmas

As we scramble for the perfect present during the increasingly commercialised Christmas season, it is easy to lose sight of the real meaning of the holiday – along with the very real implications of the gift-giving season for people and the planet. 

In this blog, we share an eclectic compilation of ethical gift ideas to help you discover perfect presents with a positive purpose: a gift that keeps on giving.

Christmas in the UK

According to a report by GWP Group on Christmas packaging and waste statistics, every year in the UK, we collectively spend £700 million on unwanted Christmas gifts. This translates into £42 million worth of presents being thrown away. Disturbingly, only 1% of all the purchases made in the UK for Christmas will still be in use six months after the festivities have ended.

When all is gifted and done, the aftermath of Christmas leaves our landfills with an additional 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging on an annual basis, the equivalent weight of 650,000 reindeer! These figures highlight a ravaging reality of consumer-culture; but it needn’t be this way. Cue: the conscious consumer.

Why choose an ethical gift?

An ethical Christmas gift is the best gift of them all: both practical and thoughtful – a gift that keeps on giving. Ethical gifts strengthen local businesses, give back to communities and protect our planet, all whilst bringing joy to the faces of family and friends; many of whom are becoming increasingly more concerned for the environment and are subsquently adopting conscious consumer principles.

By buying an ethical Christmas gift, you will:

Empower communities: The profits made through ethical presents can help to reinvest in communities and social initiatives, tackle poverty, improve livelihoods and challenge injustice.

Create positive shopping habits: By introducing families and friends to a new ethical product and sharing your recommendations, you have the opportunity to promote positive changes in their shopping habits and champion sustainability. Summed up by George Silverman, Author and former Psychologist, Marketing Researcher and Business Consultant, this ‘word-of-mouth’ process is “the most effective way of making decisions easier and simpler in an overwhelmingly difficult and complex world.”

Strengthen local businesses and economies: A recent report suggested that nearly 30,000 small businesses will go bust in 2024. This would mean that more SMEs will fail in 2024 than in any other year over the past two decades. By promoting or choosing ethical products, you will likely be supporting a small business which uses less packaging, sources locally, has a smaller carbon footprint and supports the local economy.

Protect the environment: Ethical gifts, such as the gifts included in this blog, are produced with the planet in mind, often using sustainable, organic and recycled materials. In addition, ethical gifts use biodegradable, recyclable, reusable and reduced packaging.

Give gifts that last: On the aspect of reducing waste, ethical gifts themselves are often more durable and last much longer (unless it’s chocolate!). By choosing an ethical gift, you are giving a gift with a longer life-span and a greater value to the recipient, whilst also leading them away from pervasive throwaway culture.

Become a conscious consumer: In the last five years, online searches for sustainable goods around the world have jumped by 71%, whilst 79% of consumers are changing their purchasing habits to reflect their sense of social responsibility. What does this mean for your Christmas shopping? It means that giving an ethical gift will mean more for your loved ones than ever before, so let’s dive into this guide and discover the perfect present that makes a difference.

“Our research shows that today’s consumers are increasingly mindful of who and where they decide to buy from, and the environmental and social impacts this might have on our planet and broader society.”

Quote: Simon Tune, Commercial Director at Elavon

Discover Delicious Chocolates by Divine

This Christmas, celebrate doing gifting Divinely differently with the world’s only farmer-owned Fairtrade chocolatier - Divine. With an indulgent line up of festive treats, spanning the limited-edition Joyful Bar to Giant Chocolate Coins and After Dinner Mint Thins, there’s a tempting treat for all chocolate lovers this Christmas.

For over 25 years, Divine has been on a mission to give back to the cocoa industry - from farmer co-ownership and development programmes to improve the lives of cocoa farmers and their families, to fighting exploitation within the industry more widely – Divine is pioneering a fairer and more sustainable approach to chocolate production in Ghana, West Africa.

So, this Christmas, why not join the Divine revolution with your festive gifting? With sales from the purchase of each and every bar of Divine chocolate positively contributing to improving the future of cocoa farmers and their families - there has never been a better time to gift a little differently this Christmas. The Divine Christmas range is available on the Divine webshop, Amazon, Lakeland, Ocado, Oxfam, as well as in independent retailers.

Explore Plant Powered Snacks that Fight for Farmers by Liberation Foods

We’d be nuts if we didn’t throw Liberation’s plant-based, people-powered product range into the mix. Liberation Foods is the first UK-based Fairtrade nut and Community Interest Company that's owned by smallholder farmers around the world. All of Liberation’s products are Fairtrade certified, guaranteeing better prices, safe working conditions, sustainability and fair terms for farmers.

In addition, Liberation are a member of Social Enterprise UK, a network of businesses with a social and environmental purpose, as well as an ethical partner to Transform Trade, a global community of farmers, artisans, collectives, campaigners, donors and supporters – all working together to realise a global trade system that values everyone and regenerates our increasingly fragile earth.

Liberation Managing Director, Dan Binks, joined Shared Interest at our supporter event in Bristol this year and spoke with attendees about the story and mission of his organisation. Meanwhile, in September 2023, Dan hosted a coffee-and-learn session with Shared Interest colleagues, sharing insights into Liberation’s equitable, flat supply chains which ensure farmers retain as much value as possible.

"Because when someone buys something, they're collaborating with producers. They should choose them because they are contributing to the lives of many families. It's a purchase of much higher value."

Quote: Member of Del Campo Coop, a nut producer and Liberation Foods supplier based in Nicaragua.

Collaborate with producers this Christmas by filling your cupboards (or stockings) with Liberation goodies. Unsure where to begin? You can try one of everything with their Discovery Bundle, which includes one of each of their seven most popular products for £18. The nut-based snacks within the bundle are Fairtrade certified, support regenerative farming and are sourced from smallholder farmers from around the world, including India, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Pakistan and Malawi.

Inspired by our coffee-and-learn session, Shared Interest Partnership Manager, Sally, had a go at making a delicious, vegetarian Thai Peanut and Butternut Squash Curry, using Liberation peanut butter and cashew nuts. Why not have a go at making your own wonderfully warming curry this winter by using the treats in the Discovery Bundle and watching the recipe video  on our YouTube channel?

Gift a Festive Coffee Blend or Experience by Owen's Coffee

This Organic and Fairtrade certified coffee blend is carefully roasted by their expert team to deliver a flavourful experience for the perfect festive time coffee indulgence.

Owen’s Coffee have only ever sourced and roasted the finest organic, Fairtrade certified specialty coffees since their establishment in 2010.

Are you or a coffee connoisseur, or do you have a loved one that is crazy about coffee? Owen’s Coffee also offer ‘Coffee Experiences and Masterclasses’ too, at their own Roastery in Devon, which would make a fantastic, experiential and thoughtful gift.

Have True Impact at Origin with Fresh, Fair Trade Products by True Origin

Based in Paisley in the West of Scotland, True Origin (formerly Just Trading Scotland) is a fair trade enterprise set up to facilitate the import and distribution of fairly traded food products to the UK.

Looking for gifts that are a little different this festive season? True Origin has been working hard with Scottish Fair Trade’s producer partners to bring to market fair, fine and ethical food gifts that are good for both people and planet.

Whether it is authentic Italian Fairtrade panettone, tongue-tingling chilli sauces, fresh, exotic jams and marmalades ripened in the African sun or variety gift-sets, there are a wide range of products available through True Origin’s online shop which would make perfect, ethical stocking fillers.

“Our goal (is) to have true impact at origin … as a fair trade business, we work directly with a network of small-holder farmers and producers in the Global South to source the finest ethical foods.”

Quote: Tracy Mitchell, True Origin Managing Director, speaking to Shared Interest supporters during our Volunteer Festival session with True Origin in 2023.

Give a gift that grows with Shared Interest

Since 1990, thousands of people in the UK have invested with Shared Interest, enabling us to provide finance to fair trade businesses in some of the world’s most disadvantaged regions. As a result of our finance, businesses are able to flourish, improving the livelihoods of millions of producers as they trade their way out of poverty and build thriving communities.

In 2023, we lent £49.2m to 173 organisations in 45 countries, supporting 412,628 farmers and artisans, thanks to our community of other 11,000 ethical investor members in the UK. Give a gift that grows and invest in a Shared Interest Share Account for yourself or a loved one today.

To find out more, email membership@shared-interest.com or call 0191 233 9101.

Gift Great Tastes with Chocolate and Love's Colourful Collection

The Chocolate and Love collection uses only certified organic ingredients. Organic produce can be traced from the farm to the fork, with every process along the way obtaining a certificate of conformity. 

Chocolate and Love's cacao is sourced directly from Fairtrade certified cooperatives in Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Madagascar, driving developments in information, education and industry certification for farmers.

By choosing Fairtrade chocolate, you are voting for the world you want to see. Farmers can use their Fairtrade Premium funds to become more resilient to climate change, to educate their children and to improve their communities.

The Chocolate and Love Team is delighted to have won a total of 63 Great Taste Awards so far, having received a further 5 awards in 2023. In addition, their dark chocolate Pomegranate, Coffee and Milk Hazelnut flavours have received awards from the Academy of Chocolate.

Chocolate and Love's expansive range of flavours extends to editions such as dark chocolate with orange, dark chocolate with passionfruit and dark chocolate with candied ginger. Check out their colourful collection by clicking the button below.

Say Goodbye to Plastic and Hello to Unique and Upcycled Bags by Trashy Bags Africa

In May, Joanna Abena Fianu, BAFTS Fair Trade Network UK’s Membership and Monitoring Co-ordinator, joined us in the beautiful setting of Durham’s Town Hall to explore the journey, principles and proponents of fair trade products with Shared Interest supporters. Learn more about the event and BAFTS Fairtrade Network here.

Two months later, Joanna travelled to Ghana, Accra, to visit Trashy Bags, an innovative social enterprise which had recently applied to become a member of BAFTS Fairtrade Network.

In Ghana, access to clean water remains unreliable and most drinking water comes in the form of 500ml plastic pouches. Trashy Bags upcycles eco-friendly bags using these plastic water pouches, which are often otherwise discarded on the streets after use, presenting a devastating danger to the health and welfare of humans and natural habitats.

“When I visited, there were four women in the open air courtyard sitting under trees and sorting the bags, opening them out ready for use. The bags are supplied by charity partners all over Ghana who pay gatherers for each pouch they save from landfill. They are sewn together to create bags and pencil cases as well as the lining for fabric bags, backing for picnic blankets, etcetera.”

Quote: Joanna Abena Fianu on her visit to Trashy Bags in Ghana.

From pencil cases and laptop sleeves to reusable shopping bags, holdalls and wash bags, Trashy Bags Africa has an extensive selection of items available to buy, each made from plastic waste. You can explore their ethical collection on their Etsy shop below.

Give a Gift Card that Does Good by Social Supermarket

Do you know someone who values fairly traded, sustainable products, but not too sure exactly what they want? For the ethically minded but undecided, Social Supermarket offers a one-stop shop with over 200 brands tackling human and environmental issues, empowering you to make a real difference every time you shop.

Send a loved one a Social Supermarket gift card straight to their inbox and let them choose from over 2,000 sustainable and social impact products.