While the holiday season offers a wonderful time to reconnect with friends, family, and loved ones, it also poses a minefield when it comes to gifting. Across the globe, contemporary celebrations of the holidays are inextricably linked to gift-giving. For many, the acts of both shopping for and receiving gifts are a love language in themselves and represent time well spent. However, for others, the overall chaos of holiday shopping coupled with the pressure to select the right gift can be overwhelming.

Although gift-giving has always been characteristic of the holiday season in the western world, the latter half of the 20th century saw the emphasis shift away from spending time with loved ones towards embracing consumption. Now, increased awareness of the effects of mass consumerism on the planet and the people within it has many holiday shoppers looking for ways to shop more consciously. While the term ‘sustainable consumerism’ may sound like an oxymoron, there are ways to gift give in a thoughtful way that makes your loved ones feel special without harming the environment.

Going beyond reusable water bottles and glass straws, conscious gifting seeks to prioritise meaningful spending that supports businesses and causes you and the recipients of your gifts care about. It also entails giving thoughtful gifts that add value to the recipient’s life (whether through longevity or by addressing a necessity), rather than eventually ending up in landfill.

Here’s how to embrace conscious gifting this holiday season.

Consider gifting an experience 

Shopping for loved ones who don’t really need anything can be a minefield, often leading to hastily purchased items that rarely, if ever, get used. Opting to gift an experience rather than a physical product not only reduces waste but contributes to the creation of a beautiful memory. Things like concert tickets, an activity, or a dinner out are failsafe options.

Support local small businesses

When it comes to making purchases that positively impact the community, supporting small businesses is the way to go. While your purchase may be one of many for a multinational corporation, it truly makes a difference for small businesses. Additionally, purchasing from businesses that produce locally made products aids in reducing the transport miles, and in turn greenhouse emissions, it takes to deliver your gifts.

Get creative with wrapping paper

Discarded almost instantaneously upon receiving a gift, wrapping paper is one of the largest sources of waste come Christmas time. Rather than buying dedicated wrapping paper, get creative with wrapping solutions — try using fabric offcuts or old magazines and newspapers. When possible, avoid purchasing single-use products.

Choose gifts that marry beauty with practicality

The best kind of gifts are those that address a practical need. Uniting practicality with chic aesthetics, our carefully curated gift collections fulfil a necessity while serving as works of art in themselves. Powered by pure essential oils and housed in recycled and recyclable bottles adorned with botanical illustrations that are designed to be seen, they effortlessly bridge the gap between form and function.

The Koala Eco Gift Collection feature the formulas that harness the power of plants and botanicals like mandarin, eucalyptus, lemon myrtle, and tea tree.