Sustainable Christmas Shopping Guide

22 Dec 2021

Meri Kirihimete ki a koutou! As we wrap up the year and frantically scramble to find gifts for loved ones and friends, we thought it would be timely to spark some sustainable gift ideas.

Some things to ask yourself when buying a gift:

• Who made it?
• Where did it come from?
• What’s it made of?
• What benefit can it provide the person you are gifting it to?

Look Local

Buying a locally made gift or from a local store not only supports your local economy and community but also minimises the carbon footprint of your purchases.

Our picks for buying local are:

• Kappa has some beautiful gift ideas including fun Chunky Keep Cups, New Zealand designed jewellery and re-usable make-up wipes
• Paper Plus is locally owned and there are some great books out for your holiday reading
• If you’re looking for some quality outdoor gear for summer, then Outside Sports is the place to go. Their staff are knowledgeable, and they stock great sustainable brands like Patagonia and Icebreaker
• You can’t go wrong with chocolate! Local chocolatier Patagonia sells a range of chocolate gift boxes, perfect for stocking fillers

Choose experiences over things

Now’s a great time to support those tourism or hospitality businesses who have found the last 19 months tough. Gifting an activity or dining voucher is a thoughtful way to treat someone while supporting local business.

Make a donation

If you are buying for someone who has everything maybe donate on their behalf to a charitable organisation. There are a few local organisations who appreciate monetary or gift donations at this time of year including:

• Happiness House
• Baskets of Blessings
• Salvation Army
• Whakatipu Reforestation Trust
• Coastguard Queenstown