9 Tips For Ethical Gifting this Holiday Season
'Tis the season of stressing around in the shops or endlessly clicking away online, trying to find the perfect gift for every person (and sometimes animal) on your list. Picture long queues, hours of trying to track down that item, and a constant "sold out" label on nearly everything on your favorite websites. Throw ethics and a sustainable mindset into the mix and holiday shopping might seem like an impossible quest.
But fret not: our vegan-friendly, planet-kind gift guide will be a shining beacon in the chaos of holiday shopping, and the below tips will help you stay sustainable in what is notoriously one of the most wasteful seasons of the year. Happy gifting.
Buy less
This is one of the most crucial changes we can make to help salvage our suffering planet and reduce our impact on its well-being. Ending the cycle of overconsumption and relentless production is key to halting the seemingly unstoppable devastation that industries such as fashion cause to the environment. So give one thoughtful gift rather than many insignificant ones, or choose to gift an experience rather than material objects.To be sure that you are getting the right gift for the right person, consult our gift guide, which truly has something for everyone.
Choose vegan fashion brands
Steffy Metallic Lurex boots featured in the Diva category of the Species Unite Gift Guide. Credit: AERA New York
Have a fashionista on your list? Be a positive influence by gifting kind fashion and showing just how stylish cruelty-free designs can be. On-trend, forward-thinking labels such as FRIDA ROME, Brave GentleMan, Dauntless and AERA New York all create cruelty-free designs that are as chic as they are kind. Find more cruelty-free fashion options in our gift guide.
Go vintage
Using what is already available and in circulation is the most ethical way to shop, so it's time we broke the taboo around second-hand gifts. Explore your local second-hand scene, go treasure-hunting in vintage boutiques, or download apps such as Depop, Vinted, and Vestiaire Collective for an endless supply of stylish pre-loved options - and a surprising abundance of vegan items.
Be mindful of greenwashing
Whether it's "responsible down" or "ethical wool", be aware of the marketing gimmicks in place to falsely reassure consumers, while animals continue to suffer - so many undercover investigations into these industries have revealed, time and time again, that "ethically made" animal-derived products are wishful thinking. Stay away from industries and products that profit from animal abuse and always choose vegan.
Learn about materials
Gessi Mini Vegan Satchel made from AppleSkin featured in the Jetsetter category of the Species Unite Gift Guide. Credit: Matt & Nat
So you're leaving the wool on the shelf...in favour of the pleather bag or virgin acrylic knit? Perhaps not the most planet-conscious choice you could be making. Vegan materials can vary greatly If you can afford it, explore plant-based materials such as leathers made from pineapples, mushrooms, cork, apples, cactus and more, or choose organic cotton and hemp instead of wool. Short on cash? Refer to the above point on second-hand shopping.
Support brands who champion change
Conscious brands giving back should be at the top of your gifting list - and our gift guide is full of brands who work with charitable causes. Examples include Save the Duck, who donate 1% of yearly sales to charities such as WildAid or the Sumba Foundation, sneaker company LØCI offering a platform to emerging artists, or handbag brand Labante London's generous contributions to organisations like PETA, McMillan Cancer Support, and Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. Your gift will support a small brand - and help fund a cause.
Be smart about packaging
This is a controversial one - but do we really need to wrap our gifts in brand-new glossy paper with a plastic component that will struggle to biodegrade, and will definitely only be used once? And is it necessary to accompany every gift with a glittery card? Get creative and make unique homemade wrapping from used newspaper, re-used a gift bag from another gift, choose a canvas tote to hold your gift - or forgo wrapping altogether.
Keep an eye on labels and symbols
Vegan Moisturizing Body Lotion featured in the Under $40 category of the Species Unite Gift Guide. Credit: Bkind
Label-reading is key in order to be certain that what you're buying is truly vegan (unless you're shopping from a 100% vegan brand, which we have plenty of in our gift guide) - there are a few symbols and certifications that help guide consumers, such as the PETA-Approved Vegan logo and Vegan Society's vegan trademark. For cruelty-free cosmetics, look for Cruelty-Free International's Leaping Bunny symbol or PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies logo.
Make your wishlist public. Few things are as wasteful as receiving a gift you're less than enthusiastic about and watching it gather dust for months (sometimes years) before it's donated to charity, probably unused. This sad destiny befalls many gifts every year, at the hands of gift-givers who were just doing their best in the dark, upon a loved one insisting that "you don't have to get me anything!". If we had more honest conversations about what gifts we like to receive, we could probably make a significant dent in holiday-related waste.
Feeling lost in the gift-giving jungle is part and parcel of the holiday seasons - but whether you're shopping for a fashionista, an adventure lover, children or even a companion animal, our cruelty-free and ethical gift guide has plenty of options for everyone on your list.
Written by Sascha Camilli
Sascha Camill is a writer, speaker and vegan fashion expert. She founded the world's first digital vegan fashion magazine Vilda, and is the author of Vegan Style: Your Plant-Based Guide to Beauty, Fashion, Home & Travel. Her podcast, Catwalk Rebel, is out now.
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