20 Nov 2023
15 eco-friendly, ethical and local gift ideas to buy online
As the holiday season approaches, it’s the perfect opportunity to make responsible and sustainable gift choices. This year, add a local touch to your gifts and opt for eco-friendly, ethical and Quebec-based options that are available online!
Before going any further, it’s important to demystify the preconceived notion of the term “gift”. It means much more than the simple act of giving or receiving a tangible object. It can be offered in the form of attention, gestures, words or memories. It can even be built from scratch using recycled materials, giving you the opportunity to personalize it 100%.
Every purchase we make can have a positive impact on our planet and on local communities and businesses. That’s why Novatize offers you gift ideas in line with your sustainable development values, to help you think differently about Christmas:
• Limit the number of gifts, focus on quality
E.g.: Hold a gift exchange to limit the number of gifts per person.
• Keep gifts simple and meaningful
E.g.: A greeting card, a book, etc.
• Encourage gifts in the form of activities, and emphasize the time spent with your loved ones
E.g.: A local cultural outing or a good meal with the family.
• Think user-friendly and homemade
E.g.: A homemade recipe, a handmade craft, a thrift store find.
• Be creative in the ways you give pleasure
E.g.: Make a donation to an organization close to your heart.
Many local businesses use eco-responsible methods and offer sustainable products. Why not give a gift to your loved ones and support local businesses at the same time? Our team of specialists has put together a selection of gift ideas to buy online that will appeal to everyone!
Omy develops and produces responsible, healthy and personalized skin care products.
Omy is a BCorp-certified company, owned and run by women. The majority of ingredients are sourced from local distributors, and shipping is carbon neutral.Â
Offer a personalized day cream with refillable packaging.
2. Perlimpinpin
A Quebec-based company that passionately creates clothing and accessories for children aged 0 to 12.
With over 35 years’ experience, the Perlimpinpin brand helps parents live fully in the moment with their children, creating unforgettable shared memories.
Give the gift of an eco-friendly bamboo baby sleeping bag designed in Quebec.
Tella & Stella offers a variety of Quebec-designed accessories for dogs and cats.
Tella & Stella is a Quebec-based company that gets involved in its community by collaborating with artists and giving back to organizations dedicated to animal welfare.
Offer a dog collar and leash duo designed in Quebec and made from recycled water bottles.
4. Hot Poc
Hot Poc designs and distributes reusable hand warmers.Â
An alternative to traditional disposable hand warmers, which typically contain up to 40 grams of activated carbon per pair.
Give the gift of reusable, shock-resistant hand warmers. Also, 1% of proceeds will be donated to organizations to help the planet.
5. Société du Réseau Économusée (SRÉ)
SRÉ works to preserve, perpetuate and promote knowledge and know-how handed down from generation to generation.
It is committed to the dynamic occupation of territories and the sustainable development of regions.Â
Offer a sustainable tourism experience or a gift from a committed artisan.
6. Lambert
Lambert offers a wide selection of hard-wearing, easy-care vegan leather bags for men and women.
All our bags are designed without cruelty to animals, with a focus on responsible innovation and respect for animal ethics.Â
Give the gift of a recycled nylon bag.
7. Womance
The Womance online boutique offers a diversity of fashion apparel and products for everyday life.
To create each line, Womance works with suppliers who respect ethical standards in the manufacture of each garment.
Offer a garment from Womance’s second-hand selection.
8. Solios
Solios reconciles design, elegance and sustainability with their eco-responsible and ethical solar watches.
As the first watch company to obtain B Corp certification, they are committed to going the extra mile in their eco-responsible practices to make the future greener.
Give the Rainforest Edition watch with its green dial and make a donation to protect the rainforest.
9. Attitude
Attitude offers beauty and household products that are better for your health and the environment.
Motivated more than ever to create the world’s healthiest products, the company offers their products in eco-innovative, plastic-free packaging.
Give the Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner Duo as a gift.
10. KaseMe
KaseMe offers customers a brand of mobile fashion accessories specializing in personalization and creative expression.
The B Corp-certified company uses responsible materials and renewable energy sources to power its daily operations, and focuses on waste reduction.
Give the gift of a cellphone case designed in collaboration with a local artist.
11. ORAKIÂ
ORAKI is a clothing company responsible at every stage of the production process.Â
Each garment is made from recycled materials or natural fibers, including toothed corn and wood pulp. It’s also a brand that promotes diversity and inclusion in every aspect of its marketing.Â
Give the gift of leggings made from moisture-resistant, quick-drying ECOFLEX fabric.
12. BKind
BKind offers natural, vegan body care products that are not tested on animals and are safe for the environment.Â
BKind products are sure to meet the needs of skin that is sensitive and reactive to the products too often found in big-box stores.Â
13. La RĂ©colte
La RĂ©colte is a bulk-food grocery store affiliated with several local businesses to act as a point of sale.Â
The initiative, which aims to reduce food waste and over-packaging, offers bulk food in a minimalist, zero-waste context.
Give a gift card to a loved one so they can enjoy the bulk space.
14. WWF (or World Wildlife Fund)
WWF-Canada works to protect and restore nature and reverse species decline.
The international organization helps protect habitats, reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, reduce industrial impacts and protect wildlife.
Symbolically adopt a stuffed animal to help an endangered species.
15. Les libraires
The Librairies indépendantes du Québec cooperative brings together more than 120 independent bookstores in Quebec, the Maritimes, Ontario and Manitoba.
The group strengthens the local economy and contributes to the cultural life of its community. They also offer audio books and books in PDF format that can be read on an e-reader.Â
Give the gift of a book by a Quebec author.
Bonus!
Discover Samara & Co’s eco-friendly gift kits from Quebec, featuring a range of eco-responsible products from local businesses.
Opting for sustainable gifts helps preserve the environment, reduces our carbon footprint and encourages more planet-friendly production. By making eco-responsible choices, we are collectively helping to create a greener, more ethical future. Finally, with the end of 2023 just around the corner, the entire Novatize team would like to wish you an unforgettable and sustainable Christmas!
Want to discuss it or need more help? Contact a specialist today!
Novatize
📞 +1 844 932 6682
đź“Ą contact@novatize.com
📍330-330 rue Saint-Vallier Est, G1K 9C5, Québec, QC, Canada
Sources :
(2) https://www.pwc.com/ca/fr/industries/consumer-markets/consumer-insights-2023-march.html
(3) Idem.
(4) Idem.
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