The holidays are fast approaching and with them endless amounts of paper mache, plastic and used wrapping waste. Eco-conscious consumption is a way to end, or at least significantly reduce, that. It’s a way to look at gift-giving as an opportunity to express our values and celebrate others while we celebrate the things we believe in, like taking every step possible to protect our beautiful Mother Earth. If you’re with us, when you go out gift shopping this holiday season, look a little further than what would make a nice present for your friend or loved one, and decide if that present will be one that also honors your beliefs and benefits the planet.

We’re not asking you to stop your holiday purchases, although your wallet might thank you for that, but rather to spend your hard earned dollars on things and brands that care about the environment as much as you do and who will have a positive net impact on our planet at the end of the holiday season.

Why Buy Into Eco-conscious Consumption?

There are numerous reasons why you should consider switching your gift-giving to a greener kind: household waste increases around 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, in fact during the holiday season the average Canadian household sends 45% more waste to the landfill than any other month of the year! Buying a little greener, or practicing eco-conscious consumption, takes into account the type and amount of waste a gift will produce once it’s unwrapped and also how environmentally friendly the source of that product is.

Think about it like this: if it’s battery operated, will they dispose of the batteries properly? If it comes in a box, is all that plastic and little wiring necessary? What present could you give that produces the same amount of joy but results in the least amount of waste? What brands would have the kindest impact on eart?

We know your heart is in the right place and that a lot of people do try to buy green products, so to keep you from falling under the trap of “green washed” items (products that falsely advertise themselves as green or eco-conscious but aren’t) we’ve put together a list of 5 brands and products that make great gifts this season and that are eco-conscious – ready for your consumption:

Ten Tree

Ten Tree
Ten tree is a Canadian company that sells beautiful T-shirts and lifestyle apparel with a twist: for every item purchased 10 trees are planted. The company partners with planting projects in Canada and around the world, boasting successful reforestation projects in Brazil, Haiti, Ethiopia, India, Honduras, Madagascar and The Philippines, just to name a few. We love the fact that they’re local and also that they care about the environment. Their clothes are not just cool, they’re fresh – tree fresh.

If you’re giving away clothes this is a great opportunity to buy some that have a little more of a positive impact, while helping the Canadian economy and our local entrepreneurs!

Province Apothecary

Province Apothecary
Province Apothecary sources its ingredients from each Canadian province, hence the name. They make skin and body care treatments that will surely entice the senses and make some recipients very happy. What makes them green? Their products are toxic free, hand-crafted, certified organic and sourced ethically within our borders.

Wallis Evera

Wallis Evera
Eco chic and ethically made, Wallis Evera believes that “dressing well means more than looking good”. All the products are sourced and sewn in Vancouver, Canada – so you’re also contributing to the local economy. Using hemp as their foundation fiber, they seek to spark conversations about sustainable clothing. Considering fast fashion is the second most damaging industry around the world at the moment, eco-conscious brands like this are a breath of fresh air.

Mini Mioche

Mini Mioche
Designed and made in Toronto, this eco-conscious brand makes certified organic clothing for children, using environmentally friendly practices with items that range from hoodies to cute little wooden teething toys. Because it’s their future we’re protecting, the little ones should also go green.

Lush

Lush
A vegan and eco friendly brand of delicious-smelling body care products, makes the list due to the fact that not only are their products toxic free, locally made and super healthy, but also their packaging is minimal and they encourage recycling by giving away one free product when you return 5 used containers for recycling. We love that!

With $7 Billion of the Canadian gross domestic product driven by consumer spending, it makes sense to push forward with more eco-friendly purchases in order to show our governments we are ready for a more sustainable economy. It’s better for the country, the planet and ultimately us. This holiday season try eco-conscious consumption when gift giving and beyond!

We hope you found this post useful, sound off in the comments below and share with your on-the-fence green friends.

About The Author

Maria Miranda
Maria Miranda
Maria Miranda is a Green Ambassador, Digital Marketer and Writer with a passion for personal development, conscious business, green living and travel. She has a BoA in Mass Media with a Major in PR and Advertising, and when she's not working on marketing she's dedicated to the promotion of eco-conscious lifestyle. She's lived in Panama, Brazil and the US working with brands to connect them in authentic ways with conscious consumers. Currently traveling the world.
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