Gift ideas

Eco friendly gifts: sustainable gift ideas that don't add to your footprint

4 min read

An eco-friendly gift is, above all, one that avoids manufacturing unnecessary new objects. Digital, second-hand, long-lasting or homemade gifts: the principles and ideas for guilt-free giving.

Eco friendly gifts, or sustainable gifts, bring joy while limiting its impact on the environment. The most important principle is simple: most of an object's footprint is emitted when it is made, long before it is given. The most eco-friendly gifts are therefore those that avoid making an unnecessary new object: experiences, digital gifts, second-hand items, long-lasting objects and homemade gifts. Here is how to choose, with some concrete ideas.

Why our gifts weigh on the climate

Manufacturing comes first

For most objects, extracting raw materials and manufacturing emit the most greenhouse gases. This is particularly true of electronics: according to ADEME and Arcep, manufacturing devices accounts for the largest share of the carbon footprint of digital technology in France. It is also true of clothes, plastic toys and gadgets.

Objects that are rarely used

An object used only once, or that ends up in a cupboard, has the same manufacturing footprint as one used for ten years. The best gift for the climate is therefore one that will really be used, or one that requires no manufacturing at all.

Packaging and delivery

Packaging and delivery have a real impact, but generally a smaller one than making the object itself. They remain easy things to act on.

The five principles of an eco-friendly gift

1. Give an experience rather than an object

A workshop, a class, a day out in nature, a show, a shared meal: experiences create memories without clutter. Favour nearby activities that can be reached without flying.

2. Give something digital

A digital magazine subscription, a voucher for a workshop, a charity membership, the symbolic adoption of an iceberg or the sponsorship of an animal: digital gifts avoid manufacturing, packaging and delivery.

3. Give second-hand

Books, vinyl records, board games, quality clothes, refurbished devices, antique furniture: second-hand avoids making a new object and often lets you find unique pieces. For electronics, a refurbished device greatly reduces the impact, as we explain in our guide Make your electronic devices last.

4. Give something long-lasting

When a new object is a must, choose one that is sturdy, repairable and useful: a good tool, a quality kitchen utensil, a water bottle, a well-made garment. An object that lasts ten years divides its annual footprint by ten.

5. Give something homemade

Jams, biscuits, soaps, knitting, a photo album put together by hand: homemade gifts are personal, often much appreciated and low-emission, especially with seasonal ingredients.

What about wrapping?

• Fabric: the Japanese technique of furoshiki wraps a gift in a scarf or tea towel, which becomes part of the present.
• Reuse: newspaper, road maps, magazine pages, reused boxes.
• Kraft paper without plastic coating is easy to recycle.
• Avoid metallic or glitter papers, which cannot be recycled.

Is an iceberg an eco-friendly gift?

We prefer to be precise rather than use big words.

What works in its favour

• It is digital: no object is manufactured or shipped. The certificate is a PDF file, which the person can print if they wish.
• It raises awareness: following a real iceberg makes melting ice concrete, and the yearly news about the sea ice keeps that interest alive.
• An optional climate contribution: in the basket, a checkbox lets you add 5% of the certificates' amount, passed on to Stripe Climate, which funds carbon removal technologies.

What you should know

• Nothing is neutral: the website, emails and servers have a small footprint, far smaller than that of a manufactured and delivered object, but not zero.
• Carbon removal does not replace cutting emissions. These technologies, which take CO₂ out of the atmosphere to store it durably, are still young and expensive. The IPCC considers them necessary in addition to rapid emission cuts, not instead of them.

49 real icebergs in the catalogue, from €19.99 to €39.99. See all icebergs

Eco-friendly gift ideas by budget

Under €20

• a carefully chosen second-hand book;
• a jar of homemade jam or biscuits;
• the adoption of an Iceberg Alley iceberg (from €19.99);
• a voucher for a favour.

€20 to €50

• the adoption of a large Antarctic iceberg (up to €39.99);
• a discovery workshop;
• membership of a nature conservation charity;
• a second-hand board game.

Over €50

• a weekend away by train rather than by plane;
• a serviced second-hand bike;
• a refurbished device;
• a course to learn to repair, garden or cook.

Choose an iceberg to giveInstant PDF certificate · delivery on the date of your choice · from €19.99

Frequently asked questions

What is the most eco-friendly gift?

The most eco-friendly gift is one that does not require manufacturing a new object: an experience, a digital gift, a second-hand item or time given. Failing that, a long-lasting, genuinely useful object.

What are good gifts for nature lovers?

Gifts for nature lovers work best when they bring them closer to the wild: a guided walk or a night in a mountain hut, sponsoring a wild animal with a conservation charity, a second-hand field guide, or a real iceberg tracked by satellite, with yearly news of the ice.

Is a digital gift really eco-friendly?

It is not neutral, because digital technology has a footprint, but it avoids the manufacturing, packaging and delivery of an object, which generally weigh much more.

What does the Stripe Climate contribution fund?

It funds carbon removal projects selected by Stripe Climate, which aim to take CO₂ out of the atmosphere and store it durably. It is optional and is added to the price of the certificates.

Find out more

• Make your electronic devices last
• Calculate your carbon footprint
• Unusual gift: give a real iceberg