Low Waste Christmas Gift Guide - 50 Eco-friendly ideas.

Christmas is fast approaching and everyone is starting to think about presents! We all know that Christmas can be quite wasteful but we don't have to cancel Christmas or not buy each other presents! Below I am sharing with you some eco-friendly and low waste gift ideas which everyone will love and use.

Here are my top tips for gift giving this Christmas:

1. Don't just buy because it's Christmas. Only send gifts to people that mean a lot to you.

2. Know the person you are buying for. Buy them something they need or that they will use. Don't buy tat which will break easily or get thrown away within a week.

3. Buy secondhand or from small local businesses. Visit Christmas craft fairs, markets and use online shops such as Etsy.

Now for the fun bit: Here is my low waste, sustainable and ethical Christmas gift guide!

For the future Zero Wasters:

1. ReFuse and ReUSe Barista drinking flask

* Multi-use and leak proof! Can be used as a water bottle or a flask for freshly brewed tea or coffee. Comes with a click in filter which can be used to filter tea leaves.

*For every Barista Drinking Flask sold, ReFuse and ReUse will donate £1 to Surfers Against Sewage to help fund their Plastic Free Coastlines campaign!

2. Plastic free starter kits

* A variety of choice from plastic free bathroom kits, children's starter kits and even travel kits to name a few.

3. Safety Razor

* To replace those pesky disposable razors! Don't forget to purchase blades.

4. ReFuse and ReUSe produce bags

* A set of 5 reusable bags suitable for fruit, veg and loose grains.

* Each bag is made from 14 recycled plastic bottles and for every pouch of bags sold, ReFuse and ReUse will donate 50p to Surfers Against Sewage to help fund their Plastic Free Coastlines campaign!

5. Mason jars and other glassware

* Search your local charity shop or donate your old glass jars as gifts! They are an essential for storing package free produce such pasta and rice.

*You could even fill them with loose produce as an extra pressie!

For the foodies and bakers:

6. Cake mix in a jar

* Simply measure out the dry ingredients from your favourite cake recipe and layer them up in a jar. On a paper tag, write down what wet ingredients need to be added and instructions on how to cook the sweet treat!

*You can buy ready made muffin mix from the Refill Store in Truro.

7. Reusable baking sheets

* No more baking parchment! Simply wash after use and use again and again.

*Made with certified food-safe silicone.

8. Make a food hamper

*Focus on buying items which come in glass rather than plastic. Package items in your own jars or tupperware. Many bulk stores now sell snacks and even nuts and dried fruit! Yum

*Make your own additions such as biscuits, bread, peanut butter and chocolate. There are plenty of recipes online.

* Un-Rap in Falmouth are allowing you to build your own plastic free hamper!

9. Reusable sandwich bags and vegan food wraps

* Get rid of the cling film and the tin foil! Opt for a reusable option instead. I promise they will keep your food fresh!

10. Selection of loose tea

*I swapped to loose leaf tea when I found out that teabags contained plastic! Even though most tea bags now have changed their design and are fully compostable, there is nothing quite like making tea with a jar of leaves and a strainer ball.

* You can buy loose leaf tea in the Refill Store in Truro, Gillians Larder in Helston and Un-Rap in Falmouth.