Your ultimate guide to eco-friendly and ethical Christmas gifts | Hong Kong
Can you guess where you’ll find me bright and early on Christmas morning? That’s right, I’ll be sitting on the sofa, impatiently jigging up and down, waiting for everyone else to get dressed, eat their breakfast, drink their coffee and generally get their lives sorted so that we can dive into the lovely pile of pressies under the tree.
From this perspective, my inner child is definitely alive and kicking. But there’s also the part of me that cries a little each time I unwrap a mass-produced pressie that’s ensconced in copious amounts of plastic…perhaps it’s time to take a step back and be more conscious about the gifts we give.
Great idea you say, but where do I start? Right here with this handy guide to people and planet happy gifting from small Hong Kong based businesses is the answer. And, for those of you popping in from overseas…I hope the guide gives you some great ideas and inspiration.
So, let’s jump right in…
For him
Why is it always so hard to find gifts for men? After all, there really are only so many pairs of socks anyone could need 😂. But fear not, there are some great brands out there making gifting for men a piece of (Christmas) cake.
SANI
Thank goodness for SANI! Made using traditional tools and techniques, their superbly soft and beautiful hand-woven Cashmere scarves are perfect for any of the men in your life. Founded by Sapana, SANI provides a platform for weavers in her birth country of Nepal to showcase their talents to an international market. Each scarf that SANI sells contributes to their financial freedom, their children’s education and their health.
SUNSET SURVIVORS
Find yourself immersed in the streets of old Hong Kong in the pages of this beautiful book. Written by Lindsay Varty with photography by Gary Jones, it tells the stories of Hong Kong’s traditional artisans and tradespeople through stunning imagery and candid interviews. Through the talks and walking tours that sit alongside the book, Lindsay hopes to encourage people to take a deeper, more active interest in Hong Kong’s cultural heritage and its myriad of curious professions before they fall into obscurity.
Impact Berry
Perfect for the coffee lover in your life, Impact Berry’s coffee tasting set brings together three unique coffees - the sweet and caramely arabica from Vietnam, a chocolaty, nutty, fine robusta from Indonesia and Impact Berry’s signature espresso blend which brings the best of both worlds. Hand-picked and processed by local communities, Impact Berry’s coffee beans are sourced directly from small farms in Vietnam and Indonesia before being roasted right here in Hong Kong. By paying wages directly to farmers and contributing to community projects, Impact Berry hopes to help people learn, stay healthy and build better lives for themselves.
Paper-Roses
And where better to put that delicious cup of coffee than on a Paper-Roses coaster? Featuring my colourful original illustrations, each set of three ceramic, cork-backed coasters comes packaged and protected in a specially designed box - no glue, no plastic, no foam, simply printed, uncoated cardboard.
For her
If you’re starting to panic about finding the perfect gifts for all the fierce and proudly conscious women in your life, you’ve come to the right place. With a little help from Santa’s elves, I’ve rounded up a few firm favourites.
Candice Luk Fine Jewellery
Made in a small Hong Kong studio with the help of a handful of artisans, Candice Luk Fine Jewellery’s signature collection is the antithesis of factory-made, with it’s emphasis on wearable pieces, craftsmanship and attention to detail. While many pieces use new components sourced from trusted dealers, Candice is also a big fan of recycling jewellery. She uses the “Candice test” - a combination of the normal gold content and stone quality tests along with her designers instinct - to select secondhand, vintage and antique pieces. While some are then sold in their original format, others are repurposed into new, more contemporary pieces, extending the life of the jewellery and creating the heirlooms of the future.
Heritage ReFashioned
Heritage ReFashioned is a collection of handbags and accessories made using upcycled vintage textiles from China, Japan and South East Asia. Influenced by traditional craftsmanship and innovative techniques, these beautiful creations will touch the heart of any eco-friendly fashionista. Designer Vincci’s mission is to turn forgotten and forsaken textiles into something that will be admired and treasured, bringing them back into their rightful place in the spotlight.
ÄYA Home
Made using one of the most durable natural fibres, ÄYA Home’s baby alpaca throws are gorgeously soft to the touch and will make a beautiful, warm and snuggly addition to your sofa - perfect for keeping your toes cosy during the coldest months. As a native of Hong Kong and Peru, founder Crystal sources all of ÄYA Home’s alpaca products from Peru, helping to support the local indigenous communities that rely almost solely on alpaca farming for their livelihoods.
Essencial Candles
Bring calm, peace and perhaps a little romance, into loved ones lives with Essencial Candles. With their commitment to using all natural ingredients in their products, founders Elliot and Delphia blend 100% pure essential oils with local beeswax which they source directly from a small bee farm in Hong Kong. And best of all…Essencial Candles offers a refill service so their beautiful, classic containers can be used over and over again.
Paper-Roses
I was asked recently why hand-written notes are still important in the digital age. My answer…because it’s fun to get mail. It makes me smile, and the extra effort I know the sender has taken to put pen to paper and pop it in the post is like a warm hug. Pay forward the gift of smiles with a set of delightful note cards - made in Hong Kong using 100% recycled paper and printed with vegetable based inks, they won’t cost the Earth.
Cacao
Cacao’s luxury chocolates are completely, totally and utterly delicious (my personal favourite is the salted caramel)…and they’re guilt free too. How can that be? Well, it’s got nothing to do with the calories involved. The team at Cacao sources all of its cocoa beans and sugar from plantations that are committed to non-deforestation, as well as being free of slavery, and their perfectly minimal packaging is 100% plastic free. Worried that this wouldn’t be a suitable present for a vegan? You shouldn’t be - vegan versions of (almost) every single chocolate are available.
Flow Factory
Flow Factory is all about eco-friendly yoga products that use natural materials like tree rubber, vegan suede and cork. Their cork yoga mats are a personal favourite - slip resistant and durable, with a good degree of cushioning, they’re super light weight. The Flow Alignment design is particularly good for those of us who struggle with alignment issues on a daily basis. As an added bonus, the team at Flow regularly provides free community yoga classes and workshops.
Good Days
Good Days launched its first active wear collection in 2020. With a commitment to sustainable and ethical decision making, founder Libby and her team use a range of fabrics containing recycled plastics. Produced from waste products like plastic bottles and abandoned fishing nets, their goal is to divert plastics from landfill and the oceans, repurposing it into a high-quality product with a long life. And to ensure ethical production, Good Days has partnered with a manufacturer that guarantees fair wages, a safe working environment, freshly cooked lunches and medical insurance for its workers and their families.
Zero Yet 100
I think we can all agree with Zero Yet 100’s founding principle that natural is better. With a transparent ingredient list that’s full of pure indulgence and devoid of nasties, their products live up to this mantra. Formulated in their Hong Kong workshop and personally tested by founders Anita and Sheetal, the hand-crafted products are packaged in recyclable or reusable packaging. Their beautiful body oils are perfect for enhancing your inner shine - apply directly to your skin, hair or nails, or add to a few drops to your bath for a brilliantly nourishing experience.
For the young at heart
For all the adventurous, fun loving, colourful and quirky people in your life…the ones that need to find something a little different in their stockings come Christmas morning.
Rupert & Bird
Perfect for all of life’s outdoor adventures, Rupert & Bird’s eco-friendly towels are made using recycled plastic bottles - each towel equals 22 bottles saved from landfill and our oceans. Fabulously practical, the lightweight, compact, quick-drying, sand-free, super soft towels are the perfect companion for any busy city dweller’s adventures, whether they involve swimming, a junk trip, hiking, diving, camping or a fun day out at the beach. And to top it off…the designs are beautiful too!
Soaper Delights
Why not gift some goodies from Soaper Delights along with a towel? Their sunblock and bug repellents would be the perfect compliment! Made in Hong Kong from all natural ingredients, these vegan, cruelty free and bio-degradable products that come packaged in paper tubes are perfect for all your outdoorsy friends and fam, offering functional, sustainable protection while they’re out and about. For best results in the wild, reapply as needed!
Paper-Roses
A practical addition to every handbag and pocket, these soft, lightweight, foldable tote bags are perfect for carrying shopping, books, toys…or any of life’s other essentials! Made from an unbleached, 100% GOTS certified organic cotton they’ve been designed without a seam at the bottom to make them extra strong and ensure they last even longer.
Liz Fry Design
Inspired by patterns and sights commonly seen around Hong Kong, Liz Fry Design celebrates the local art community, while upholding sustainable principles. Liz’s fabulous cushions - which are all made using RPET fabrics (made from recycled plastic bottles) - will brighten any room. I particularly love the Java Road Lamps design - it reminds me of days spent happily pootling around Hong Kong’s many wet markets.
Candle Up
With candles being made to order, Candle Up encourages their customers to bring their own candle jars to be filled with their chosen scent. But never fear, if you haven’t got a jar handy, you’re welcome to choose one of their recycled ceramics, glass jars or coconut shells for your candle. All made using soy wax and natural essential oils, Candle Up’s candles are all vegan and non-toxic. And their motto? Refill and reduce landfill!
For tweens & teens
You love them, but sometimes, they’re just plain awkward…especially when it comes to giving you any sensible ideas about what they might like for Christmas. So why not gift them an experience?
CAMP APA BY Asia Pacific ADVENTURE
Camp APA is a place where young people can make new friends and learn new skills all while developing a positive relationship with the outdoors. The camps, aimed at ages 7 to 17, are packed with fun activities - abseiling, snorkelling, bouldering, paddling - and superb practical skills training - first aid, water safety, navigation, camp craft. And…Asia Pacific Adventure, the team behind Camp APA offers skills courses as well as camps - think rock climbing, paddle boarding, kayaking and more.
Elephant Community Press
The Elephant Community Press offers workshops that make writing fun and purposeful, and publish writing by young people so students can experience the magic of seeing their words, thoughts and ideas in print. Designed for ages 4 to 16, the workshops aim to give kids confidence in their capabilities as writers and communicators - excellent skills that will serve them well later in life - all while letting their imaginations blossom.
Ark Eden
With a focus on compassionate living, Ark Eden’s camps for 5 to 11 year olds aim to inspire curious, creative and adventurous learners. Kids get to learn about forest creatures, how they live and our relationships with them and the land, and gain loads of new outdoor skills, all while having a blast.
Paper-Roses
Gift a Paper-Roses notebook alongside any experience; whether it’s to document their adventures, make notes on what they’re learning or a safe place to let their imaginations run wild, these beautiful books are made from FSC certified 100% recycled paper inside and out. I’m often asked why there’s no bookmark or elastic closure on my notebooks. It’s simple really…reusable alternatives exist, so why add something that can only be used once?
For the littlies
They’re cute, they’re cuddly and you’re not quite sure exactly how they already have so much stuff. But you can’t let Christmas go by without a little treat from you…or is it from Santa?
Petit Tippi
With a mission to make natural, eco-friendly and healthy baby products accessible in Hong Kong, Petit Tippi’s founder Vicki and her team personally try and test all of their products before they’re added to their shelves. Going one step further, Vicki has recently added her own creations to the Petit Tippi collection. These gorgeous pacifier clips and teethers have been designed with functionality in mind; they’re made from silicone and beechwood (both naturally anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic materials) and are BPA and toxin free making them safe for baby and super easy to maintain.
Paper-Roses
The snuggle is real thanks to these colourful and cosy, scrumptiously soft, baby blankets. They’re made from GOTS certified, 100% organic cotton jersey and printed with certified inks in an organic factory. Created with love, they’re designed to be kind to baby and to the planet. And thanks to their larger size, they’ll remain a firm favourite as baby grows.
Marigold The Brand
Using only organic cotton and linen fabrics to manufacture their beautiful clothes (which I absolutely adore - the simplicity of design and colours used remind me of the clothes my mum used to sew for me when I was little), all of Marigold The Brand’s incredible colours are created using 100% natural dies made from leaves, bark and berries. The incredible yellow colour in this outfit is made by creating a paste from crushed pomegranates and turmeric, before letting the fabric absorb the gorgeously rich colour for over three weeks!
Retykle
The premise behind Retykle? Buying gently used designer children’s clothing at a fraction of the retail price. Creating value for both the buyer and the seller, the platform makes buying and selling quality, barely worn kids’ clothes as convenient and stylish as buying new. But better than this…it’s helping to create more sustainable shopping habits and prevent tonnes of clothing from ending up in landfill.
PEKES
Pekes is a circular, sustainable, toy subscription initiative. With each monthly subscription, the recipient will receive a gorgeous bag containing 8 to 10 age appropriate toys, books, games and puzzles. Backed by the thinking that new means novel rather than unused, and with a mission of zero toys to landfill, Pekes uses only pre-loved (but excellent quality) toys in their kits. They’ll also collect your pre-loved toys - for each toy you donate, you’ll receive 1 Pekes dollar to redeem or gift. How wonderful is that?
Sundara Collections
Sundara Collections advocates for keeping our homes - and our families - as environmentally conscious as possible. Sourcing goods from throughout Asia, they only choose sustainable, chemical and plastic free materials while supporting traditional production methods wherever possible. Their fun yet practical range of organic cotton cushions, toys, picture frames and storage solutions are handmade by a small cooperative in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The cotton is grown and harvested locally, then hand-spun, dyed and woven on traditional hand looms before being lovingly crafted into these gorgeous, unique products.
Draco Viridi
Written by Suzanne Younan and illustrated by Caroline Lewington, the Green Dragon books tell stories of modern times, friends and taking action. Set in Hong Kong, the books highlight the problems caused by plastic pollution and littering while encouraging kids to learn about nature, wildlife and enjoying the outdoors responsibly. Written to touch the hearts of children, the books aim to encourage them to take action at home, at school and in the community more generally. Now, sitting alongside these gorgeous books, you can also find a fabulous 200 piece puzzle…and of course, it’s made from FSC certified, 100% recycled paper products and printed using soy based inks.
Joe Sun
Simple, comfortable and eco-friendly swimwear for the children of the future, Joe Sun’s ethically made range of unisex styles are perfect for play and UPF50+ sun protection. Made using tightly woven ECONYL®, a yarn derived from discarded nylon including fishing nets collected from the oceans, each garment is made by hand in a small Australian owned factory in Guangzhou, China.
I’d love to hear your eco and socially conscious gifting ideas - I’m always in need of more inspiration ☺️. Comment below and share your pictures with me on Instagram or Facebook - tag me at @paperrosesdesigns. And any other tips you have on making Christmas more sustainable are always extremely welcome.
PS - I’ve put the ideas into categories to (hopefully) make it a bit easier for you to focus your thinking in the run up to Christmas…but please don’t feel you have to stick to my suggestions - mix and match as much as you want, the main thing is to find gifts that the people you’re giving them to will appreciate and use.
Unless otherwise stated, all photos have been sourced directly from the businesses included or their websites.