Last year we launched a campaign called "One Magical Gift" or One Great Gift. The idea was that you take your time, enjoy the experience of browsing for and buying your loved one just one amazing gift. Because that's really all you need!

It went down a treat, not least in part because we organised x4 Zero Waste Christmas Markets in Manchester, London and Brighton to give shoppers access to unique gift ideas that were zero waste.

This year, with no markets happening and the world on pause, we've elevated our message to Make Your Gift Matter. Our wish for this year is that we take the time we've been given to think about our loved ones and prioritise local, sustainable and independent brands.

So, with that in mind here are 5 easy ways you can make your gift really matter this year! 

1. Buy from small, local brands who are more obscure, hand make their products and have great eco-credentials.

Rule number one.

There are a lot of sustainable brands out there struggling to be noticed amongst the digital furore. Why not seek them out? Find Facebook groups that revolve around your interests and search for makers. Take part in a digital Christmas Market that promote sustainable makers. Search on Etsy for sustainable terms and look 2 or even 3 pages back. If you're on Instagram, search hashtags on small sustainable businesses and explore what comes up. Explore our Brand Directory and check out our gift guide by signing up to our newsletter.

2. Make as much as you buy.

This year, hand made items are all the rage. They're heartfelt, affordable and can make use of other materials, upcycling them into something new. Some ideas include baking, visiting a zero waste store and making soup, hot chocolate or granola mixes in glass jars, photo albums, designing digital dates, creating some artwork, making a video, or gifting on a book that you've loved and writing about why in the margins. 

3. Donate to charity or go digital

Spend your money on digital experiences or charitable causes that are meaningful to your recipient. Experiences like the ones offered by The Little Surprises Company are safe, unique and affordable - comedy nights, chocolate tasting, personal styling, reflexology or at-home spa anyone?

4. Buy early 

You'll hear this a lot this year. Buy early! Buy now. Small brands are working tirelessly to make their gifts memorable, get noticed and recoup some of their losses for the year. Help them out and buy early so they can maximise the season and so you can avoid any disappointment if they run out (this will happen).

The postal service is anticipated to be overwhelmed too, and last date for posting 2nd class is the 18th and 1st class is the 21st with Royal Mail. Our own gift boxes are only guaranteed delivery if posted latest by the 18th of December. Who knows this year if we'll be able to go to the shops last minute and, if we are, will the whole world and his dog be there? Cue the queues and panic-purchasing. No thank you! Do your prep now and aim to have everything ordered, on it's way or already at your home by the 20th of December for a chilled out entry into Christmas. 

5. Do a Sustainable Santa

Instead of opting for a traditional Secret Santa where you have an impossible budget and nobody knows what to get anyone, why not do a Sustainable Santa. Granted it doesn't sound as sexy, but what it does allow you to do is spend a little more and get something you want that won't harm the planet. Set a decent limit if you can (maybe re-prioritise this family gift tradition and cut back elsewhere), ask everyone to follow simple rules (no single-use plastic for example) and get an idea of what everyone actually wants. In our family we have a Head Elf who curates this process and it works really well!

Sustainable shopping doesn't have to challenging or stressful, if you're stuck on what to give someone that has everything, why not shop our range of gift boxes. Starting at just £20 there is something for everyone.

If you have other ideas we could add to this list, please let us know and get in touch at mel@zerowastegoods.com