Ifย there’s one recurring theme that we wish to presentย in our 2016 Holiday Guide To Ethical Gifts, it’s certainly the importance of choosing gifts that are sourced from a fair trade market.
When you choose to support the fair trade market, you are offering an ethical gift that embellishes the lives of those close to you, your communities and your planet.
View our 2016 Holiday Guide To Ethical Gifts to inspire your mind to support the sustainable and fair trade market.
Happy discovery to all!
Madeira Natural Cotton Scarf
byย Bloom & Give
Bloom & Give scarves make great gifts as 50% the profits from the purchase funds girlsโ education programs in India. Each scarf comes wrapped in a gorgeous handmade reusable cotton bag with a card that describes how your purchase helps change the girls’ lives.
Using a traditional block-printing process, this scarf is handmade in small batches within a women-owned factory in India. Master carvers carefully prepare the wooden blocks, which are then dipped in dye and stamped onto the fabric.
The Madeira Natural Cotton Scarf is a contemporary hand block-printed stripe motif on a light and airy cotton. This is a scarf that your loved one will be able to wear for all seasons and occasions.
Companies like Bloom & Give show that when it comes to textiles, putting a community first is possible. They work with small co-ops that share their relentless pursuit of excellence and quality, and their belief in fair wages. With these practices, it was essential that we feature them in our 2016 Holiday Guide To Ethical Gifts.
In the next 30 days, receive a 15% discount off your Bloom and Give purchases with promo code: LAUTRE
Carter Tunic
by Ramonalisa
If you have an ethical fashionista in your life that you wish to spoil this Holiday season, offering the Carter tunic by Ramonalisa is one of the best ways to deliver style without compromising sustainability.
This ethical gift will make any woman look good with clothing that is gentle on the earth. The Carter tunic is made with organic cotton and hemp. Both fabrics are known to be free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.
The magic of this minimalistic style is in its practicality. One big pocket holds all of oneโs essentials, and itโs so versatile that it can be worn over leggings or jeans! Versatility in design is a major factor when it comes to developing sustainable fashion.
People Tree
People Treeย has played an important role in the fashion industry as a pioneer in ethical and environmentally sustainable practices. For over 25 years, People Tree has partnered with Fair Trade producers, garment workers, artisans and farmers in the developing world to produce ethical and eco fashion collections. Hence, featuring them in our Holiday Guide To Ethical Gifts was a given!
Fair Trade is about creating a new way of doing business; creating access to markets and opportunities for people who live in the developing world. By purchasing from People Tree, you ensureย that your ethical gifts are made in a sustainable way.
Callina
Callina believes luxury fashion can be sustainable and have a positive impact on the communities and cultures in which they collaborate. ย Their garments are designed with the finest, sustainable alpaca fibres. Basedย in Peru, master artisans construct them with impeccable attention to detail.
The highland communities wide-ranging alpaca herds require shepherds and their families to travel long distances. Often times, this comesย at the expense of children consistently attending a regular school. This is why Callina supports the Mirasol Project, which created a boarding school in the remote region of Puno. Children of traditional alpaca shepherds can stay Monday through Friday and attend school regularly, returning home on the weekends.
You’ll feel good about investing in clothing that makes your loved ones feel natural, comfortable and confident. Through clean lines, timeless designs, and modern shapes, Callina helps consciously curate a wardrobe that captures an authentic spirit, unique style and personal values.
JadeYoga
With the benefits yoga practice brings to oneโs life, itโs no surprise that we chose to feature JadeYoga in our Holiday Guide to Ethical Gifts. A Yogiโs global footprint extends far beyond the actual practice. If someone in your life is about to embark on their yoga journey, then these yoga mats are a terrific ethical option that also gives back to many social movements.
Jade mats are made with natural rubber and contain no PVC or other synthetic rubbers. Natural rubber is tapped, like maple syrup, from a rubber tree, providing a sustainable and renewable resource. Their rubber primarily comes from farms in Malaysia. The company then produces the Jade mats in the United States in compliance with all US environmental and labour laws.
Perhaps most importantly, through its partnership with Trees for the Future, JadeYoga plants a tree for every yoga mat sold. Through its partnership with The Water Project, JadeYoga invests in proven partners that are drilling fresh water wells. They provide sanitation and hygiene training as well as the construction of other sustainable water projects.
The first thing a Yogi wants to do when they step on their yoga mat is cherish the world. JadeYoga helps complete that ethical intention.
The Nile Kitenge Yoga Mat Bag
by Sseko Designs
The Nile Kitenge Yoga Mat Bag by Sseko Designs is another perfect ethical gift for Yogis.
The rich red, blue and yellow pattern of the Nile Kitenge Collection is a tribute to the diversity, vibrancy and beauty of Uganda’s bountiful river. Kitenge is an East African fabric that uses a traditional batik technique. This technique is a hand-dying process that uses a wax resist method to colour the cloth.
In Uganda, Sseko helps enable young women to attend university. During the nine-month gap between secondary school and university, Sseko will hire academically gifted young women to earn money that will go directly towards their education.
Most importantly, Sseko will match 200% of their savings with a college scholarship at the end of their nine-month term!
Valencia by Panda
If youโre looking to give ethical sunglasses, thenย Panda is the perfect brand for you.ย Valenciaย is Pandaโs newest style – the perfect ethical gift for the fashion lovers in your life!
Every single one of their products doesn’t just look great, but they are also handcrafted from sustainably sourced bamboo.
In addition to being eco-friendly, they created a partnership with Optometry Giving Sight. Today, every pair of sunglasses purchased gives theย Gift of Vision to someone in need.
Ecojot
Ecojotโs whimsical journals are great ethical gifts for the writers and planners in your life. In 2007, Ecojot was founded by brother and sister team Mark and Carolyn Gavin. Their love for paper and great design has enabled them to create a sustainable brand made entirely in Toronto, Canada.
Designer Carolyn has a passionate love for elephants, and they often show up in her creative work. She currently is fostering twoย orphan baby elephants at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya. This adorable Jumbo Journal features Ndotto, one ofย her special babies at the orphanage. A fun and chunky journal to encourage learning, creativity, and passion.
Ecojot makes its paper from 100% post-consumer recycled material from the award-winning Cascades mill in Quebec, Canada. They source their kraft boards from sustainable suppliers in North America, and only use vegetable inks and glues.
Eco & Eco
Winter has arrived. With it comes the crisp snow, hot chocolate and the need to moisture oneโs skin!
Eco & Ecoโs Boreal Forest Body Care line is the perfect gift for mothers, daughters and relatives who have skin that needs tending to during the winter season.
Conscious selections of sustainable ingredients were sourced from the Canadian Boreal Forest to formulate these hand & body lotions. Combined with their relaxing bath salts, this is an ethical gift that soothes and relaxes oneโs skin.
With the choice of Black Spruce and Sweet Orange, or Labrador Tea & Lavender, Eco & Ecoโs Boreal Forest Body Care line will wake up anyoneโs senses and connect them to our majestic forest.
Receive a 20% discount on your purchases by using promo code in the next 30 days. Promo Code – L’autre Couleur
Anointment Natural Skin Care
Anointment Natural Skin Care knows that real beauty is organic and natural, just like their ingredients. Based in New Brunswick, they make their soaps and body care products in small energy efficient batches, by hand, the old fashioned way.
The Baby Skin Care contains four pieces: a 50 g jar of Baby Balm, a 100 mL bottle of Baby Oil, a baby Calendula soap and an organic cotton scrubbie.
Baby Oil is an Eco-Choice Award Winning product for sustainable production practice. It contains 99% certified organic ingredients including Quebec-grown certified organic sunflower oil and certified organic extra virgin olive oil.
High quality certified organic ingredients are used to formulate their magic. In addition, they grow many of their own herbs, contract local organic farmers, and research each product extensively with attention to the tiniest detail.
They believe in quality, simplicity and in the inherent beauty of the individual.
Buncha Farmers
As its name indicates it, this small but mighty company was founded by quite literally a โBuncha Farmersโ โ eleven to be exact! Through their love of creating small, artisanal cleaning products that were healthy for their families and the environment,ย Buncha Farmers developed an exceptional natural stain remover.
Donโt be fooled by its โNaturalโ label. This product proves how powerful nature can be, especially against the toughest of stains! We have been using this product for years now and can confidently state that it removes stains that many products cannot.
Perfect for stockings, mommies and daddies from around the world will be happy to receive this Natural Stain Remover.
Read Buncha Farmerโs full sustainability story.
Go NaturalยSoular Backpack
Salima, a 25 year old social entrepreneur, decided to create a backpack that harnesses solar power. This would allow children in rural African to keep studying once night falls without the use of kerosene. After thousands of hours of prototyping, working with local children to design the perfect backpack, the Soular Backpack was born.
By buying a 1:1 Backpack from this company, you enable a child in rural Africa to have access to unlimited light. This allows children to pursue their education and reduce their carbon footprint.
Happy Holidays!
This concludes our 2016 Holiday Guide To Ethical Gifts.
As you can see, there are some incredible and mindfulย companies that value fair trade and sustainable practices. They are working day and night to embellish our world. As consumers, the best way you can influence positive change is by voting with your wallet.
In this light, we hope this 2016 Holiday Guide To Ethical Giftsย will inspire to give all around the world.
On behalf of the LโAutre Couleur duo, we would like to wish you good health, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
Disclaimer : Some of the links in the article may be affiliate links. The products you buy will be the same price, or even less expensive with the offered discounts. These links allow our website to run and provide you with valuable content on the state of sustainability across North America.
Comments (30)
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Thats an Amazing list thank you for your advice! I especially like the Nile Kitenge Yoga Mat Bag.
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Wow! Really like the Ecojot’s journals!!! I’m thinking of buying one soon. Thanks for the list ๐
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