Sustainable Alternatives To Traditional Wedding Gifts For Modern Couples *

*This is a collaborative post.

If you are looking for a wedding anniversary gift for your partner or a couple but you want something unique to the usual traditional gifts, then a sustainable alternative is the perfect option. More recently many people are looking for sustainable gifts because of the environmental and social problems that we are facing as a society. A technical meaning of sustainability is usually defined as the processes and actions through which humankind avoids the depletion of natural resources, in order to keep an ecological balance that doesn’t allow the quality of life of modern societies to decrease.

When you think of sustainability most people tend to associate this with eco-friendly, although just because an item says it is eco-friendly it doesn’t always mean that it is. It’s important to do your research and make sure that the items you are looking at have been certified. The good thing is that more people are becoming aware of the damage we are doing to the planet and are looking for more sustainable options so this means that when looking for a gift it means there are more options than there would have been years ago. We have put together some of our favourite sustainable alternatives to traditional wedding gifts.

Looking for sustainable gifts

If you are not sure where to start looking for a sustainable gift then the best thing to do is search online. With more restrictions being lifted and shops opening up again it means that you could go to little individual boutique shops, some of which specialise in recycled or sustainable items. If you can’t get to a physical shop then an online search is a good place to start. Once you’ve found some items online you will need to think about who you are buying the gift for. If it is for a partner you might choose something that’s more romantic or sentimental. If you are buying for a friend then it might be a good idea to think about how many years the couple have been married to think about the gift choice.

Each year that a couple has been married has a particular gift choice theme so you could use this when you are looking for the perfect sustainable gift.

Personalised gifts

If you want a completely unique gift for a modern couple then choosing a personalised gift is a great option and means that it will be something that they can keep forever as a lovely keepsake too. There are lots of ways that they can be personalised, you could include the date within the gift, the couples names and also any family additions since they got married. Choosing a gift that can be added to as their family grows is a really lovely idea as well. Choosing a wedding gift that is personalised shows that you have put a lot of thought into your gift and will mean a lot to the couple.

Gift using recycled materials

For many people, when they think of sustainability they think of recycled materials and there are lots of businesses that use recycled materials to create their products. If you are creative you might want to consider making your own gift and recycling your own items to make a gift. This could also be a fun upcycling project for you to do as well and will make it a completely unique and personal gift.

Gift ideas

If you want a sustainable gift that is completely unique we have a few ideas below that you might want to look into. If the couple you are buying for are animal lovers you could look at adopting an animal for them as a gift. You could look at funding a sustainable project in their name such as a project that plants trees; this is a good way to do something good for the planet. If you’re not sure about planting trees then you could look at an alternative and get them a beautiful plant for their home or garden. If the couple have more of an off-grid life you could even look at creating an allotment for them to grow their own fruit and vegetables. This is also a great thing to do if they have a family as well as they children get involved with living a sustainable lifestyle too.