Do It Yourself
Secret Santa Time! Five Great Christmas Gift Ideas That Are Eco-Friendly Too
Tis’ is a season of gifts! Here is the eco-friendly gifting roundup that will definitely make you the best Secret Santa at your workplace
New Delhi: With Christmas comes the much-loved holiday tradition of buying Secret Santa gifts for your coworkers. If you are someone’s secret Santa this year, we’ve got you covered with these stocking-filler ideas that will not only make your coworker happy but will also give back to the environment. Because remember, festive celebrations are rejoiced more by being socially conscious. So, here are some eco-friendly gifting ideas.
Eco-friendly Accessories For The Fashionista
Ever wondered vegetable and fruit seeds could look this beautiful
Ever heard about accessories made from seeds discarded as waste? Mrunmayee Pendse Chaudhari and Shilpa Dahake from Nashik are doing just that to reduce the waste burden. The duo is designing an alternative to modern jewellery using natural materials which are usually thrown away without a second thought, for instance, sitafal or tamarind seeds. Their upcycling venture is called ‘Beej’ and through that they are making all sorts of eco-friendly jewellery and accessories – the earrings are priced between Rs. 100 and 250, the necklace and earring sets are valued between Rs. 250 and 350. Orders for accessories can be placed using Instagram or Facebook and request for delivery across India.
Read More On Jewellery Made From Seeds
Paper Waste Dolls For Those Who Love ‘All Things Cute’
Handmade 1,350 dolls from waste materials that earned Vijitha a place in Guinness Book of World Records
How often do you see dolls made out of waste paper that is thrown out of almost every household on a daily basis? Using her creativity, Vijitha Retheesh from Kochi is making sure that every piece of paper ranging from wedding invitations to old newspapers, books that turn up at her home do not head to the trash can mindlessly. Instead, Vijitha handcrafts these scraps into dolls, which can be a thoughtful gift for Christmas! Don’t forget to add a tiny note with it saying – this Doll is made by a woman who is a Guinness Record holder. Vijitha made it to the record books this year by creating 1,350 dolls from waste materials in a span of five months.
You can buy these special eco-friendly dolls for Rs 250 only, by placing an order on the artist’s social media platforms.
Read More: How Kochi’s Vijitha Retheesh Sets A Guinness World Record For Turning Paper Waste Into Dolls
Christmas Mementos
Upcycled home decor Christmas goodies
Using trash items like old home décor items, furniture Bindu through her upcycling venture, Ebony ‘n’ Ivory is selling upcycled home décor Christmas products that will definitely bring in a festive cheer. Starting at Rs. 450, there is a wide range of gifts to choose from.
Upcycled Glass Gifts For Those With A Quirky Taste
SuperBatli – upcycled glass bottle which works as both planter and holder
Once glass items are discarded as waste they end up adding to the burden of the country’s already overfilled and dying landfills. To reduce this waste burden from our planet, Ekta from Vadodara decided to give these waste items a new lease of life in a quirky way – Ekta upcycles glass items and makes a variety of products – from home planter pots, book holder, furniture, jewellery and many such items.
The full range of these products are available on their official venture – Wonky Works, ranging from Rs. 200 to Rs. 2,000.
Read More: How This Woman From Gujarat Is Upcycling Glass Bottles With A Quirk
Upcycled Home Décor Items For The One Who Loves To Pep Up Their House
30-year-old, Meenakshi Sharma from Delhi has a venture – ‘Use Me’ that makes use of each and every bit of waste and turn them into creative products. From rugs made out of used cloth, dream catchers to pep up the walls and curtains, every item to deck up the house can be found.
With Use Me, Meenakshi is saving around 200 kilos of waste every month from being discarded indiscriminately in the landfills and adding to the burgeoning garbage pile. To purchase products of Use Me, orders can be placed through their social media or directly from their office in Delhi.
Also Read: Turning Garbage Into Objects Of Daily Utility, This Delhi Woman Has Given Upcycling A Creative Spin
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.