Looking to give more meaningful presents this Christmas?
This guide is filled with our favourite sustainable and socially responsible gift ideas from local companies. Compiled by the Inyova Impact Investing team, it contains items suitable for loved ones of all ages.
Important note: Inyova receives no money in exchange for recommending these companies, nor do we get a kick-back when you click on the links. These are simply businesses that we love.
VegiPass
Do you know someone who loves discovering new restaurants, shops and food trucks or who pursues a vegetarian lifestyle? Then this guide is just the right gift! With the VegiPass you receive a one-time discount of 50 percent for two vegetarian or vegan meals at over 170 participating eateries. The VegiPass is valid throughout Switzerland, but particularly focused on the cities of Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne, Fribourg, Lausanne and Geneva.
Einfach Weniger
The couple Annika and Raphel have made their dream come true with the online shop Einfachweniger.ch, to offer good-looking, reusable products made of sustainable raw materials.
It all started with beeswax cloths in 2017 – now conscious and sustainable shoppers will find numerous gift ideas in the shop, such as a DIY set for the production of environmentally friendly and healthy cleaning and washing products, lunch boxes or vegan no-waste deodorants. Einfach Weniger is also a member of Zero Waste Switzerland.
Wildbiene + Partner
As a result of urban sprawl and agricultural intensification, the habitats of bees have become increasingly scarce, leaving around half of all wild bee species in Switzerland endangered. Wildbiene + Partner tries to counteract this trend by selling handmade BeeHomes – a beautiful gift idea for anyone who cares about biodiversity.
With a BeeHome unit, you actively help Switzerland’s bee population, safeguarding their all-important pollination process. BeeHome delivers a starter population in spring, and takes the bees back for hibernation in autumn. You can watch the wild bees hatch, diligently collect pollen and take care of their offspring. The BeeHomes can be placed in the city or in the country: The peaceful and harmless animals feel at home everywhere!
Crowd Container
Crowd Container‘s vision is more diversity instead of monoculture. The young Swiss company has its own direct trade channels and, as a result, creates more value for small farmers, price transparency for consumers, as well as supporting healthy soils and climate-friendly cultivation methods! On their online marketplace, you can find various gift packages. From natural Sicilian wine to pasta kits – there is something for everyone.
Social Fabric
Social Fabric is a community-based organisation that gives refugees meaningful work. At its atelier in Zurich, the organisation produces sustainable textile products with a positive social impact and a small ecological footprint. The variety of products includes clothing, bags, household textiles, and more – making great gifts for anyone passionate about social progress. Our Tip: the scarves for these cold winter days!
Tree a day
Every minute, 27 soccer fields of forests are lost. Yet, trees are more important than ever to reverse the effects of climate change. Tree a day is a newly founded Swiss start-up that offers a bamboo toothbrush subscription service. Not only does this reduce plastic waste, the company also plants one tree every single day per subscription. Every morning when you brush your teeth, you know that one more tree is being planted in the world because of you. Subscriptions can be bought for a single person up to a family of 6 – the perfect gift for kids or adults!
the sage
Need a gift for a vegan friend? the sage is the place for you! In this Swiss online shop, you will find great gifts for kitchen, bathroom and more. All products are suitable for vegans and people who follow a conscious lifestyle. The founder herself became vegan a few years ago and strives for a world free of animal suffering and waste. At the sage you will find 100% vegan items, everyday items for the zero waste lifestyle, as well as pick-me-ups for the soul.
myClimate
myClimate is an international initiative with Swiss roots. Its offer for CO₂ compensation is one of the best in the world. With the myClimate flight calculator for example, you can calculate the CO₂ footprint of your flight and offset it through climate protection projects that reduce emissions. As a gift idea you can also select projects that directly support small farmers, families and communities – for example, an efficient cook stove for women in Kenya.
GOT BAG
GOT BAG is a small start-up with a big vision. It wants to reduce the estimated 269,000 tons of plastic currently circulating in our oceans – by creating robust, waterproof bags that last. GOT BAG works with a growing network of fishermen who pull plastic from the depths of the ocean. The plastic is collected in their nets and then processed into high-quality yarn, which is used to make the fabrics for their backpacks. Undoubtedly a perfect gift for all ocean-lovers.
Choba Choba
Chocolate is the gift that always works – and it’s even sweeter when that chocolate supports a social cause. At Choba Choba, cocoa farmers are no longer just raw material suppliers. They are directly involved in the company’s decisions and success. The farmers determine the price of their cocoa and, as shareholders, profit directly from Choba Choba’s profits. They are represented on the company’s board and have a say in product development and marketing strategy. Every chocolate you buy has a direct positive effect on the income of the cocoa farmers.
Nikin
Nikin is a young Swiss fashion label from the Canton of Aargau. The company uses sustainable and fair fashion to counteract deforestation around the world. For every product sold, a tree is planted in a place where forests have disappeared due to reasons such as agriculture, industry, fire and drought. A gift from Nikin is therefore more than just a piece of clothing – it’s a tree being planted in their name, an opportunity to return something to Mother Nature.
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