Staying sustainably minded can be hard this time of year with all the shopping, gifting, and traveling that happens during the holidays. But it doesn’t have to be! Being mindful of the choices that you make can create a huge difference in staying eco-friendly this season. 

Every year, we choose a theme for the season that inspires the work we do at Botnia HQ, and this year’s theme is Easy Sustainable Holiday. Keeping the health of our earth in mind takes a few simple steps and can wildly make a difference with ripple effects that your loved ones will surely appreciate.

Here’s how to create an easy sustainable holiday in 2023!

Gift mindfully

Online shopping, packages being delivered worldwide, and cheap easy shipping means more waste being made. In 2016 alone, online shopping boxes filled up San Francisco’s recycling center with 630 tons of packaging everyday! That’s enough to fit over six Boeing 757 airplanes full of cardboard daily! 

Look for brands that offer sustainable packaging as part of their ethos. At Botnia, our new recyclable aluminum bottles and compostable boxes create less waste in the recycling system. Our skincare is made by loving humans in small batches using organic and locally sourced when possible ingredients. We keep Mother Nature in mind with every process of creating our skincare - from harvesting our plants to hand packing each shipment using boxes and wrapping materials that are recyclable or post-consumer recycled material. Our packing peanuts are made out of vegetable starch and are biodegradable in water. (Fun for the kids to watch dissolve!)

If you’re new to gifting skincare, here’s our guide for giving self-care to the ones you love!

Shop local, shop small

Skip cheap stocking stuffers and think about gifting what people really need this year! 

There are so many beautiful handmade items made with love you can purchase directly from artists and makers either locally or through places like Etsy. Shopping within your community can help your local economy and also help to support the passions of people who have thoughtfully created a handmade item just for your recipient.

If you’re giving skincare this year, may we suggest locating a Botnia Spa Partner near you and supporting your local esthetician’s shop in person. Experiences like a Botnia facial are also package-free options that your loved one surely will enjoy! 

It’s always a good idea to shop with your local boutiques which might offer unique gifts as opposed to big box stores. Putting your dollars back into your community only strengthens your local economy. Break up with Amazon this year and shop at the stores near you instead!

Think about sustainable gift-wrapping

To reduce waste, saving and reusing the packaging you receive is a great way to simplify and keep waste out of recycling centers. We encourage you to wrap Botnia or other gifts with the materials found in your shipment, repurposing the newspaper that comes with your order as gift wrap material. Cut to size and take it a step further with natural items like tree branches or pinecones found in your area to decorate your gift. We found that ribbon scraps also make cute additions to gifts and look so adorable under the tree! See our tutorial on repurposing Botnia packaging as gift wrap here (LINK).

You can also eliminate the need for a holiday card by sending e-gift cards instead! Save paper and a stamp and email your loved one a gift card this year.

Decorate with intention

For our holiday photoshoot, we used our insert cards as ornaments! And if you have a few extra lying around, they make great gift card tags for your gifts. Just punch a hole at the top, add twine or a ribbon, and tie it to your present to repurpose our beautiful illustrated cards.

We decorated our tree using found objects from nature like seashell pieces, unique rocks, pinecones, and branches with cute berries. Taking a little time to wrap them with twine, scrap ribbon, ethically sourced yarn, and a bit of hot glue to create loops to hang from our tree.

Thrifting ornaments is also a great way to repurpose ones that might have been tossed out but are still in good condition. You may even find some great vintage ornaments if you’re lucky!

The holidays are meant to be spent with the ones we love with thought and intention. Finding new ways to connect with our friends and family and giving mindful presents that really show you care while still caring for the Earth. 

You don’t need to become 100% sustainable all at once! With every holiday that passes, we incorporate one or two more eco-friendly habits into our routine. Being more thoughtful and intentional in your choices will help you build a natural mindset of thinking about the earth during the busiest time of year. If you have favorite sustainable holiday habits you love, we’d love to see them in the comments below!

Merry Merry,
Botnia