Seasonal gift ideas for under £30

As much as we love Christmas, it can turn into a season of excess and waste. To counter this, we’ve come up with some great healthy and sustainable gifts.

Glass water bottle

There’s a good reason why more and more people are switching to reusable glass water bottles. With glass there’s no risk of chemicals leaching into your drink, nor will the taste be altered, because glass doesn’t react with its contents. Plus, they avoid the obvious inefficiency of single-use bottles. Glass water bottles are hard wearing and most come with a silicone sleeve to protect them from knocks. They’re a perfect gift for anyone that cares about their health and hydration as well as the planet. The market is booming and there are plenty to choose from, such as these:

Grip & Go, Amazon, £10.90
Bee Blissful, Amazon £14.99

Recycled wine glasses

These beautiful wine glasses are perfect for any wine lover. They are made from recycled glass, making them a great conversation piece for anyone who cares about the environment because making glass from recycled rather than virgin raw materials saves energy and reduces CO2 emissions. What better reminder to recycle wine bottles, and all glass packaging?

Recycled wine glass, 420ml, John Lewis, £24 for 4
Tulip wine glass, 200ml, Recycled Glassware Company, £26.68 for 4

Recycled glass soap dish

The trusted bar of soap is a great way to avoid complex, multi-material toiletry packaging that’s difficult to recycle. And this glass soap dish – made from recycled glass – is the perfect stocking filler: stylish, functional, and it’ll look great in any bathroom. Glass doesn’t deteriorate with age and will last years. This dish is made of recycled glass, which means not only will it stand the test of time – it already has!
Recycled glass soap dish, Ethical Superstore, £6.80

Water carafe

Give someone the gift of cool water on demand. A glass carafe kept in the fridge can be trusted to keep water pure and safe – and look stylish on the table. Add cucumber, lime, or other fruit for a tasty change: versatile, healthy and sustainable. These sleek, stylish carafes will look great for years.

Water carafe

Buwico, 1.5L, Amazon, £17.99
Delicious. Water Carafe, Lakeland, £14.99
Clear glass carafe, 1L, Habitat, £15.00

Glass containers

What can you get a foodie that has everything? How about upgrading their food containers? These glass storage boxes are BPA-free, hard wearing, microwavable, oven-proof (without the lid), dishwasher-safe and freezer safe. Use them to cook food in the oven and freeze until needed. They’re also ideal as a microwavable lunchbox for work. Being made of glass means you can be sure chemicals won’t migrate from the container into the food, and hard wearing glass boxes won’t discolour or scratch. Glass food storage container

VonShef, 5 piece, Amazon £17.95
Fortrolig , Ikea, £3

Milk carafe

Doorstep deliveries of milk in the good old trusted milk bottle are making a comeback in many areas. Why? Because milk tastes great from glass! Where milk in glass isn’t available, decanting into one of these beautiful glass bottles to store in the fridge will add a touch of instant class to any breakfast table. Because glass is chemically inactive and impermeable you can be sure it’s storing milk safely.

Carafe with stopper, 1L, Ikea, £4
Bormioli Rocco, Amazon £28.95 for 4.

Glass baby bottles

Give a little one a great start with a high-quality glass feeding bottle. Glass is made from materials that occur in nature, and is recognised as the gold standard for food safety. In fact, the European Commission recommends glass as the safest material for infant feeding bottles. There are plenty to choose from, such as:

Glass baby bottle perfect gift