Before we get into the list of recommendations, let's take a quick look at sustainability standards and certifications that may come up throughout the article. These labels are not only nice to have on a product, but also show that a product or company is committed to bettering the planet and the people behind the process.
Sustainability Standards and Certifications
FSC - Forest Stewardship Council
FSC is one of the councils that you may have seen before, and is one of the most recognisable sustainability symbols out there. The Forest Stewardship Council is a non-profit organisation which provides solutions to protect the world's forests from deforestation, climate change and biodiversity challenges, and has a mission to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.
FSC has a highly rigorous certification system closely following their mission statement, rewarding the business with access to the ‘Check Tree’ label. This label on a product means that the materials used have come from responsibly managed forests, helping to reduce deforestation and protect wildlife habitats.
For more information about FSC, click Here.
BCI - Better Cotton Initiative
The Better Cotton Initiative is generally found on your favourite clothing tags. BCI focuses on the workforce with their mission ‘helping cotton communities to survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment.’ This non-profit focuses on the farmers, farmworkers and their surrounding communities, with most of these workers working on smallholdings less than 20 hectares in size. ‘BCI have managed to reach 4 million people whose working lives are connected to cotton production.’
If you find a BCI label, it means that a product is supporting cotton farming communities, encouraging fair working conditions, and protecting the planet.
If you’d like more information on BCI, click Here
OCS - Organic Content standard
The Organic Content Standard aims to increase organic agricultural production and boost the amount of organic material used in products. It is a standard that sets the criteria for third-party certification of organic materials and the chain of custody. To get the certification, businesses must have audits completed on each stage of the supply chain. This ensures that when you see the label on products, you can trust that the materials are organic and responsibly sourced.
If you see the label below on products or their packaging, it means that the product is OCS certified, showing that you and the business are supporting a workforce.
If you’d like more information on OCS, click Here
RCS - Recycled Claimed Standard
Finally the Recycled Claimed Standard is designed to boost the amount of recycled materials used in products. Their main objectives include aligning definitions of recycled across different applications, verifying recycled content in products and giving brands and customers a means to make informed buying decisions. The certification includes a verification in recycled materials for both pre-consumer and post-consumer material, the chain of custody, confident communication and stakeholder engagement.
The label below shows customers that the product is using recycled materials to create the product and or packaging.
If you’d like more information on RCS, click Here
The certifications are a great way to make more conscious choices when shopping and support brands that are trying to make a difference.
After all that information on Sustainability Standards and Certifications, let's have a look at a list of sustainable gift ideas that will last for your kids.
Early learning Wooden Toaster Playset
Let your little one play pretend with this Wooden Toaster Playset from Early Learning. This set is made out of sustainably sourced wood, FSC approved and suitable for children 3+ years.
Early Learning has a section on their website with more sustainable wooden toys, which are FSC certified, so be sure to have a look.
Click Here for the playset.
Roy’s Boys Socks
What’s a better gift than a classic pair of socks at Christmas!
At Roy’s Boys, we’ve got a wide range of matching Christmas socks so the whole family can unwrap their gifts in style on Christmas morning. Most of our socks contain either OCS-certified organic cotton or RCS-certified recycled polyester, both of which are certified by Control Union.
We’re also making small, thoughtful choices behind the scenes, ensuring our paper/card-based product and delivery packaging are responsibly sourced from FSC-certified suppliers wherever possible.
By making these decisions, we hope to help the planet and keep times like Christmas colourful and bright.
Click Here to have a look at our socks on the Roy’s Boys website
Lush Products
If your kids are a little older or simply love a bubble bath, and you're looking for a sustainable bath and body present, Lush is one of the best places to purchase from. Their products range from shampoo and conditioner to colourful bath bombs. The packaging and materials used in the products are cruelty-free and produced sustainably, ensuring that any waste can be recycled in store, where they re work and reuse the packaging.
Below are links to the Lush products shown.
Plan Toys Rubber Coloured Snap Camera
Plan Toys is a company from the US known for making wooden toys sustainably. Plan toys annually reforests and has been doing this since 2004 and also gets their materials from local areas to reduce carbon emissions and help the surrounding communities. You can get Plan Toys from many different baby retailers within the UK.
This Coloured Snap Camera has an option for you to twist the lense to change the colour of the filter and comes with a little red strap to help hold the camera. This is a great present for any child that likes to use their imagination when playing.
This toy is suitable for 3 years and older.
Click Here for the camera.
Second Hand
To be sustainable you don’t need to buy new sustainable products. Buying second hand and reusing products is also a sustainable practice. Buying second hand most of the time is also cheaper, saving money in the long run.
Some of the best places to look online for second hand items are: Vinted, Ebay or Amazon Marketplace. You can also go to your local charity shop or outlet stores, just be careful that your not buying low quality items as this may need replacing in a couple of years time.
Friendship Bracelet kit
Activity boxes are some of the most engaging presents you can give, making friendship bracelets is not only engaging but can also be fun for adults and kids. The friendship bracelets below come from Cotton Twist, a company committing to a greener future by creating plastic free components, creating minimal packaging and using recycled and recyclable materials.
These bracelets are suitable for 3+ with small parts.
Click Here for the friendship bracelets