Sustainable Gift Giving: Making Memories, Not More Stuff

Presented by Transition Salt Spring as part of the group’s Lighter Living Initiative

Sustainable gift-giving is more important—and easier—than ever! The traditional gift economy is deeply tied to the extraction economy, which depletes natural resources and prioritizes short-term gains over long-term sustainability. This system fuels harmful practices, including overproduction, deforestation, and pollution, and the holiday season amplifies these pressures. From plastic-laden packaging to single-use items that quickly end up in landfills, the environmental cost of conventional gift-giving is immense.

During the holidays, this harm is exacerbated by increased manufacturing, transportation emissions, and the sheer volume of discarded materials—wrapping paper, ribbons, and excess packaging—that contribute to overflowing waste streams.

This holiday season, shift the narrative and make a meaningful impact by choosing thoughtful, eco-friendly gifts that prioritize sustainability and community. Opt for locally made, reusable, or ethically sourced items to reduce waste and support small businesses. To make this shift effortless, we’ve prepared a curated list of sustainable gift ideas that are beautiful, practical, and kind to the planet.

Let’s cut the waste, ditch the plastic, and celebrate the season responsibly—shop sustainably, shop locally, and help protect the earth for future generations!

Sustainable Gift Ideas: Entertainment gifts involve experiences that bring people together. Shared moments are often more cherished and longer-lasting than material items!

• Theatre – We have an amazing local theatre with a terrific upcoming winter program. Whether it’s dance, music, drama or comedy, ArtSpring has it all! Grab some tickets to a show or a gift certificate and plan for a memorable time together.
• Movies – For the movie-lovers out there, this is the perfect gift, and the popcorn is to die for at The Fritz Cinema.
• Jazz, Blues, Country – The Legion Branch 92 has a range of live music events, from jams, open mics and world-class comedians and concerts. Membership has benefits.
• Karaoke – Send the singers to the Legion Friday nights for Karaoke
• Digital audiobooks or e-Books – Spread the joy, without the hassle!

Sustainable Gifts: Learn Something NEW! We are fortunate on Salt Spring to have a diverse and talented population. You can find a class for virtually any hobby or passion. There is something for everyone on your list from the creative to practical and wellness to skill building!

• Painting/Drawing Class – Do you have creative people on your list? Treat them to a gift certificate to one of a plethora of classes offered by the SSI Painters Guild. The only prerequisite to join or take a class is the desire to paint and draw. All levels are welcome.
• Pottery Classes – There is nothing quite like having your hands in clay. Julie MacKinnon Ceramics offers a range of classes for a variety of skill sets in all types and techniques. All ages and stages are welcome.
• Martial Arts Classes – This is a fabulous activity to do with kids, friends, or your partner. Salt Spring Karate offers Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing and Kobudo.
• Art/Craft Workshops – Make memories by doing a workshop together! Take a pottery class, sign up for a succulent workshop, make a wreath, or join the Printmakers. With so many talented artisans on Salt Spring Island, it’s easy to connect with experts. Check out the Salt Spring Arts Council or Salt Spring Exchange to see what’s coming up.
• Cooking Workshop – Foodies on your list could be in for a real treat! You can’t go wrong with gifting a workshop with Haan Palcu-Chang, “one of the Best Top Chefs in Canada!” (CBC, 2024) Or you could treat them to a luxurious, completely custom-designed menu of world-class food catered in your own home.

Sustainable Gift Ideas: Recreation activities promote health and wellness. Give the gift of mental well-being and FUN that have long lasting value!

• Learn to Row – Introduce them to their new favourite lifelong sport! The Salt Spring Rowing Club will teach them to row in a fun, safe environment
• Fitness – From belly fit to chair yoga, you can find something for every fitness level. Salt Spring Island has many excellent gyms to choose from, including The Well at the Salt Spring Island Wellness Centre, Ganges Fitness, Kinetic Fitness, or of course PARC, Salt Spring Island’s Parks and Rec central! Consider giving a class, a session with a private trainer or a winter membership!

• Dancing Lessons – Do you know someone who would love to learn new steps? Give the gift of dance with one of PARC’s many programs!
• Yoga – Salt Spring is a mecca for yoga with classes for every level. Ask your friends about their favourites or check out one of the local yoga studios and consider giving the gift of a few classes: Ganges Yoga Studio, Salty Soul Yoga at the Salt Spring Wellness Centre, and The Salt Spring Centre of Yoga are just a few great options!
• Roller Skating – The gym at SIMS has some super fun drop-in roller skating! Open to all levels, bring your own skates or rent some. Fun for the whole family.
• Sports club membership – Is your loved one looking to join the tennis or golf scene? Start with a lesson or 9 holes at the SSI Golf Club, or if you know they’re already big fans, consider covering the membership fee for next year. A one-year membership for Juniors is only $15 at the Salt Spring Tennis Association.
• Swim Passes – There is plenty to do at Rainbow Road Pool. Whether someone on your list could use some lessons or is a master swimmer, our local pool offers a wide range of activities. Consider a gift card.
• Poker, Darts & Crib Nights – Do you have a card shark on your list? Send them down to the Legion for Poker or Crib nights. They can also enjoy a meal while challenging their wits!

Sustainable Gift Ideas: MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTION gifts produce little or no packaging and offer a range of practical, meaningful and sustainable gifts that keep on giving beyond the holiday season!

• Bus pass – Do you have a commuter on your list? How about a month of unlimited travel? Visit BC Transit to buy monthly passes.
• Online News or Magazine membership – Sign your friends up for an online subscription to the local Gulf Islands Driftwood, or a favourite magazine like Permaculture Magazine. They’ll love the abundance of information available to them!
• Museum membership – Victoria’s Royal BC Museum is considered one of the very best in the country and changes exhibitions regularly. Don’t forget about their online learning portal and IMAX Theatre. Any of these would be a great gift to give!

Sustainably Delicious Gift Ideas: Everyone eats! Food gifts are practical and appreciated by almost everyone, whether their tastes are sweet or savoury, gourmet or homemade. Food gifts suit any budget and are perfect for individuals, families or groups!

• Zero Waste Plastic-Free Groceries – SALT JAR Refillery is loaded with high quality, consciously sourced, plastic-free essentials including home, body, pantry and grocery items. Check out their brick-and-mortar shop or buy a gift card online.
• Local organic produce delivery service – If you want to go big for your favourite foodie, consider signing your loved one up for a local organic produce delivery service. Different farms on the island have a variety of offerings. Laughing Apple Farm does a ‘farm stand membership’ giving your advance access to their delicious produce and paying in advance means you don’t have to worry about having exact change at their stand. Duck Creek Farm has a traditional Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, offering a delicious weekly box; The Backwoods Farm and Paradise Within also have CSA packages. Alternatively, check in with your local farm or visit our Farm Stands, Farmers and Foodies of Salt Spring Island page on Facebook.
• Fruit and Vegetable Box Subscription – Similar to a CSA, Earth Candy has a fabulous Fruit & Veg Subscription box – all organic and as local as possible. You can pick up or they’ll deliver anywhere on the island for only $5!
• DIY Gifts in a Jar or Homemade Goodies: Homemade food gifts like cookies, jam, spice blends or recipes in a jar add a personal touch showing real effort and care.

Sustainable Gift Ideas: Pleasure & Relaxation gifts help relieve stress and boost mental and physical health, providing much-needed downtime in today’s fast-paced world. The holidays can be hectic, so consider a gift that focuses on relaxation.

• Massage – Getting a massage makes you feel so pampered and loved! It’s hard to go wrong with this gift.
• Spa – Check out one of the local spas! Time spent in warm baths, steam rooms, and saunas makes a fantastic gift for someone who needs to unwind. Arbutus View Thermal Spa and Solace Organic Spa are just two of many serene escapes.
• Dinner – Take your loved one out to a delicious dinner or offer them a gift card for dinner at their favourite spot.
• Babysitting – Offer to babysit so that your parent-friends can go out on a date and enjoy being child-free!
• Meditation class or app – Sign your friend up to a meditation class or to a meditation app such as Headspace. Or let them know about one of the many free wellness apps, like Insight Timer – which also offers classes like Mindfulness for Mothers.
• The Gift of Service – For many folks, the most valuable gift doesn’t come from a store. It isn’t a thing but rather, it’s about spending time together or being offered a service they wouldn’t be able to manage on their own. Make up your own Gift Certificate for a few hours of garden weeding or maintenance, or house cleaning.

Sustainable Gift Ideas for GIVING BACK: Do you have someone on your list who doesn’t want anything? Consider donating in their name to a cause they care about.

• Plant a tree – You can plant one or more trees in their name with OneAction who are currently focusing on reforesting vulnerable areas in Switzerland – or perhaps you’ll be more inspired by any of their other many meaningful projects.
• Symbolic Animal Adoption – Many organizations invite you to symbolically adopt an animal to protect it. Someone you love might be honoured to adopt a rescued elephant through the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust or adopt a species through the World Wildlife Fund.
• Offset their annual carbon emissions – Have your loved one calculate their carbon emissions for the year, and then head to the Carbon Footprint website to choose how to offset the emissions (through tree planting, alternative energy, etc.) This gift is a great one to encourage discussion about how to decrease carbon emissions for the following year.
• Donate in their name – Consider a cheque to the local food bank in your loved one’s name, or perhaps a donation to one of the fabulous local non-profit organizations working to make our community better. Consider Transition Salt Spring (community climate action and mitigation) the SPCA, Gulf Island Families Together Society, Islanders Working Against Violence (IWAV), Salt Spring Literacy or the Salt Spring Island Foundation.
• Reconciliaction – For those with Reconciliation at the top of their wish list, donate to the Stqeeye’ Learning Society – committed to working in partnership for the restoration and preservation of lands and waters within Xwaaqw’um (Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park).
• Volunteer together – Get your friends & family in on a volunteering activity together! Join a forest cleanup, cut broom, help out at Gabriel’s Kitchen, lend a hand at the gardening co-op, go through your clothes and toys together and donate them to the local thrift shop or to Transition Salt Spring’s Toy or Clothing Swap.
• Social Justice – For the social justice activist on your list, consider making a cash donation in their name to The Hearth at Phoenix Landing, The Chuan Society or The Copper Kettle. These local grass roots organizations with boots on the ground addressing access and equity barriers in our community.
• Support local artisans – Shop at Artcraft and support handcrafted works by local artists. Many artists use found or recycled materials. And proceeds from Artcraft support Salt Spring Arts programs in the community.

We hope these low-waste gift ideas inspire you to get creative, and help make the earth and your community as happy as your loved ones are sure to be!

Transition Salt Spring invites you to sign up for more FREE access to Lighter Living content at https://tinyurl.com/Lighter-Living. Learn how to take low-effort actions that feel good, benefit our community, and help the planet.