10 Ethical Valentines Gifts that give back in 2020

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It seems like we live in a world full of stuff, and for many of us, we definitely own more than we need. With Christmas feeling like it was 30 seconds ago, Valentine’s day can open up a whole can of worms when it comes to gift ideas.

I mean, if I had a pound for every time I heard someone asking ‘what they should get someone who already has everything they want…’

Well, the answer to this is to buy something for someone else. And I don’t mean that in a dogy cheating kind of way. That, my friend, will not end well.

What I do mean, is a gift that truly helps others who need it. This year, why not spread the love and help people, wildlife and the planet out with these 10ethical valentines gift ideas, perfect for loved one and for giving back to the world.

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1. Give the gift of a goat

How awesome is this! Oxfam offers you the chance to buy a goat for families in developing countries like Vanuatu where they can be used for income and also help crops grow. These hardy little animals can be bred and sold to help families boost their income, and they also help fertilise the soil which helps families and communities grow food.

Take a look at the Oxfam website here to gift a goat

2. Make a sustainable toiletry travel kit

I think we’re all guilty of being sucked into hoarding those mini toiletries from hotels but cutting out on these is a great way to cut back on single-use plastics. Why not make a fancy eco-friendly toiletry bag for your partner instead? Solid shampoo, conditioner and soap bars from Lush smell amazing and won’t have been tested on animals. A bamboo toothbrush is an easy swap from a plastic one and refillable bottles are perfect for taking favourite items away with you. To top it off, put it all in a hand made toiletry bag made from recycled materials, like these ones on Etsy for the perfect gift set.

3. Raise your reusable water bottle to Unicef

If your loved one hasn’t made the move away from plastic water bottles then now is the time to treat them! S’Well water bottles are reusable, insulated bottles that keep your cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours or hot drinks hot for up to 12. They have loads of beautiful designs and come in a big range of sizes. What’s even better is S’Well partner with Unicef with their campaigns to help build infrastructure to provide clean drinking water to everyone. Since 2017, they have donated over £1.4 million to Unicef for this cause.

Buy a ‘S’Well’ gift here (ha! see what I did there??)

4. Give your outdoors lover a mountain

Ok, so it’s not quite a mountain you can give them, but you can adopt an acre of land on one of four iconic British mountains. The John Muir Trust works to protect and manage wildland and manages over 24 thousand hectares of beautiful countryside to help restore it if damaged and protect it. To help support the trust, you can adopt an acre on Ben Nevis, Schiehallion, Ladhar Bheinn or Blà Bheinn to help preserve their natural beauty for years to come.

Adopt your acre from the John Muir Trust here.

5. Spread the love to your neighbours in need

The British Red Cross does some amazing work with so many people who need help for a variety of reasons. By donating to their support local campaign, you can choose a specific area your money goes to. It’s a great chance to be able to gift the give of kindness to your local community and see it being put to good use to help others out.

Support local with the British Red Cross here.

6. Give the gift of farming

For many people, a piece of land is not simply a nice thing to hang out in, it’s a source of food and livelihood. World Gifts by CAFOD has a great selection of gifts that help others out such as the option to buy chickens, goats, bees, vegetable patches and drought-resistant crops for people in countries like Bolivia and Bangladesh. These sorts of provisions help provide food for families and are also a source of income for them.

Support families with World Gifts by CAFOD here.

7. Buy a gift, only better…

I know this Valentines gift list isn’t meant to be about buying stuff, but if you did want to, then you should definitely buy Fairtrade. At the heart of the Fairtrade Foundation is the drive to provide farmers from developing countries with fair terms of trade, decent working conditions and to support local sustainability. the Trade Craft Shop sells all things Fairtrade and they have some seriously beautiful items on there that have been made all over the globe.

Shop Fairtrade here.

8. Give someone a home for the night

Centrepoint helps provide young homeless people with accommodation, health support and life skills to get them back on track. Each year they support over 15,000 young homeless people and I think they are a great charity to support if you really want to make a difference. For as little as 40p a day you can sponsor a room and know that as you go to sleep at night, you’ve helped give someone else a bed too.

Sponsor a room through Centrepoint here.

9. Change someone’s life this Valentine’s day

Unicef have put together gift boxes of emergency supplies for children to help give them a great start to life. The boxes contain water purification tablets, vaccinations, emergency food, stationery and textbooks to help children grow up healthy and get an education. For just £25 it’s a great way to make a big impact.

Buy a valentines gift box from Unicef here.

10. Adopt a Koala

The Australian bushfires have caused an unbelievable amount of devastation to wildlife. With over 900 million animals killed because of them, the WWF has raised for an urgent appeal to support them to help treat and protect the wildlife that is now going to struggle to survive. After being in Australia for 2 years and seeing so much of its incredible wildlife, I’m heartbroken to be seeing what’s happening. If you’ve ever thought of gifting someone you love an animal adoption, there’s no better time than now.

Adopt a Koala with the WWF here.