Top 10 sustainable end of term gifts for teachers
It’s that time of year again, the end of term! Looking for a sustainable gift to give your teacher this year? We have you covered! Check out our list of top 10 gifts that your teachers will love, enjoy and use every day.
Make relaxing bath bombs with the help of Stasher
For the teachers that need the summer to relax, this homemade bath bomb recipe by Little Green Dot is my favourite. Made from freeze-dried fruit and natural ingredients, they’re gentle on skin and make a great fizzy gift. You can make these completely unique and personal too, by choosing any colours you want.
Ingredients:
- Baking soda
- Citric acid
- Cornstarch
- Ground oats
- Freeze-dried fruit blended into a powder to add colour
- Buttermilk powder to add the fizz (Sainsbury’s is the best I’ve found)
- Rubbing alcohol (put it in a spray bottle for ease)
- The mould (something like a Tupperware)
- Essential oil for scent
- Rose petals or herbs to make it look pretty
Essentially, it involves mixing the ingredients with rubbing alcohol until it holds its shape. Then you can add the details and make it pretty. Find the full methodology here.
To complete this mini spa kit, package your bath bombs in a Stasher bag. The self-sealing platinum silicone storage bags can be endlessly reused – two gifts in one! Suitable for the fridge, freezer, dishwasher, microwave, oven or a pan of boiling water, it can be used for everything. Plus, it’s completely food safe and made using natural resources, which is why we love Stasher.
Find out all the ways you can use Stasher bags.
Coffee on the go with a Huski travel cup
For the teachers that survive on coffee, this Huski Sustainable Rice Husk Travel cup is a must-have. Available in duck egg, lagoon, rose or violet, they’re aesthetic while durable, biodegradable and non-toxic. It’s made from rice husk which is a byproduct of the rice industry that typically gets burnt as waste – causing an environmental hazard to the local community.
The splash-proof and leakproof lid ensures no spillages while your teacher is commuting or walking around presenting to the class. The insulated mug also has twinned walls to keep a hot beverage warm for longer and your iced coffee chilled – this is a great feature as we all know that unexpected things pop up before we can finish our morning drink.
What we love about this brand is that all Huski products are made in the UK, helping to reduce your carbon footprint all year round. With quick ship delivery, this travel mug is an easy win to make your teacher happy this summer.
Shop friendly with Kind Bag
For the teachers that are renowned for carrying too much stuff, Kind Bags are brilliant and practical gifts. Featuring bold and beautiful prints, they’re reusable and super sturdy. More importantly, they’re made using 100% recycled plastic bottles! On top of that, 10% of their profits are donated to the Just One Ocean charity.
Designed with longevity in mind, Kind Bags have wide handles for maximum comfort and can hold up to 20kg – books and essays galore. They can be used on-the-go, simply roll them up in the attached pouch and pop them in a handbag.
We love Kind Bags because they’re a London-based company dedicated to combating pollution in the fashion industry. By turning waste into these beautiful bags, they make it easy and stylish to be eco-friendly.
Discover more about Kind Bags.
Light a natural soy candle
For the teacher that likes a laugh, the Scents of Humour Candles are right up your street. Available in ‘Finally Cut Grass’ and ‘Bruce Spring Clean’, the natural candles are made from sustainable soy.
Hand poured by Aaron and Jack, they release lush fragrance for 40 hours. They’re made from natural, sustainably sourced vegan soy wax (made from 100% soybeans) with a cotton wick. Additionally, the process is cruelty-free and is never tested on animals.
Traditional candles are made from paraffin wax with is the by-product of the petroleum refinery process. surprisingly, thousands of the day-to-day products we use contain crude oil by-products. Although there is no evidence to suggest your home will smell like fossil fuels or harm your health, these natural soy candles do release less carbon dioxide and won’t cause the planet as much harm in production. Plus, Scents of Humour candles come in a reusable and recyclable tin.
Give the gift of Seedboms
For the green-fingered teachers, the SeedBom gift sets bring a beautiful mix of seeds to spaces that need some TLC. They’re so simple to use, simply shake it, throw it and grow it! Available in a range of mixtures, such as Brilliant Botanics, the packs include four different types of seeds.
Made from organic peat-free compost, the seeds are contained inside of a compostable, starch-based shell. The SeedBoms will completely biodegrade into the Earth within five weeks, leaving only flourishing plants in its place.
Planting for wildlife is super important to help fight climate change and protect pollinators. Whether your teacher lives in an urban flat or in the middle of the countryside – there’s a SeedBom pack for everyone.
Homemade brownies wrapped in beeswax wrap
For the teachers with a sweet tooth, why not try baking a delicious batch of gooey brownies? This recipe from BBC Food is tried and tested and definitely gets the SaveMoneyCutCarbon team seal of approval. It takes less than 30 minutes to bake 20 brownies and they’ll go down a treat.
Ditch the clingfilm and wrap your brownies in the BEE Zero Waste Beeswax Wraps. Handmade in the UK from locally sourced beeswax, natural pine resin, organic cotton fabric and organic coconut oil, they’re an eco-friendly alternative to help keep food fresh. The beautiful patterns of fabric can be reused multiple times, making a delicious and practical gift.
Read our 5 creative ways to use beeswax wraps around the house.
Plant a tree
For all teachers, a plant a tree gift is brilliant for everyone. Trees breathe life into the Earth and cleanse it of the bad toxins like carbon dioxide. Planting more trees protects the planet and helps us all tackle climate change.
With the National Trust, you can dedicate a new tree to your teacher. Choose an amount to donate and you’ll receive a confirmation email with a certificate attached. This one tree could remove one tonne of CO2 in its lifetime and create a beautiful woodland for others to enjoy.
What better way to thank your teacher for shaping lives? Learn more about why trees are so important.
Mrs Hinch it with ecoegg
For the wanna-be Mrs Hinch teachers, an ecoegg Laundry Egg is the best gift. The award-winning laundry egg naturally cleans laundry without using harsh chemicals. The recyclable and refillable egg is packed with natural mineral pellets that are free from palm oil, parabens, enzymes, phosphates and microplastics.
Available in Spring Blossom and Fresh Linen, it cleans laundry just as well as traditional detergent but it’s kind to the planet and skin. It cleans clothes by drawing dirt from clothing fibres and softens them by changing the pH, effectively removing stains and adding a fresh scent to clothes.
This sustainable egg can save households up to 40 plastic bottles a year and the cost per wash drastically reduces to 14p per wash and 10p per wash with the refill pellets. The 10-year guarantee and hypoallergenic seal of approval are two of our favourite things about this product. Introduce your teacher to this wonderful gift that will help the planet daily.
Find out everything you need to know about ecoegg Laundry Egg.
Teach in comfort in Bamboo socks
For the teachers on their feet all day, a pair of bamboo socks are a treat to wear. Bamboo socks are eco-friendly, antibacterial, hypoallergenic and super soft – they’re definitely worth the hype. They’re made by crushing bamboo stems and leaves, soaking them in sodium hydroxide to break down the material, creating bamboo viscose. This is then spun into yarn and woven into luxurious socks.
Bamboo has tons of eco-friendly benefits: it’s fast-growing, absorbs more carbon dioxide than many other plants, it’s kind to soil and requires less water to grow. They come in a range of patterns so you can choose the one that suits your teacher’s personality and style down to a T.
Discover more eco-friendly benefits of bamboo.
Build a hedgehog hut
For the nature loving teachers, building a hedgehog house is a thoughtful gift and great for the planet. Hedgehogs are slowly in decline so they need every bit of help they can get. Hedgehog houses provide safe shelter for hibernation, resting and raising their babies – Autumn is the most popular time for occupation. It doesn’t matter if you live in the city or the countryside, hedgehog houses can be placed anywhere as they all need a home!
You will need:
- Hammer and nails
- Metal hinges
- Soil
- Straw, dry leaves and twigs
- Polythene sheeting
- 20mm untreated FSC plywood boards
For the full instructions, head to the Wildlife Trust to follow their steps.
Give the gift of sustainability this term
We hope you’ve found the ideal end-of-term gift. If you found this useful, there’s plenty more where that came from! We’ve just launched our new app which is free to download! Enjoy thousands of bitesize articles at your fingertips and browse through everyday swaps to make your home more eco-friendly.
Nothing makes us happier than helping our customers. Don’t forget to tag us in your gifts and creations so we can see what you get up to!
