10 sustainable Christmas gift ideas that protect our oceans
Receiving gifts makes you happy. But giving gifts to others makes you even happier! Small gifts that also have meaning are particularly valuable. So that you don't have to desperately search for the best gift at the last minute before Christmas, we have collected inspiration for you that also contributes to marine conservation. Read on for 10 great ideas!
1. “Outlaw Ocean” – a book about crimes on the high seas
A really good book completes a cozy evening in front of the crackling fire. The following copy will also give you goosebumps and is the ideal gift for anyone who loves true crime stories: "The Outlaw Ocean" by Pulitzer Prize winner Ian Urbina. The New York Times journalist spent five years researching how dangerous and illegal things are on the high seas - the area that lies outside the jurisdiction of any state. His stories deal with all kinds of crimes such as smuggling, slavery and piracy. In a interview He gave us his first insights into his exciting experiences on the high seas. A little tip: To go with the book, there is the Arctic Ocean Bracenet in a bright sea blue reminiscent of the high seas, with an engraved pendant.
The captivating book “Outlaw Ocean” by Ian Urbina ensures hours of exciting reading!
2. Casual Bracenet Beanie
In the spirit of the leisurely Christmas season, you support the casual Bracenet beanie the slow fashion concept. The timeless, comfortable hat in black, grey or blue is a real all-rounder and goes with every outfit. The Bracenet beanies can also be washed with a clear conscience: thanks to the 100% Fairtrade-certified organic cotton and the plastic-free Bracenet patch, no microplastics get into the water during the wash cycle. This way, your gift makes a statement for the protection of our oceans and at the same time for environmentally friendly clothing consumption.
With the Bracenet beanies in black, grey and blue your head will stay comfortably warm all winter long!
3. Environmental crime game “Tatort Meer”
The cold season invites you to spend a relaxing afternoon playing games with your loved ones. Sharing more time together is one of the best gifts anyway! If not much is happening between Christmas and New Year, it is time for a round of Environmental crime game “Tatort Meer”. Spoiler alert: It is about a kidnapping and various environmental sins that must be solved online and with the help of the analogue game. You even have to research online to uncover them. It is best if the whole family takes part, because the solution requires concentrated analytical and deductive skills.
The environmental crime game “Tatort Meer” invites you to combine and investigate together!
4. Socks from Healthy Seas
Trying to find a Christmas present for family members often ends in desperately buying socks. The good news is: this year you can do it for a good cause! Some of the ghost nets that our partner organization Healthy Seas from the oceans, Aquafil processes ECONYL nylon yarn® and uses it to make colorful and simple socks. Your purchase supports further rescue missions and ensures that Healthy Seas divers will continue to free the oceans and animals from ghost nets in the future. A sock purchase with meaning, so to speak.
A diver recovers ghost nets, some of which are later processed into Healthy Seas socks.
5. Ghost net keychains
Did you know that we spend months of our lives rummaging around in our pockets to find our keys? This should change urgently, after all, we can use this time better. So how about a Bracenet keychain made from ghost nets as a gift! The colors are so bright that the keychain is impossible to miss in your bag. You can also hang the large loop in various places so that the keychain doesn't get lost.
With the Red Sea II keychain you will no longer lose your keys in your pocket!
6. DIY hair and body soap
Homemade little things usually make the heart of the person receiving the gift beat faster. No wonder, after all, a lot of love has gone into it and you can decide exactly which materials find their way into the product. This is also the case with homemade hair and body soaps . Unlike many shampoos and shower gels, they do not contain harmful microplastics that end up in the oceans, but only biodegradable ingredients. How exactly is the production process done? On YouTube and various blogs you will find numerous Instructions to create individual pieces with simple ingredients such as soap and essential oils. You can freely experiment with your favorite scents according to your taste. For more inspiration, see our other blog article for DIY gift ideas!
Homemade soaps are a special and creative DIY gift – Photo by Aurélia Dubois on Unsplash
7. Bracenet from Sylt
Have you ever heard of byebyeplastik from Sylt? The organization regularly carries out clean-ups on Sylt, where they also find ghost nets. They give these nets to us for upcycling, find out more here!
8. Tea towel "Orca Splash"
Bring the depths of the ocean into your kitchen with this tea towel! Our tea towels from MALUU are the perfect addition to your kitchen. With a size of approx. 70 x 50 cm, they offer enough space to dry dishes and hands. Made from 100% cotton and certified according to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, these towels stand for quality and sustainability.
9. Recycled bags made from used neoprene fabric
Often even small gifts have a big impact. Especially when they are small but beautiful unique items, like our neoprene bags . We have networked with Ursuit and whether it is a key or a card case – with the BRACENET neoprene bag you always have your most important essentials with you. And with the practical carabiner, they will definitely not get lost. Our neoprene comes directly from Ursuit - a specialist in the high-quality, hand-made production of diving suits. They gave us their offcuts for our upcycling project and so we, together with the Kuhlmann tailoring company from Ankum, transformed their leftovers into unique and stylish bags. This makes the fabric very robust, durable and water-repellent - perfect as a gift!
10. Soulbottle x Bracenet water bottle
Who needs to lug water crates these days when there are Soulbottle x Bracenet for refilling. The glass bottle is a practical gift for everyday use and an ideal replacement for PET bottles, which release harmful microplastics into drinking water. The Soulbottle is a real all-rounder with its leak-proof and dishwasher-safe properties. On closer inspection, every detail is an eye-catcher and a little highlight: The handle is made from former ghost nets and was upcycled by hand by the Lebenshilfewerk Neumünster. The motif was specially designed by the artist Stefanie Haslberger. The glass bottle shows a diving person from Healthy Seas rushing to help an animal that has become entangled in the ghost net, thereby drawing attention to this major problem.
With the Soulbottle x Bracenet water bottle you never have to lug water crates again!
No matter what you ultimately decide on or what other ideas you have: Christmas presents that also contribute to environmental protection create real added value and create much more than just a package under the Christmas tree. We wish you good luck in your search and a wonderful Christmas!