A 2022 Sustainable Gift Guide 🎄🌏
Welcome to an environmentalist's 22 top picks - Christmas has arrived in your inbox.
It’s finally this time of the year, and this is a long one. Hang tight.
Every year I put together this sustainable gift guide in a bid to show all the amazing options for us to gift…sustainably.
But what counts as a sustainable gift?
The term is loose, but I define it as gifting intentionally and as low-impact as possible. That means considering intangible gifts, finding tangible gift options that supports local creators &brands, low-waste and made from better materials.
We can’t buy our way out of the climate crisis but I hope your gifts can help raise awareness and socialize alternatives to break status quo.
This year boasts a list that I curated with the help of the hivemind of my community on Instagram, and brands I’ve loved - some have extended a small promo!! I don’t earn anything, this is all just to share good things.
I also note that this is a time that can be really difficult for a lot of people. I am not forgetting that we are in a period of economic difficulty, Covid + exacerbated inequality. I hope we can extend our festive cheer & support our community financially, emotionally and physically. Be it the staff working overtime on the holidays, the tissue selling uncle, a neighbor, or people seeking help via mutual aid channels (such as this).
Thank you for being part of my community, and I hope that this list is something that you can look to throughout the year as well. The list begins below so get on scrolling!
May we care for each other so that we can all thrive together.
Pass It On’s beautifully made candles that are refillable.
❤️ What’s cool: Pass It On is a Singapore-based brand that aims to encourage conscious consumption. They carry beautiful candles ($35) that are refillable and smells amaze.This is an aesthetic candle that also carries v cool refills ($18) that are well-designed and reduces waste. Their holder can be used grow a teensy plant with their plantable tags. Gift sets & other products available too.
👀 Check this out: Pass It On celebrates their 3rd anniversary this month! Enjoy 15% off on 3 or more of their plantable candles ($35 each).
✨ Price range: $18 - $80
📍 Where to find: Find it on their website & stockists here!
Support animal rescue efforts in Singapore!
❤️ What’s cool: ACRES (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society), is a registered charity founded by Singaporeans in 2001. They do amazing work caring for the animals in our community, and even housing these animals in a rescue and rehabilitation compound. God-tier work.
👀 Check this out: They’ve been saving birbs from glue traps, from pangolins stuck in drains, illegal pet trade, saving scared snakes from scared humans, advocating for human-wildlife coexistence and so much more. Check this ouutttt.
✨ Price range:
📍 Where to find: Gift a donation, support merch, or check some things off their wishlist! Go check out their socials it’s so entertaining.
*BONUS: Please also consider supporting Langur Project Penang’s gifts too! Your support goes to important conservation research efforts. Let’s go regional!
OATSIDE is my favourite oat milk brand and you need to check out this Christmas hamper
❤️ What’s cool: They just launched an exclusive Christmas hamper that you can gift a friend or yourself. This hamper includes 2 Barista Blend &1 OATSIDE Apron, all wrapped in a Christmas OATSIDE giftbox. This barista blend goes amazing with coffee. Besides this, they also have chocolate & chocolate hazelnut flavors!
👀 Check this out: OATSIDE’s taste really appealed to the oat milk skeptic in me and plus, they are a local brand? Double win. Which is why I just had to reach out to them and get this PROMO for all of you! Use the code 🐸 theweirdandwild 🐸and enjoy 5% off this hamper!
✨ Price range: $15 for the hamper, and they have subscription plans from $29.90!
📍 Where to find: Get to goods riiiight here.
Share the gift of wellness at Trapeze Rec Club
❤️ What’s cool: Gift the experience of wellness to your loved ones this Christmas with vouchers from Trapeze Rec. Club! With a focus on holistic wellbeing, TRC takes wellness to the next level with fitness, yoga and martial arts classes along with a suite of recovery services.
👀 Check this out: They have a thermal suite, with a cold plunge and sauna, compression therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Mental Well-being consultations and an infrared sauna, stretch therapy and physiotherapy to come!
✨ Price range: Available in the values of $50, $100 and $200 - we recommend the trial classes + yoga + mental wellbeing sessions!
📍 Where to find: Visit Trapeze Rec Club at Tanjong Pagar (website here)
Closetful of Book’s children’s books that adults will love too
❤️ What’s cool: I found Closetful of Books accidentally and I went home with 4 amazingly illustrated environmental books. Founded by Denise and Kelvin, C.O.B is a roaming bookstore specializing in children’s literature and tbh even adults will love. My fav? A Curious Collection of Peculiar Creatures.
👀 Check this out: They are having a Hide Away and Read! pack of 10 books that they carefully curate based on the reader’s interests and then shipped to your home! This is a gift set that’s perfect and thoughtful for a 4 - 14 year old kiddo in your life.
✨ Price range: $150, but other amazeball books go from $10.
📍 Where to find: Check them out right here!
Handcrafted fresh mini Christmas tree by Priss
❤️ What’s cool: Priss is a dear dear friend of mine who makes amazing floral arrangements and bouquets. These trees are 40cm by 30cm, and are great additions to your office pantry, the dinner table or as the living room statement pieces. Not to mention the fresh smells and vibes you’ll get.
👀 Check this out: Each tree comes with 2 options - pine cones or gold baubles. You also get dehydrated oranges as a nice sprinkle on top.
✨ Price range: $125
📍 Where to find it: Drop a DM at @prisstan
Esse delivers beautiful staples, thoughtfully made, perfect for the tropics.
❤️ What’s cool: Esse is a local brand, and they have been paving the way for the slow and sustainable fashion movement in SG. I seldom buy new clothes now, but when I do, it’ll be with them. I wore their stuff for a shoot I did with them and wah I sweated like mad but I still looked GREAT.
👀 Check this out: Esse is launching these new Foundations styles for the holidays and Esse has generously extended 10% off with the code 🐸THEWEIRDANDWILD10🐸 (valid until 13 Jan). Take time to consider. You can also support these Esse Art Totes made by local artists (like me hehe) for a great cause.
✨ Price range: From $49
📍 Where to find it: Fall in love with their stuff (slowly) here.
Oasis Beauty makes affordable, low-waste, high-quality beauty + lifestyle products for everyone.
❤️ What’s cool: Oasis is my beauty go-to for the longest time. They not only make good products, but ones that are affordable, refillable, vegan, quality ingredients and super aesthetic. Refills are often cheaper than original full-sized items + sometimes you get discounts for returning the bottles.
👀 Check this out: They have a whole gifting guide but Hildra, the founder, shared two great options with me I thought to highlight. (1) zero waste hair care set ($18) - a taster for their bar soaps. (2) fizzy shower bomb ($15) which uses so much less water (cos no bath, and great for non-bath tub owners who want the luxury).
✨ Price range: From $10 to above $80.
📍 Where to find it: Check out theincredible range online or visit their stores at Joo Chiat, Tan Boon Liat & Cluny Court!
A Jom subscription means amazing weekly multimedia content all year round
❤️ What’s cool: Jom is a new weekly digital magazine covering a lot about Singapore through a diversity of formats, from short-form video to audio podcasts. I’ve got a trial with them and wow the content that they’re serving is top-notch. I loved their coverage of Dover Forest (duh!) but also the insights of writers are presented in highly accessible ways. Mind expanded, perspectives widened.
👀 Check this out: They have a free newsletter & tiered memberships. You’re also able to gift a membership - perfect gift for that curious, lifelong-learner friend of yours.
✨ Price range: From $96 (that’s $8/month!)
📍 Where to find it: Gift amazing local content right here with Jom.
Engage with COLOR with this playable booklet
❤️ What’s cool: It’s no surprise that I love color & interactive things so this project delivers. Stacey Yip is the amazing designer and friend behind the COLOR Program which opens the discussion to the socio-cultural perspective behind colours to help people see colours beyond their mere labels. Through this program, children and even adults will be inspired to rediscover the colours of the world.
👀 Check this out: Honestly, super fun for adults and even more for kids. This is a great affordable gift to not just support a local designer but to also learn about colors in interactive ways. Plus this packaging damn cute la.
✨ Price range: $14 or $29
📍 Where to find it: Get the Colour Language set here or the Colour Stories set here.
*Psst, she’s also the creative brains who’s also working with me to build Climate Commons (pls support us like follow here thanks).
Get your party on with Origame
❤️ What’s cool: Origame is a Singaporean company that designs and publishes modern Asian board games. They have two environmental themed games - Rainforest City is better for more serious gamers, and Reef Rescue is great for the younger kids - perfect for gatherings.
👀 Check this out: They’re offering a Conservation Bundle and have other things great for all kinds of interests.
✨ Price range: $54, but you can also find individual games from $18. (That ‘Chope’ game is pretty intense, great for the competitive spirit)
📍 Where to find it: Grab party games right now!!
*BONUS: if you’re a super serious gamer, you also should check out Fly-a-way ($65) by the Playlogue team!
Swim better with Align Swim
❤️ What’s cool: These are amazing swim tops designed for versatile wear and sourced in a way that’s ethical and kind. I appreciate their openness and also made-to-order collections to reduce overproduction. I personally have their Blake Top and Gemma Top that I wear to swim, bike. I even dressed it up with fancy pants to attend my commencement dinner!
👀 Check this out: The Align Swim team is providing a 5% off (min $100 spend) until the end of January 2023 with the quote 🐸ALIGNGIFT🐸. Great for that beach-loving pal of yours, or yourself :)
✨ Price range: From $79
📍 Where to find it: Get beach-ready over here.
Help Ethos Books keep making great books!
❤️ What’s cool: Ethos Books is a local independent publisher who has been in the forefront of publishing amazing books. Some of my favorites include the one with environmental titles such as Making Kin, Eating Chili Crab in the Anthropocene, and also other titles like their latest one - Brown is Redacted.
👀 Check this out: While their festive sale just ended, they just launched an Ethos Membership Programme which has 3 different tiers depending on what you’re looking to try!
✨ Price range: From $5
📍 Where to find it: Check out the membership options!
Foreword Coffee for that coffee addict (we all know one)
❤️ What’s cool: Foreword Coffee is an amazing social enterprise with an amazing line of products. WIth a vision of empowering persons with disabilities & special needs through employment opportunities, coffee became their vehicle for change. I’ve heard amazing things about their Yuan Yang. They also have vegan options.
👀 Check this out: They’re doing Christmas Cookie catering so get that chunky cookie festive box at $54 for that party of yours - even if it’s a party for one!
✨ Price range: From $25
📍 Where to find it: Get party-ready with Foreword here.
Other books you need to check out
❤️ What’s cool: MJ, Audrey, Debby + Daryl, and Dorcas are dear friends and fellow environmentalists who do incredibly work on environmental storytelling. These are amazing people who also have written books in the last year that you’d love!
👀 Check this out: From MJ, check out her intertidal adventures. With Audrey, she chronicles the efforts of Gardens by the Bay from creating new attractions to keeping the Gardens operating smoothly during the pandemic. From Dorcas + Grace , you’ll find a series of eco emotions told through poetry. From Debby + Daryl, an awesome illustrated book for kids and adults that profiles cool animals from our region.
✨ Price range: These will be great for the shelf and coffee table. From $14.90
📍 Where to find it: MJ’s intertidal book found here, Audrey’s Gardens By the Bay book here, and Dorcas/Grace’s here, Debby & Daryl’s Marvellous Animals here.
SukkhaCitta is building better, fairer fashion systems
❤️ What’s cool: This brand. Oh my gosh. This Indonesian brand is amazing. SukkhaCitta is an award-winning social enterprise changing lives in rural Indonesia. They’re building a fairer world through how they grow, make and wear clothes. This is a brand that goes all out.
👀 Check this out: If you’re not looking for an outfit, SukkhaCitta has a range of meaningful gifts (some from their offcuts too!) to not only support their work but to spread their message to the loved person you’re gifting to. Check out their Meaningful Gift section this year. Support regional brands!
✨ Price range: From $20
📍 Where to find it: Meaningful Gifting right here.
An ode to Zerrin
❤️ What’s cool: Zerrin is a one-stop marketplace for curated sustainable brands. Susannah, the founder, is an absolute star advocating for sustainable fashion yet being a huge critic - in the best ways. Her content is stellar and the team really puts up an amazing curation.
👀 Check this out: Zerrin has a whole gifting guide that you need to check out. This week is their last week at their Marina One store, so give it some love. We love you, Zerrin! Otherwise, find them online with all the goodies here.
Gift a fashion swapping experience
❤️ What’s cool: You’ve heard of thrifting, but swapping is something you have to try. When I stopped buying new, swapping was something that I had to wrap my head around - I am convinced.
👀 Check this out: For existing members, you can share your points with your gift-ee! If not, get in touch with them or go down to their store to share your extended wardrobe with your loved ones.
✨ Price range: Custom, but memberships usually start at $35
📍 Where to find it: Gift a new shopping experience here.
Sleep beautifully with SOJAO
❤️ What’s cool: I’m in love with SOJAO. The vibe, the colours and the attention to better ways of making things. Sleep better in so many ways with their stuff.
👀 Check this out: Check out their Sleepyheads Pillowcase Pairs that can make great gifts for that homeowner friend.
✨ Price range: The Pairs go at $58 but they have other stuff below and above $50!
📍 Where to find: Go down to their store in Joo Chiat or cart out online!
Loaded Gun Kitchen
❤️ What’s cool: This is a cool local brand with awesome dips - vegan too! Fill those stockings or corporate gifts with these beautiful jars. You can even return the jars to the team to be reused or keep as a spice holder.
👀 Check this out: They have a Flava Bomb Foursome that’s awesome for parties and as gifts. I also heard a smol secret that these dips will no longer be available all the time in the next year so best chance to get now before they become seasonal!
✨ Price range: From $43 a set!
📍 Where to find: Don’t miss it here.
Gift coral reefs with Carbon Ethics!
❤️ What’s cool: I first learnt about Carbon Ethics from my good pals at Seastainable. They are an organization that aims to restore the climate balance through nature-based solutions with pioneers in blue carbon conservation.
👀 Check this out: While offsets aren’t a silver bullet, conservation efforts are still mega important. So support their efforts and I love that they even send you updates!
✨ Price range: From $10
📍 Where to find: Gift a climate solution with a gift card or a coral/mangrove!
Wear better with Our Bare Hands
❤️ What’s cool: Our Bare Hands is a local brand on a mission to create lifestyle products with a positive impact on society. With great care in materials, the artisans and the communities they’re connected to, they want to build a more equitable world for us all.
👀 Check this out: If you’re in the East, they’re having a 10% off sale for all in stock items at their concept store at i12 Katong from 16-22 Dec!
✨ Price range: Around $30-$150
📍 Where to find: Find them at i12 Katong or online!
And…The Weird and Wild? 👀
Teehee, gotta sneak me in here somehow. I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the support this year and putting this space here to manifest some cool collaborations and merchandise in the coming year that I’m slowly working on to make sure that we can continue to push for more climate education and support research efforts. I hope you’ll love them as much as I do when they’re out and as always, I’m always on the look out for partners to do cool things together.
I’m sure I’m missing a lot more but these were my 22 picks for 2022. Thanks for advocating for better worlds through such diverse ways.
Wishing everybody happy holidays and good tidings. Let’s go into 2023 with greater resolve to do better for the people and planet. We’re in this together.
x Qiyun (catch me on the ‘gram)
If there are things to edit - I apologise in advance! - Please drop me an email at hello.theweirdandwild@gmail.com and let me know!