Cover Photo: Retykle
Photo: Retykle
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The amount of waste we produce during the festive season is astronomical. This year, try something new by opting to buy the kids in your life sustainable toys that will last a long time, can be reused and won't hurt our planet
Christmas is a wonderful time of joy, family, presents, parties and more. Unfortunately, Christmas is also a time of incredible waste. From packaging to food, we certainly go through a lot during this season.
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In particular, during Christmas, a lot of unsustainable practices come into play when it comes to children.
From buying new clothes that a child will only outgrow shortly to acceding to demands and buying presents that are packed and made of plastic, we are all certainly guilty of contributing to our growing climate crisis.
Thankfully, over the year, more brands are recognising the need for more sustainable and high-quality products for children and that has led to greater options when it comes to gift buying.
If you are looking to be more sustainable this Christmas, check out these six sustainable gift options for the Tatling in your life.
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1. Sustainable clothing
Did you know that children will actually speed through seven sizes of clothes in their first two years of life and that they typically can outgrow hundreds of clothes before they are fully grown, according to circular luxury fashion store Retykle?
The fashion industry is also one of the world’s top industries that are polluting the globe which is why gifting kids brand new clothes from fast fashion brands this Christmas may just be the least sustainable thing you can do.
If you are looking for alternatives, check out Retykle, Asia’s first online resale platform that buys and sells pre-loved high-end babywear, kids wear and maternity fashion.
Retykle allows parents to sell gently worn clothes from their kids to the company and earn cashback. Parents are also able to buy these used designer children’s fashion items at a heavy discount on the circular fashion store to encourage recycling and sustainable buying.
They update their store daily with new items, some of which have the tags still on, so check out their selection this year for the Tatling in your life to help save the planet from unnecessary waste.
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2. Wooden activity kits
Activity kits are always a good idea for kids especially when you need a moment or two of peace or to catch up on work as you work from home.
However, many activity kits out there come with an abundance of plastic waste and have end products that have no real use and that can quite quickly be chucked in the bin.
This Christmas, why not try something new by getting the Tatling in your life a wooden activity set from Enstories. The paint sets come with non-toxic acrylic paint and feature wooden cars, dinosaurs, rainbows and more.
You can display your child’s wooden creations after and be rest assured that they will continue to look as good as new for a long time to come.
Find out more here.
3. A gender-neutral fragrance
This Christmas, Kids21 has launched Kind, a gender-neutral fragrance that is perfect for your child’s aromatic diffuser.
The scent is long-lasting and fresh with aromas of citrus and spices, lemons and ginger and can be experienced through personal care essentials such as perfumes, body washes, body lotions, sunscreens and hand sanitisers.
Kind is also packaged in honeycomb cardboard which is natural, organic and uses the least material possible. This is the perfect sustainable gift for any child to get them started on fragrances.
Find out more here.
4. Books from a second-hand bookstore
Books are timeless and make a great Christmas gift especially if you are preparing a gift for a child learning to read or is about to start school.
This year, instead of going to a normal bookstore to buy brand new books, why not opt for buying used books instead.
At Thryft, you can browse a vast selection of second-hand books from all genres and types and pick them up.
In fact, if you donate some of your old books to Thryft yourself, you can receive Thryft credits to be used on the site creating a circular system that is sustainable, convenient and easy.
Find out more here.
5. Sustainable utensils
As the new year starts, kids are typically heading back to school and will need lots of supplies including water bottles, utensils and more.
This Christmas, why not gift the Tatling in your life a sustainable mug or water bottle for them to take to school.
Mama Shop is an eco-brand that sells recyclable and high-quality bottles, utensils, mugs and more for kids.
If you have a Disney fan on your hands, you can also purchase one of the mugs, bottles or reusable straws that have come out from Mama Shop’s collaboration with Disney and that feature Mickey, Disney princesses and more.
Find out more here.
6. Wooden toys
Many toys are typically made and packaged in a large amount of plastic that is wasteful and highly unsustainable.
This year, don’t contribute to our landfills but rather, choose sustainable wooden toys that are high quality, can be used by your child for years to come and may even be passed down to younger siblings, cousins or friends.
Noah’s Toys is a local shop that sells some of the most unique and fun wooden toys and playsets that are bound to ignite the imagination of a child of any age.
In particular, if you have a child who is interested in totting after you in the kitchen and who always wants to help cook, you can get them realistic wooden food pieces from the shop’s Erzi line. The realistic food, utensils, stoves and more are sure to thrill your child for years to come.
Find out more here.
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Camillia Dass is the digital writer for Tatler Singapore.
