Want to spoil the man in your life without spoiling the world? Most of us are conscious on the impact that our choices have on the environment, from using eco-friendly materials, to reducing packaging and lessening our carbon footprint. If you are looking for gift ideas for men who care about the environment, look no further than our five favourite eco-conscious gifts.Â
The Metal Bottle
Forget single-use plastic. Everyone is making an effort to reduce their plastic usage and eschewing bottled water for metal bottles is one of the easiest and most effective things that you can do. Aside from the fact that it could save you money on your daily bottle of water, taking your own water in a metal bottle is better for your health and tastes better, too.Â
Today’s technology means that metal drinks bottles can keep your cold drinks icy cool and hot drinks steaming hot for 12 hours or more. And, unlike their plastic counterparts, metal bottles don’t hold smells or flavours, so your drinks will always taste fresh. The list of benefits goes on and on! For a special gift, we love these personalised drinks bottles. You can choose the colour, as well as the style and colour of the font; what’s not to love?Â
Wooden watch
Not all wood products are created equal, but if you find the right wooden watch, it could be the ideal gift for an eco-aware man. This wooden watch by the Italian brand, We Wood, is made of 100% natural materials and comes with the pledge that, for every watch sold, a tree will be planted.Â
On the basis that one tree can make hundreds of watches, the impact of this chic yet eco-friendly timepiece is undeniable. In case the warm fuzzy feeling of saving the planet wasn’t enough, We Wood watches look fantastic, too.Â
Bamboo speaker
Quick growing and sustainable, there is no doubt that Bamboo is a buzzword in the world of eco-awareness. For perfect amplification wherever you go, ditch USB speakers and invest in a bamboo speaker. Beautiful in their simplicity, bamboo speakers are remarkably effective, and they look great, too. For al fresco dining, camping, or just to save on the electricity at home, this is a great gift for music lovers.Â
Just watch out for the awkward dad dancing, which can be a side-effect of great tunes on the move. To make the gift extra special, you can get personalised bamboo speakers as well as ones with apertures to fit a range of phone makes and models.
Solar charger
Remember when portable chargers came out, changing the game for smart phones? Well, the solar charger takes us a whole step further on. A solar charger will charge on the go, giving you power when you need it, wherever you are.Â
Great for days off-grid, for travellers, or for those self-satisfied moments in Starbuck’s when you can watch the scramble for plug sockets and smile smugly. Solar chargers can start at around the £10 mark but as always, do your research; invariably, you will get what you pay for.Â
Bamboo mug
We are almost approaching the time where people feel shame when they order their take-away drink and don’t have their own cup. Many of us have our own travel mug that come with us as standard; with a limitless array of cups in a range of styles, materials and sizes, there is probably a cup for every occasion. However, travel cups can be unwieldy and, frankly, a pain to carry around on the off chance that you fancy a cuppa when you are out and about.Â
Step up the collapsible travel cup. There are plenty to choose from but this one is sold, so you are not at risk of squeezing the cup and covering yourself on hot liquid while halfway down the motorway.Â
They have a lid which prevents scalding but also prevents leaking when stowed in your bag, and they collapse into a handy, portable size that fits neatly into a laptop bag, manbag or handbag. Add to that the fact that you are saving more rubbish from going to landfill, what’s not to love? Â