For gift-givers everywhere, there is no better feeling than being able to find the perfect gift for someone. Hearing compliments like “it’s what I have always wanted” or “this is the best gift ever” is something every gift bearer would love to experience. But don’t you think it would even be more meaningful if you choose a gift that is also good for the planet?

Give only practical gifts. What’s the point of giving a present which a receiver won’t end up using anyway? The best gift would have to be something the recipient has always wanted to buy and will certainly use. Forget those chintzy decorative pieces that usually go directly to the bin.

Mind the wrappers you use. It’s better to wrap your gifts in things that can be reused like a nice box, a tough paper bag or a handsome piece of kerchief or scarf. Do avoid wrappers that need to be thrown away.

Give a gift of experience. The best way to lessen the use and wastage of resources is by giving gifts of experience instead of material ones. You can give gift certificates for salon or spa sessions, or you can arrange flower arrangement or hip hop dancing classes for the recipient.

Buy local. By choosing items that were made in your locality, you’ll be able to help your community’s small businesses. You can also help save the environment because local items don’t have to be shipped from very far places, thus eliminating carbon emissions.

Give gifts you made yourself. A delicious chocolate cake, a hand-crafted clay pottery, or a knitted scarf would be appreciated 10 times better than any other commercially-produced stuff simply because you made it with your own hands.

Give organic gifts. Give organic gift items and encourage your loved ones to start living a healthy lifestyle. Start by giving them organic personal care items like organic soaps, bath oils, shampoos, moisturizers, towels and so on. You can even give an organic garden kit which the recipient can use to start an organic vegetable plot on his yard. Still, you can also give natural and organic household cleaning solutions like those from BabyGanics. Remember that every small contribution counts when it comes to saving the planet.