Bodhi & The Birchtree Sustainable Christmas Gift Guide
The festive season is once again upon us, with lots of gifting ideas filling up shop shelves and TV screens. This year more so than ever before we need to gift more sustainably - and there are plenty of options out there! Whether its gifts made using recycled materials, or plastic free packaging. We have put together a gift guide spotlighting lots of brands and products who place sustainability at the forefront.
Hound
Eco Friendly Dog Toys & Enrichment
First up is Beco! Their rough and tough toys are stocked here on our website. They’re very durable , each has a squeaker inside and are made using recycled cotton, recycled plastic and recycled polyester. Their toys are a firm favourite on our website, and with lots of different designs to choose from there’s something for every dog.
We (Bodhi & The Birchtree) make snuffle balls in lots of different colours which are great for getting your dogs’ nose going and act as a boredom buster too. We also have our festive edition snuffle balls available on our website now in two different sizes. Simply hide treats inside each of the pockets and watch your dog sniff them all out whilst the ball rolls around the floor, adding another layer of trickiness. If needed they can be machine washed too to keep them smelling fresh!
Green & Wild’s eco toys are also stocked on our website, and are made from pure jute and split leather. They are twin stitched over four layers of jute, filled with cotton jute rope, waste cotton or a recycled plastic bottle, and are natural, renewable and recyclable. Jute is a natural, sustainable plant fibre. They have lots of different designs, plus four festive toys - Rudy The Reindeer, Jeanie The Gingerbread Person, Bruce The Spruce, and The Holly & The Ivy.
Next we have Sodapup Enrichment toys - a brand we love and just recently started stocking ourselves. Sodapup create super durable enrichment toys for dogs using material which is FDA compliant, non toxic and biodegradable. Their materials are sustainably harvested which helps to reduce our carbon footprint. They have lots of cute Christmas treat dispensers available on our website, plus a festive Lick Mat and a range of super strong chew toys too.
One of our favourite eco friendly swaps are 100% woollen tennis balls. We are one of the very few websites who stock these - and they truly are one of the easiest and best eco friendly swaps you could have for your dog. Anna makes these balls from the fleeces of the sheep where she lives in Country Durham. Her balls are designed to fit inside a standard ball thrower, they cannot be burst and in the case of being lost they will rot down and cause no environmental damage. They can be machine washed which will firm up and renew the condition of the ball and come in a range of different colours. We can express how much we love these balls, and every review from our customers has said the same - plus Anna has been working on a new Christmas idea we had recently which you can see in the picture below! They sold out super fast when we first launched them but watch out for a restock soon!
Treats
One of our favourite sustainable treat brands is definitely Denzel’s, and they’re a firm favourite with customers on our website too. Denzel’s treats are made from 100% natural ingredients, and they have such a huge range of both training treats and chew sticks in lots of different flavours. Their packaging is 100% plastic free and for every order placed they plant a tree. Their Christmas range as been super popular, with lots of different options to choose from - Pigs In Blankets, Christmas Dinner, Christmas Bauble, Gingerbread Sticks, and a Festive Grotto.
Green & Wild’s have got our backs when it comes to healthy and eco friendly treats. All of their treats are 100% natural and are packed full of healthy ingredients. They have a huge range of treats, and cater to dogs with sensitivities and allergies too. Their Christmas Turk-Ins, as well as their other treats are available on our website. Be quick though - they’re sold out at Green & Wild’s and we have a limited number of bags left.
Good chaps have a great range of treats, and they sustainably source their fish from trusted British fish markets and local suppliers. Their biggest passion is using as little plastic as possible, their packaging is plastic free and treats are packaged in compostable, biodegradable and recyclable pouches which are made from plants!
Brewbix make great dog biscuits which are good for your dog AND good for the planet. They make their dog biscuits using up cycled craft brewery grain and yeast. All of their treats are made using natural ingredients, are good for your dogs digestion, skin and coat, and are vegan friendly. By using brewers spent grain and yeast as ingredients, it means they don’t have to farm other ingredients, thus reducing their carbon footprint. Their flour and linseed are sourced from farms in close proximity to their baker, minimising their impact on the environment. Plus, their biscuits are baked in carbon-neutral wood fired ovens.
Beco have also recently launched their plant based treats - cashew, peanut and dog choc (carob). Each biscuit is packed with plant based protein and tasty ingredients. They bake their treats in small batches in the UK, and their ovens are powered by renewable energy, making the biscuits more energy efficient to produce. They responsibly source their ingredients as locally as possible, keeping travel miles down and everything super fresh. We also have the full range on our website!
Dog bedding
We Love Project Blu because their dog beds are lovely and super reasonably priced. They convert a wide range of pre and post consumer products, including ocean-bound plastics, unused leather, and even apple peels, into high quality accessories. They have a great range of different bed designs, and they don’t just stop at dog beds! They also make leads, collars, poo bag holders and toys.
Olive & Berry design amazing, high quality dog beds which are eco friendly and filled with fibre made from recycled plastic bottles. Plus they’re reversible too for two different looks! Olive & Berry don’t just do beds though, they have so many options to choose from and have a huge Christmas range for human and hound!
Here at Bodhi & The Birchtree we also make dog blankets ourselves. Our polar fleece blankets are handmade and double lined in thick anti Pil Polar Fleece which is water repellent. They are super cosy and are available in a range of different colours. We also have a Build Your Own option on our website where you can choose the exact colours you would like your blanket made up to! Our sherpa blankets are super limited and are again handmade by us.
Collars & Leads
Our friends over at The Wild Wanderer make stunning collars which can be purchased in either rope or leather. The embossed leather is super pretty and they have a new Christmas collection which is absolutely stunning!
Homeward hound create dog collars and leads using Pinatex - a ‘leather’ made from waste pineapple leaves. This is 100% animal and cruelty free. For every purchase on their website they plant a tree too!
Care & Grooming
We are loving Adios Plastic and just recently became stockists of their poo bags ourselves. Their poo bags are made using GM free cornstarch, and are certified compostable. They are just as strong as regular poo bags if not stronger (they’re 10-20% thicker than average plastic poo bags), and all of their poo bags come in plastic free packaging. 1% of your purchase is donated to help clean up our oceans, and their poo bags will naturally break down in 3-6 months! Plus they have some super cute festive poo bags available whilst stocks last, you can find them alongside their regular poo bags on our website.
Wild wash dog shampoos come in a range of different scents for a range of different purposes - for puppies to smelly dogs - for every shampoo they provide a full ingredients list which confirms that their products contain no parabens, phthalates, phosphates, petrochemicals, sulphates, palm oils or PEGs. They use 100% essential oils and guarantee that none of their products are tested on animals. Their shampoo bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic and the lids from at least 50% recycled plastic.
For Humans
Bath & Body
Mad About Nature create handmade soaps which are wrapped in plastic free packaging. They are strongly opposed to animal testing or harming animals in any way, and most of their soaps are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. We stock a variety of their products on our website including soaps (their new Christmas range of soaps too!), bath salts, gift sets and lip balms.
The Salty Herb create a range of bath bombs, bath salts and body oils which have proven incredibly popular since we began stocking them on our website. Their signature Christmas product ‘The Wise Man’ is available in both bath bombs and bath salts. They use only natural, cold pressed, plant based carrier oils and essential oils. All of their products are made in small batches and packaged in recyclable materials, and why not use the glass tube from your bath salts to store trinkets or propagate plants!
Scence have developed a wide range of sustainable skincare waging is healthy for you and the planet. They are 100% vegan certified, handmade in Cornwall, 100% compostable packaging with ethically sourced ingredients. You can catch their deodorants, hand balms and lip balms on our website!
On The Go
Roka bags are great for adventuring and are also sustainable too! The Roka bags we stock on our website are from their sustainable range and are made from recycled plastic bottles to help reduce waste and protect marine life. They use recycled PET (widely used in plastic bottles and other food packaging) in their sustainable bags which gives new life to a material which is not biodegradable and would otherwise end up in landfill or the ocean. Their new method of producing bags uses 85% less energy, 80% less water and 65% fewer emissions. Their packaging is cornstarch based and is fully biodegradable.
Huski Home create great packed lunch boxes and cups which are made using recycled rice husks. They use rice husks as rice is harvested in mass quantities throughout the world and if not ethically discarded it can be a biohazard. Their cups are twin walled, keeping hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for hours. They are also free from melamine, BPA and silicone and are also non-toxic. We love their products and we stock a range of their cups and packed lunch boxes on our website.
Whilst not really on the go, Raw Halo chocolate bars are the perfect size to stick inside your pocket when out and about. For every 50 bars sold, they plant a tree in either the Andes Forests in Peru or Tanjung National Park in Indonesia. They ethically source their ingredients from small, organic farms that trade their produce for a fair price and treat their communities well.
Home
Illumine Candle Company are a firm favourite with our customers, and produce the most amazing candles with the planet and animals best interests at heart. For this reason, all of their products are Vegan, Cruelty Free and Palm Oil Free. Their packaging is also environmentally friendly, and is either biodegradable or recyclable. They have lots of Christmas scents available both on their own website and we also stock a wide range of their 3 wick, signature, mini candles and wax melts.
Our own Human & Hound sharing blankets are huge and just as the name suggests, are intended for sharing with your dog! We often receive requests for our giant blanket and we are always more than happy to make these up to any size required in a range of colours.
Smol are a great brand who create subscription boxes packed full of cleaning products delivered right to your door. In 2020, they designed the worlds first 100% plastic free packaging for laundry capsules and dishwasher tablets. They use refillable bottles for life for surface sprays, made using recycled plastic. Their fabric conditioner bottles are made using 100% recycled plastic and are 100% recyclable or can be returned for refill.
Clothing
At Bodhi & The Birchtree we produce handmade human polar fleece snoods and headbands which have proven incredibly popular throughout the winter months. Our polar fleece snoods are available in a range of colours, with the option to purchase a matching Human & Hound set too!
Our signature headbands are double lined in polar fleece and are super cosy and durable. You may have caught on our social media that we’ve recently introduced Sherpa & Polar fleece headbands, with the super soft sherpa lining the inside of each of the headbands. We have been blown away by the popularity of these headbands and we’re so grateful for the support!
The Wild Wanderer not only make stunning dog collars and leads, but they have also recently introduced a clothing range with adventuring in mind. Their clothing ranges from fleeces to hats and T Shirts. All of their clothing is made from either recycled or organic materials, making them even better!
Maisie & Murphy create stunning custom clothing for dog lovers, where you can literally get your dog printed onto your clothing! They create unique animal designs and embroider sweatshirts, t shirts and totes. They also do pet portraits! Maisie & Murphy are committed to minimising the impact on the environment. They source and promote a product range to minimise the environmental impact of both production and distribution and they use as many sustainable and ethically made products as possible.
Aaand thats a wrap on our gift guide! We hope you’ve managed to find at least a couple of new small businesses that you love via our gift guide. All of the businesses mentioned above have been selected for our gift guide due to their commitment to the environment and sustainability. We love each of them and hope you do too!