Written by: Maia Dapul
Graphic Design by: Suzy Mamangun
The holiday season is here, ka-Sulong! Though your celebrations will look very different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s still a lot for you to look forward to in this season of giving.
Photo Courtesy of Anete Lusina from Pexels
This global pandemic can’t stop your annual gift-buying scramble, but maybe you’re a little more inclined to put good back into the world this year. Why not bring some positive energy back to the holidays with a few ethical and eco-friendly gift ideas?
Try #SulongSmartShopping this 2020! Shop from small, local, and ethical businesses for the holidays instead of buying from large, international, and unsustainable enterprises. Not only will you bring joy to your loved ones with your gifts, you’ll also bring good cheer to local artisans and the environment when you shop small.
Make the smart choice by supporting local, ethical, and eco-friendly brands this year. Check out this list of seven stores you can shop from for the holiday season.
1. Humble Market
Specialties: Bulk food, accessories, pet care, beauty and self-care products
Ethics: All-natural, sustainable, mostly local products and packaging
This package-free market opened in Mandala Park, Mandaluyong City in 2018, to provide sustainable and eco-friendly essentials for every Filipino. They offer all-natural products and continue to advocate for sustainable living, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out the Humble Market website for their full selection of sustainable living essentials.
2. KatHa Lifestyle Store
Specialties: Beauty products, food, clothes, cleaning supplies, home decor, kitchen equipment; also a cafe
Ethics: Zero-waste, eco-friendly products
The KatHa Lifestyle Store and café is a zero-waste haven, located in Cubao X in Quezon City. They source eco-friendly products from local producers and occasionally host basic craft workshops online too. Visit their physical space for socially-distanced coffee or check out their website for a complete list of their products.
3. Loop Store PH
Specialties: COVID-19 essentials, eco-packaging, beauty products, home and kitchen equipment, accessories, pet care
Ethics: sustainable, zero-waste goods, locally and internationally sourced
Loop Store PH is an online shop that aims to promote sustainable, zero-waste brands to all Filipinos. They source from local and international producers to distribute the best eco-friendly goods all over the country. Take a look at their holiday discounts on their online store today.
Photo courtesy of Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
4. Maria’s Hand Embroidery
Specialties: Hand-embroidered necklaces, blankets, wall art, and other custom products
Ethics: Small, eco-friendly business supporting local embroidery artists
Looking for a unique gift for your loved ones? This local brand has great gift ideas for you. At Maria’s Hand Embroidery, you can request customized embroidered pieces, from wall art to necklaces and more. Support your local embroidery artists by checking out this brand’s Facebook and Instagram.
5. Sinaya Cup
Specialties: Menstrual cups, reusable liners, heat packs, menstrual cup hygiene kits
Ethics: zero-waste menstruation products, supporting reproductive education initiatives
Know any menstruators wanting to make the sustainable switch? This is the perfect place to visit this holiday season. Sinaya Cup offers a wide range of eco-friendly menstrual cup products, and by supporting this brand, you also support their education initiatives for young menstruators in the Philippines. Support menstruators all over the country when you check out the Sinaya Cup website.
6. Sining Seleste
Specialties: Customized, hand-painted resin jewelry and accessories
Ethics: small batch-producing business run by a local artist
This is one local artist you don’t want to miss. Anj Celeste Andres runs Sining Seleste, where she handpaints customized resin accessories for every customer. Her small-batch products are beautiful pieces of art that you can easily gift to your loved ones. Check out Anj’s gorgeous work on Sining Seleste’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
7. The Handmade Hub
Specialties: crocheted and cross-stitched clothes and accessories, woodwork, paintings
Ethics: small, family-run business selling handmade and reusable goods
The Handmade Hub is a great family-run business to wrap up this local list. This brand handmakes and sells eco-friendly, reusable gifts, ranging from crocheted clothes to woodwork furniture pieces. Get your hands on their handmade goods when you check this family out on Facebook and Instagram.
There’s a special kind of joy you put back into the world when you give ethical, local, and eco-friendly gifts for the holidays.
You can easily find unique, personal, and beautiful gifts for your loved ones when you shop small and support local businesses.
Spread love and cheer this holiday season when you support local and sustainable brands! If you’re on the lookout for more ways to put joy back into the world this year, you can also check out the Hawak Kamay Susulong fundraiser for more SulongSmart Shopping ideas.
References:
14 One-Stop Marketplaces For Ethical & Sustainable Shopping. (2020, December 01). Retrieved from https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/online-ethical-marketplaces
About - humble market. (2020, October 12). Retrieved December 13, 2020, from https://www.humblemarket.ph/about/
About Us - Loop. (2020). Retrieved December 13, 2020, from https://loopstore.ph/pages/about-us
KatHa Lifestyle Store. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2020, from https://kathalifestylestore.com/
Maria's Hand Embroidery. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2020, from https://www.facebook.com/maria.embroiders/about
Sinaya Cup - The first local brand of menstrual cup brand in the Philippines. (2020, August 07). Retrieved December 13, 2020, from https://www.sinayacup.com/
Sining Seleste. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2020, from https://www.facebook.com/sining.seleste/about/
The Handmade Hub. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2020, from https://www.facebook.com/thehandmadehub.ph/about/