The Great Green Gift Swap 2025: Why Europe Is Switching to Low-Waste Gifting, Rental Gifts & Circular Christmas Traditions

Europe is experiencing a profound shift in how people approach holiday gifting. Instead of filling trolleys with last-minute impulse buys, more households are slowing down and asking a different question: what gifts will still feel meaningful in six months, one year or even five years?

Key drivers include:

• record levels of household waste generated each December;
• economic pressure pushing families to spend smarter;
• the rise of zero-waste and circular living ideals;
• the influence of Gen Z, who prioritise eco-conscious choices;
• the spread of minimalism and decluttering movements;
• heightened awareness of climate impact and resource use.

Consumers are choosing quality over quantity, longevity over novelty and personal meaning over mass consumption.

This trend sits alongside Europe’s broader push for low-carbon lifestyles and strongly complements the Slow Winter Movement, where people trade frantic Decembers for calmer, more intentional routines.

One of the most surprising sustainability trends of 2025 is the rise of rental gifts. Instead of buying expensive items that will be used once and then stored or resold, families are increasingly turning special occasions into temporary access experiences.

People are renting for Christmas:

• premium kitchen tools for festive dinners;
• telescopes for winter stargazing;
• electric cargo bikes for holiday errands;
• high-end winter sports gear;
• party dresses and suits;
• professional cameras;
• projectors and home cinema kits.

Why it works:

• zero long-term clutter at home;
• access to premium items for a fraction of the cost;
• no manufacturing footprint for yet another new product;
• perfect for short-term needs (holidays, events, seasonal hobbies).

Rental platforms across France, Germany, Denmark, the UK and the Netherlands now curate dedicated Christmas bundles: 'cozy cinema night', 'family baking', 'winter cycling' or 'mountain weekend'. The gift is no longer the object itself, but the experience it unlocks.

Buying second-hand is no longer taboo in Europe — it is admired. In many countries, giving a high-quality second-hand or vintage item now signals care, research and good taste.

Popular second-hand categories include:

• refurbished tech from certified sellers;
• vintage and out-of-print books;
• restored furniture and design objects;
• second-hand LEGO sets for children and adults;
• collectible ceramics and glassware;
• antique ornaments and retro winter clothing.

These gifts:

• carry character and stories;
• reduce manufacturing emissions;
• usually cost less than new equivalents;
• feel more personal and unique.

Second-hand gifting also fits perfectly with Europe’s circular economy goals for 2030 and beyond. For more inspiration, you can combine this article with our sustainable Christmas gift guide and Green Friday 2025: the sustainable alternative.

Alongside rental and second-hand gifts, 2025 is seeing a strong revival of handmade and local craft gifting. These presents are rooted in time, place and relationship — the opposite of anonymous mass-market products.

Examples of handmade or small-scale gifts:

• knitted scarves, hats and mittens;
• handmade soaps with simple ingredient lists;
• beeswax candles;
• herbal teas and spice blends;
• infused oils and vinegars;
• custom ornaments;
• pressed flower or dried botanical frames.

Benefits include:

• low-carbon, often using local or recycled materials;
• direct support for artisans and small businesses;
• deeply personal, especially when made by hand;
• frequently plastic-free and low-waste.

This trend is particularly visible in France, Belgium, Scandinavia and Austria, where Christmas markets and winter fairs highlight regional makers — a perfect complement to the best Christmas markets in Europe 2025.

Across Europe, surveys show that many people now prefer memories over objects. Experiences create stories, not clutter, and often fit easily into low-waste lifestyles.

Top requested experience gifts in 2025 include:

• spa days and thermal baths;
• pottery or craft workshops;
• seasonal cooking classes;
• train getaway weekends;
• Christmas concert or theatre tickets;
• winter sauna or wellness passes;
• adventure days (climbing, dog sledding, hiking).

Experience gifting also pairs naturally with Europe’s Green Travel Boom, where travellers swap short-haul flights for scenic rail and slower, more meaningful escapes. A gift voucher for a low-carbon weekend by train can be far more memorable — and far less wasteful — than another gadget boxed in plastic.

If there is one area where waste is immediately visible after Christmas, it is wrapping. Bin bags full of glittery, plastic-coated paper have become a symbol of excess. In 2025, more households and companies are choosing low-waste, reusable wrapping by default rather than exception.

Current low-waste wrapping favourites include:

• kraft paper with natural twine;
• reusable fabric wraps inspired by Japanese furoshiki;
• second-hand scarves repurposed as gift wraps;
• fabric drawstring gift bags;
• dried fruit, olive branches and cinnamon sticks for decoration.

In this approach, wrapping becomes part of the gift itself — a scarf, a tea towel or a bag the recipient will reuse. For more detailed ideas, see our guides on low-energy Christmas lights and eco decorations 2025 and sustainable Christmas gifts 2025.

Corporate sustainability efforts are also reshaping workplace gifting. Instead of novelty mugs and plastic gadgets, more teams are experimenting with Green Gift Swaps that align with company values and employee expectations.

Examples of workplace Green Gift Swaps include:

• second-hand Secret Santa exchanges;
• charity donation swaps, where each person supports a cause in someone’s name;
• 'no new plastic' rules for office gifting;
• office experience vouchers instead of objects;
• potluck-style edible gift exchanges with homemade foods.

This shift is especially strong in Germany, the Netherlands, the Nordics and parts of France’s public sector, where climate targets are embedded in HR policies and CSR reporting.

Parents and relatives across Europe are rethinking how many gifts children really need — and what kind. Instead of big piles of plastic toys, many households are moving toward fewer, better, longer-lasting presents.

The most popular low-waste children’s gifts include:

• wooden toys made from responsibly sourced wood;
• second-hand LEGO sets that can be resold or passed on;
• experience gifts such as zoo visits, museum passes or workshops;
• durable winter clothing;
• quality craft materials instead of single-use plastic kits.

The goal is to reduce clutter and waste while encouraging creativity and shared family time. A single, well-chosen present plus a shared experience often brings more joy than a mountain of quickly forgotten boxes.

Alongside physical and experiential gifts, a growing number of Europeans now offer social impact gifts at Christmas. Instead of yet another object, the recipient receives news that something meaningful has been funded in their name.

Examples of charity and social impact gifting include:

• carbon offset contributions linked to credible projects;
• animal sponsorships or habitat protection programmes;
• carefully chosen items from charity shops;
• donations in someone’s name to causes they care about;
• support bundles for local homeless shelters or food banks.

These gifts are essentially waste-free and can create a deeper emotional response, especially when combined with a handwritten explanation of why the cause was chosen.

A Green Gift Swap is a fun, social and sustainable alternative to traditional gifting — perfect for friends, flatmates, neighbours or extended families.

How it works:

1. Everyone brings a pre-loved, homemade, rental, experience or zero-waste gift.
2. Gifts are wrapped in sustainable materials such as fabric, kraft paper or reusable bags.
3. Participants swap gifts through a simple game, story circle or random draw.

Themes you can choose include:

• cosy winter nights;
• local artisan products;
• books only;
• kitchen essentials;
• eco-luxury (high-quality, low-impact items).

The Green Gift Swap concept can also extend to workplace events or community groups, connecting naturally with ideas from our sustainable Christmas gift guide and Slow Winter Movement.

Beyond the feel-good factor, the Great Green Gift Swap has real environmental benefits. By shifting from disposable, novelty-heavy gifting to rental, second-hand, handmade and experience-based presents, households can significantly reduce:

• plastic waste;
• textile waste;
• manufacturing emissions;
• packaging waste;
• post-holiday trash levels;
• high-carbon returns and refunds.

These changes support Europe’s objective of cutting waste by 50% by 2030 and ease pressure on household budgets at the same time. They also align with the broader shift toward low-energy, comfortable homes described in Europe’s Home Comfort Boom.