Corporate Gift Guide 2024: Sustainable Seasonal Gifts in Ireland  

Corporate Gift Guide 2024: Sustainable Seasonal Gifts in Ireland  

“Every time you spend money, you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want”.   

 Corporate gifting is a great opportunity for a company to put its sustainability values into practice. By choosing sustainable gifts, businesses can inspire their employees, build a positive brand image, and contribute to a better world. Ireland has a wealth of small, creative, and sustainable businesses, plus many charities that make it easy to “gift” sponsorships and donations in support of environmental or social projects.    

We suggest a few key considerations when choosing gift options:  

  1. Define your values: clarify what criteria are most important for your corporate gifts, e.g. environmental impact, supporting local communities, or fair trade.  
  1. Local sourcing: research and select local SMEs and social enterprises; this supports the local economy and reduces carbon emissions from shipping.  
  1. Eco-friendly materials: choose gifts with a good environmental footprint, such as those made from recycled or upcycled materials; also consider reusable or recyclable packaging.   
  1. Education: raise awareness with information about the sustainability and ethics of your chosen gift to recipients.   

Below is a selection of business and charities that offer thoughtful and sustainable gift ideas:  

Locally sourced hampers and stocking-fillers  

Support Irish designers and artisan makers, and reduce your carbon footprint with hampers or stockings filled with locally sourced goodies.  

  • CanDo Enterprises – a range of handmade luxury items from soaps to candles, made by young people with multiple disabilities and visual impairments (MDVI).  
  • Hanna’s Bees – honey, seeds, beeswax gifts and more, from a small business that works to support and protect native pollinators and raise awareness of their importance. 
  • Ode to Earth – a one-stop shop for organic, eco-friendly products, Ode To Earth is on a mission to eliminate plastic waste; they feature products from over 40 other Irish producers.  
  • Earth Mother –  a trove of natural, eco-friendly products for babies, small children and the household.   
  • Reuzi – Irish eco-store with a variety of zero-waste gift options.  
  • Mendicity – a social enterprise selling handmade wooden products such as window boxes, garden furniture and dog beds, as well as copper art, lino prints and greeting cards. All made in their workshop, by people coming from homelessness and addiction.  
  • We Make Good – products including toys, toiletries and home décor are designed by some of Ireland’s best designers and made by people facing social challenges and marginalisation, who are supported to develop valuable skills and find lasting employment.   
  • Rediscovery Centre – Eco Store providing a wide range of upcycled and reused circular economy products.   

Ethical coffee and chocolate

Some firm favourites are unfortunately often linked to environmental and human rights challenges; choose a company that does more to know and support workers and communities in their supply chains.   

  • Moyee Coffee – Fair Chain coffee means more value stays in coffee-growing countries by creating quality employment and providing a living income to farmers. Also available for office supply.   
  • Imbibe Coffee – Dublin-based organic coffee roasters who are giving back: 1% of all their revenues goes to Women’s Aid, 1% to projects in coffee-growing communities and a further 1% is shared among their staff.  
  • Tonys Chocolonely – OK not Irish, but delicious! Tony’s is a chocolate brand committed to eradicating child labour in the global chocolate supply chain.   

Independent bookshops

Independent bookshops contribute to characterful and thriving high streets and local communities; many provide social spaces and access to arts and culture events and actively support diverse Irish literary voices.  

  • Books Upstairs (Dublin) – small but iconic independent bookstore with a focus on Irish authors, literary fiction, and poetry.  
  • Vibes & Scribes (Cork) – a family-owned Cork institution, with a wide selection of books as well as arts and crafting supplies.  

Irish environment and wildlife

Several charities and foundations offer ways to support Irish flora and fauna, through donations or sponsorships that can be gifted in the name of a recipient. These gifts can also help to raise awareness of our natural world and the importance of protecting it. 

  • Hometree Ireland – supports reforestation projects in the Burren. Gift options include pledging trees, signing up to membership, or immersive nature experiences.    
  • Grown Forest – plant a variety of native trees, and issue beautiful certificates in recycled (from old Dublin dance-floor floorboards!) frames. Corporate opportunities can be arranged. 
  • Reforest Nation – is another organisation that will plant native trees for gift recipients and offers framed certificates and artworks in recognition.  
  • The Native Woodland Trust – is dedicated to saving the last of Ireland’s remaining ancient woodlands and also offers tree sponsorship. 
  • SEAL Rescue Ireland – is a charity dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick, injured, or orphaned seals. Adopting a seal or buying a gift membership can help to raise recipient’s awareness of and interest in marine wildlife.  
  • The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) – is a registered charity that works to protect whales, dolphins and the marine environment; through their online shop you can purchase membership, ‘adopt’ a cetacean, or buy gifts whose proceeds go to the organisation.  

Support emergency relief and help to tackle social disadvantage

The organisations below offer a practical way to support some of the most vulnerable people in Irish society, or to contribute in a small way to alleviating the suffering of those facing conflict around the world.   

  •  Focus Ireland – provides services, housing projects, advice and advocacy on behalf of homeless people around the country.   
  • UNICEF – UNICEF Ireland is currently running a dedicated appeal for children needing food, shelter and protection in Gaza and Lebanon. 
  • Direct Provision Gift Drive – BITCI works closely with our Phibsborough neighbour Bohemian FC on a range of climate and community initiatives. We’re pleased to promote this collective initiative to raise funds and buy Christmas toys for children spending the festive season in direct provision.  

Sourcing sustainable and ethical corporate gifts may take time and have a slightly higher upfront cost, but it demonstrates your commitment to responsible business practices and can have a real positive impact for smaller business.  Equally, donating on behalf of staff or a company can be a way to show social solidarity at what can be a particularly difficult time of year for many people. 

We recognise there are MANY more great small businesses, social enterprises and deserving charities not listed, and we encourage businesses to think about their corporate gifting choices a little differently this year!   

 To find out more about how we can support you with your sustainable procurement please contact your Advisor (for members). If you are not a member you can find out more here.