Shop for Father's Day with the planet in mind

Father’s Day is coming this month. Traditionally, UK retailers experience a £700 million boost as we all rush to the shops to get presents for the fathers in our lives. But despite the fact we spend almost double that amount on Mother’s Day, it’s worth thinking of the environment when it comes to getting things for Dad because you can give him a special Sunday he deserves while doing your bit for the planet too.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate the father figure in your life without it costing the Earth.

Think about what you can make

There are plenty of ‘free’ present ideas including homemade vouchers, getting the kids to build something unique with Lego, making a cake and giving him breakfast in bed. There are lots of things you can create too – a list of your favourite things about him, a memory book with pictures of your best times together and a series of invites for things like board games and days out.

You can shop environmentally too

If you’re looking to splash out, have a think about what your dad is into and get him something he’ll love that will be good for the planet too.

There are brilliant seed boxes you can buy that he can plant in the garden that will attract birds, bees and butterflies. The boxes from Seedborn are £15.99 and a really great way to celebrate the dad who likes spending time in the garden and planting.

If you’ve got a foodie dad, Chicken of the Woods mushrooms are on plenty of Michelin starred restaurant menus at the moment. For £14.99 your dad can start growing his own and you can enjoy harvesting and cooking them together.

If you have a dad that’s a bit of a wine connoisseur who likes a bit of a tipple after a day’s work, why not consider some recycled glassware?

Think about experiences too

If you’re shopping for a dad who already has plenty of ‘stuff’ and you’re not after something else to add to the shelves or his wardrobe, why not think about an experience? You can look on farm stays, bnb or glamping. You can also search for activities in your local area – maybe he’d enjoy a day’s veggie cookery course, local foraging, or a bicycle tour of your nearest city?

Getting him a gift that invests in sole traders and independent businesses is a fantastic idea to both support your local infrastructure and get him a present that doesn’t have lots of miles or a huge carbon footprint behind it.

Get searching

Simply typing “environmentally friendly Father’s Day ideas” into Google will give you plenty of ideas and food for thought, as will a trip to your local farmer’s market for some more shopping inspiration.

However you choose to celebrate and whatever you choose to buy for the brilliant dad in your life, when you give him the present don’t forget to remind him you’ve bought him something with the planet in mind too. The more we explain our retail choices, the more likely we are to convince other people to shop with an environmentally friendly priority.

Disclaimer

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