Take Sustainable Presents to the Next Level

As the holidays draw closer, Swiss company Climeworks introduces the gift of carbon dioxide removal in three one-off vouchers. Its new vouchers are perfect for eco-conscious family and friends, but also as a great alternative gift for those that are hard to buy for.

Focused on reversing climate change, Climeworks recently launched the first large-scale direct air capture and storage plant in Iceland which is where the carbon dioxide removal takes place. The plant is called Orca, named after the Icelandic word for energy “Orka,” and it is powered solely by renewable energy. Orca sucks CO2 directly from the air which is then buried deep underground where it mineralizes safely and permanently, no longer contributing to global warming.

The Climeworks gift vouchers give individuals a chance to be part of this climate positive-action as it issues a select amount of CO2 removal per package purchased. Depending on the value chosen, the one-off Climeworks vouchers promise to remove different amounts of CO2 with gift bundles ranging between 25kg and 90kg. To give you an idea of the impact of these vouchers, HYPEBEAST has broken down the carbon footprint of popular Christmas gifts to understand the environmental impact involved in their production.

Sneakers: approx. 18kg CO2
As one of the top gifts for self-proclaimed hypebeasts, sneakers are purchased in abundance during the holiday season. Over the past few years, the sneaker industry has begun a transition toward more sustainable footwear, however, sneakers still remain a gigantic producer of CO2. On average a standard pair will cost the planet 18kg of CO2, so keep them clean for a longer lifetime and perhaps purchase Climeworks’ Nordic Explorer Voucher which racks up a total of 25kg in its removal as well.

Jeans: approx. 33.4kg CO2
It may be hard to believe but a single pair of jeans produces nearly double the CO2 than that of sneakers. This is because denim often requires a water-intensive supply chain and several toxic pesticides to grow its cotton. At nearly 35kg of CO2 and a number of other detrimental effects, cut down on buying denim and consider getting Climeworks’ largest CO2 removal gift, the Arctic Expedition Voucher.

Leather bag: approx. 32kg CO2
Though a leather bag may seem like a top-tier Christmas gift, the level of CO2 it creates during its production is one of the highest. Evidently, the most carbon-intensive element of a bag is its leather material. Leather production, and in fact anything that involves cattle farming, amounts to a large percentage of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions explaining why one small handbag can rack up to 32kg of CO2. Shop Climeworks’ Lapland Discovery Voucher for equivalently the same amount of removal of CO2.

With Climeworks’ festive vouchers, gifting is given a more meaningful and eco-friendly purpose. Easily shop and customize vouchers with a festive design on the Climeworks’ website and give back to the planet this holiday season.