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Give the gift of doing something good this year – all the cool kids are doing it.
Our planet needs our help, y’all. And while it can feel like one small change won’t make much of a difference, it really adds up if we all do our part. Which, naturally, means this holiday season you should give all your friends and family at least one product that’s either made of a sustainable material, made with sustainable practices, or that makes it easier to employ sustainable actions in day-to-day life. In this list, I’ve compiled the most useful, impactful, chic, and gift-appropriate eco-friendly products around (and no, not a single one is made of hemp!).
20+ Gifts for Sustainable Living
Reusable shopping tote — One of the first things to pop into your head when you hear “eco-friendly” or “sustainable living,” I’m sure, but it’s a classic swap that makes a big impact. These net bags do double duty as breathable produce bags and stylish shopping totes. And according to basically every street style blog (like this one), they are the hot, it carry-all purse of the season.
Variety pack of glass jars — Not just for jams and jellies, people. Glass jars are some of the most versatile products out there, perfect for replacing your typical plastic Tupperware container to store leftovers and your homemade sugar scrub alike! I personally love the classic look of a hinged lid, but your average screw-top mason jar would get the job done, too.
Wool dryer balls — Laundry isn’t usually associated with a happy gift-giving occasion, but whoever’s on the receiving end of these will thank you, I promise. Dryer sheets are full of toxic chemicals that vent into the air we breathe and rub off onto our skin – yuck! Wool dryer balls give your clothes the fluff you want, and these lavender oil infused ones give a scent boost, as well. Plus, these have about a billion uses in them, compared to maybe two of a traditional dryer sheet.
Stainless steel lunchbox set — Durable, reusable, and oh-so cute, this 3-in-1 bento box-style lunchbox is the perfect gift for anyone who needs to pack a lunch on the reg.
Ceramic compost bin — Admit it, we’d all be more interested in composting if it didn’t conjure images of fruit flies hovering over a bowl of rotting banana peels and spinach stems on the kitchen counter. Enter: adorable ceramic compost bin. Not sure if you or your friends and family would be down to compost? Remind them that food waste is one of the largest carbon emitters in the world.
Stainless steel straws — The world is finally catching on to just how bad one-use straws are for the planet, especially its sea-life – don’t let you and your loved ones fall behind progress! This pack of stainless steel straws has multiple sizes and styles (gotta love a bendy straw) for any and every kind of beverage experience. Perfect for stocking stuffing or on-the-spot gift giving because you’ll be carrying them around with you everywhere you go, right?
Cork phone case — Cork is both a sustainable material and shock absorbent – a.k.a. the perfect combination for an eco-friendly phone case option. Traditional phone cases are made of plastic, and even those that promise long-term use eventually fall apart and end up in the landfill. Once this case is past its wear, recycle it!
Bamboo frame sunglasses — In the same vein as the cork phone case, these sunglasses are made of a sustainable material, meaning you can feel good about the gift you give to the fashionista in your family.
Glass water bottle — This is my absolute favorite eco-friendly water bottle choice. Made of glass, stainless steel, and silicone means this water bottle isn’t just durable and reusable, but also free of toxic chemicals and plastic. Just be careful when you’re working out that you don’t chip a tooth!
Ceramic travel mug — Did you know that most paper coffee cups aren’t actually recyclable? Thanks to their shape and interior plastic coating, they can’t be processed by the recycling center’s machines. Help the people you love avoid the coffee shop and office break room disposable cups with a sleek travel mug complete with handle and anti-spill lid.
Reusable produce bag — Plastic rubbing all up on your food? Non-recyclable? Who wants that? Ditch the grocery store plastic produce bags for these biodegradable cotton mesh alternatives. Plus, can you imagine these rolled up and tied with a bow in a stocking?
Natural Perfume Oil — The natural, eco-friendly, sustainable beauty product world is a big, beautiful rabbit hole you could spend days going down. But as far as a great gift option goes, Creed’s line of natural scents offers luxury, alcohol-free alternatives to your typical perfume present. Plus, their packaging is clean and fresh. For an edgier option, check out Aromantik.
Set of reusable chopsticks — Have a sushi lover in your life? This set of chopsticks is the perfect gift to avoid sending hundreds of pairs of disposable chopsticks to the landfill (unless they are composted!). Keep a few pairs at home and a few in your bag or car for on-the-go takeout cravings.
Cloth napkins — Paper napkins and paper towels are single-use products contributing to global deforestation, so don’t reserve the cloth napkins just for holiday dinners and cocktail parties. A beautiful set of cloth napkins elevates any mealtime experience, and makes for a thoughtful and sophisticated gift.
Solar powered portable phone charger — For the techies in your life who love a good gadget gift, there is an eco-friendly option (despite the horrendous amount of waste tech produces). We all charge our phones at least once a day, which adds up to a lot of energy usage over time, so how about replacing your family’s nightly phone charges with a little power from the sun?
Reusable K Cups — Maybe not the sexiest of gifts, but they sure are useful and probably one of the biggest environmentally friendly swaps a person can make. Even the inventor of Keurig feels remorse over the number of disposable K Cups that end up in landfills and the ocean every day! Filled with the ground coffee of choice, these reusable, stainless steel mesh K Cups work just like any other coffee filter, and are dishwasher safe to boot.
Natural wax candles — The average scented candle are scented with synthetic chemicals that can produce toxic fumes when lit… yuck. Next time you gift a candle, choose one made of an organic material, such as coconut wax, and scented with natural oils.
Towel made of recycled material — Perfect for your active and outdoorsy friends, Nomadix’s towels made of recycled plastic bottles are durable and portable – perfect for yoga in the park, a day at the beach, or a weekend festival. Plus, they come in a variety of adorable prints!
Organic linens — Coyuchi, a zero-waste textile company, produces a number of beautiful sets of organic cotton bed sheets, duvet covers, towels, curtains, and even apparel – all sustainably produced. Give the gift of coziness with one of these sophisticated, ultra-comfy looking throw blankets.
MightyFix subscription — Not sure what your friend or family member might like or find useful when it comes to sustainable living products? Get them a gift subscription to MightyFix, a subscription service that sends you, or the lucky gift receiver, one sustainable living product each month. Choose from 3, 6, or 12 month options.
Now that you’ve got your loved ones living more sustainably, check out my other holiday (or any time!) gift guides.
