Whether you’re shopping for Hanukkah or Christmas presents, a birthday gift, or any other celebration, you’re probably on the hunt for a unique or practical find–but what about “environmentally friendly”?
Let’s be honest; we’ve all received gifts that ended up in the trash after a few weeks. In fact, one study revealed that Americans throw away about 25% more rubbish between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve than at other times of the year!
Have no fear. It is possible to give meaningful, environmentally-friendly gifts that people will really appreciate. I rounded up some of my favorite eco-friendly stores and places to do your holiday (or year-round) shopping.
Eco-Friendly Gift Guide
While many companies are beginning to offer more environmentally-friendly options, many organizations consider it their mission to offer sustainable, eco-friendly gifts that everyone will love. Here are some of our favorites!
Eco-friendly shoes and clothing
Cariuma
Who doesn’t love a cute pair of sneakers or a practical pair of casual loafers for Christmas! What if you could give (or gift yourself) a great pair of shoes that are both eco-friendly AND your purchase also funds reforestation efforts in the Brazilian rainforest! That’s right, every time you buy a pair of shoes from Cariuma, you plant two trees in the rainforest. These really are shoes you AND your feet will feel great in! Cariuma has fantastic shoes for the whole family.
Pact Clothing
Based in Boulder, CO, Pact clothing is best known for its line of essential clothing and household items for the whole family. They proudly use organic, eco-friendly cotton that uses up to 95% less water than traditional cotton. Plus, it leaves out all the chemicals, so even the most sensitive skin will appreciate these clothes, bedding, towels, and more.
Whether you’re shopping for socks and underwear, a great skirt, baby clothes, or towels and washcloths, Pact has high-quality options that are supremely soft and gentle on the environment, too. They’ve even got some holiday gift guides so you can pick out the perfect present for everyone on your list!
Soluna Collective
Not only does Soluna Collective offer beautiful, ethically-made clothing using sustainable and organic materials and eco-friendly dyes, but it is also a BIPOC-led company! That means shopping here will have your wardrobe on point, the environment singing your praises, and you’ll be empowering minority business owners, too.
Soluna Collective prioritizes offering ethically made merchandise that uses high-quality materials and eco-friendly dyes. Their designers and artisans contribute from around the globe, including Peru and India. And, Soluna Collective’s garments are designed to match what you’ve already got in your wardrobe! Take a peek and grab something for yourself while you’re shopping for your friends and family.
Around the house gifts and essentials
Sometimes the best gifts are the most practical ones. Here are some great eco-friendly places to shop for practical gifts that will quickly become essential household items.
Kiwi Eco Box
Here’s an interesting question to ponder: can you go an entire day without using plastics? Research shows that Americans generate an average of 230 lbs of plastic each year. That’s a lot of waste! That’s where Kiwi Eco Box comes in. It’s a zero-waste subscription box designed to help you shift toward using more sustainable products in everyday life.
Each box includes 5 to 7 unique, environmentally friendly products shipped in plastic-free packaging. You’ll be surprised at how fun and practical these boxes are! From handmade knitted coasters to collapsible lunch containers, Kiwi Eco Boxes provide useful and creative products you’ll enjoy incorporating into your everyday life.
Whether you sign up for a Kiwi Eco Box subscription for yourself or buy a subscription for a friend or loved one, this makes a wonderful gift for any occasion. It’s a great way to steadily reduce your use of plastic products without feeling overwhelmed!
Erase Your Face
If you’ve got someone on your holiday list that loves to wear makeup or enjoys a little pampering from time to time, look no further than Erase Your Face. Their mission was to create eco-conscious, multi-functional, and affordable facial cleansing products–and it’s a homerun!
Each cloth is water-activated. You don’t need to buy additional cleansers, harsh makeup removers, or other products to clean your face or remove makeup. They’re super soft and reusable for up to five years, making them an excellent alternative to wasteful and expensive single-use cosmetic wipes. Plus, they’re great for sensitive skin!
These facial cleansing cloths come in all kinds of fun colors and make perfect stocking stuffers or additions to a gift basket!
Final Straw
Single-use plastic straws and other utensils are a disaster for the environment. They pollute streams, sit in landfills for decades, endanger marine ecosystems, and ultimately contaminate the food chain. The team at Final Straw set to end the age of “disposables” (plastic spoons, forks, and straws) and usher in the era of “Foreverables.”
The average American uses 1.6 disposable straws per day, but the Final Straw is a reusable, collapsible straw with a clean, convenient carrying case! Next time you order that Venti Frap or large drink to go, leave the straw behind and reach for a Final Straw. Tuck one in everyone’s stocking or gift basket this holiday season and help keep hundreds of plastic straws out of the landfills next year!
If you’ve got a few people on your shopping list who aren’t really straw users, have no fear! There’s the Fina Spork, a portable, reusable spork. Both the straw and the spork come in a handy carrying case that clips right to your keys, purse, briefcase, or book bag so you’ll never forget it. It’s a perfect little gift for every occasion.
Eco Roots
If you thought soaps, shampoos, and laundry detergent were boring holiday gifts, think again! Eco Roots has some beautiful gift packages for everyone in the family. From a zero-waste shaving kit to a face and body soap bundle, help someone on your list take their hygiene and self-care routine to a whole new level with luxurious, environmentally conscious products in beautiful packaging!
If you’re not sure about gifting laundry detergent this season, that’s ok! Eco Roots has lovely candles, reusable produce bags, natural loofahs, and many other beautiful, sustainable home and beauty products everyone will love.
Toys and games
It really is possible to gift beautiful, durable, environmentally conscious gifts that kids will love. Here are just a few of our favorite eco-friendly sources for toys and games.
KiwiCo
Give a gift that helps kids become more innovative and develop problem-solving skills from a young age. KiwiCo is on a mission to inspire the next generation of innovators by helping them play as creators and producers, not just consumers.
Each KiwiCo box includes a fun, engaging, age-appropriate hands-on project that they can do alone or with friends or family. It truly is fun and learning all wrapped up together. Whether you’d like to purchase just one box or a monthly subscription for the tiny tyke inventors on your list, there’s something for everyone.
Every box includes a cool new project with all the materials and instructions you need to build, design, create, and play for hours on end. And it’s all environmentally conscious! Whether you’ve got a little one interested in science or geography or art and design, there’s something for every interest and age range. Head over to the KiwiCo website to browse the gifts and box options (and we won’t blame you if you order a KiwiCo box for yourself, too… everyone’s a kid at heart).
Green Toys
Green Toys Inc. keeps their eco-friendly values at the core of everything they do. Their commitment is to sustainability and playfulness every day, and they really deliver!
All of their toys are made with 100% recycled materials, delivering fun and safe toys while championing sustainability. Even their packaging and shipping materials are environmentally conscientious!
Whether you’re shopping for bath and water toys, gifts for a baby or toddler, or fun play vehicles, Green Toys has something for everyone. All the sets encourage and inspire creative play, and they’re durable enough to stand up to even the toughest games.
OkoNorm
Arts and crafts are a favorite form of creativity and play for many kids (and kids at heart). But crafting supplies can be pretty problematic from a sustainability perspective. Plastic, glitter, and chemical ingredients abound. Not at OkoNorm! These high-quality art supplies are all non-toxic and ethically made. Every OkoNorm product meets the highest environmental and quality requirements, and they’re committed to developing art supplies from renewable raw materials.
Whether your budding artist is into finger paints, modeling clay, or chalk art, you can find all the supplies they need at OkoNorm.
A secondary benefit to investing in environmentally-friendly art supplies is that you’ll be confident they’re safe for the littlest artists on your shopping list. There is no need to worry about a tiny tyke licking their hands while finger-painting or taste-testing the modeling clay.
There are many other companies creating high-quality, eco-friendly products and gifts for anyone on your list. Making small changes to our everyday habits and choices (even when we’re doing our holiday shopping) can add up to make a big difference long-term!
