Eco-Friendly Holiday Giving Guide

​​Gift-giving ideas that help small businesses, support artists, and reduce our impact on the planet this holiday season

Holiday shopping is hard enough, and for those of us who are eco-conscious, finding the right gift that is also sustainable, responsibly-made, and high quality can add a lot of stress. There’s a lot of frivolous giving, we run around town buying something for everyone on our list just to check the box – this year, try to think about how to make your gift-giving more intentional and purposeful. Where did the gift come from – who made it and with what materials, where will it go when it’s not being used anymore? Is the gift sturdy and useful enough to have a second life with someone else? Can you actually picture the recipient using the item and finding joy in owning it or will it be just another knick-knack that will gather dust on a shelf or go unused in storage?

To help you get started, I’ve worked together with some of my fellow sustainability and eco-friendly warriors Amanda Winter, Sustainability Copywriter and Karen Blue of Cedar and Silver. I encourage you all to skip the Amazon shopping scramble and try some of these thoughtful, earth-friendlier options. 

Here’s my officially unofficial Eco-Friendly Holiday Giving Guide:

Eco-Friendly Stocking Stuffers & Little Things

• St. Claire’s Organics
  A unique and sustainable option for a sweet treat. St. Claire’s organic breath mints, herbal pastilles fruit tarts come in refillable tins. 8oz and 24oz refill bags can be purchased on their website, the refills are cost-effective and come in a foil-lined paper bag. I love the Tummy Soother, ginger and cinnamon flavors!

• Chocolove Bars
  Always a favorite, lots of delicious options for flavors to easily please your stocking stuffer recipients. Among Chocolove’s certifications include Rainforest Alliance, Non-GMO Project, Fair Trade, Organic, and others.

• FinalStraw Collapsible Metal Reusable Straw
  A super portable and reusable alternative to conventional plastic and paper straws. 

• ToGo Ware Bamboo Utensil Set
  This is a great alternative to disposable plastic utensils. The carrying case (made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles) makes it easy to throw this utensil set in your bag so you’re always prepared. I’ve been using my set for several years and never go anywhere without it.

• Lottery Tickets
  Sorry, not sorry. This one’s been a go-to for me for years. Small footprint, cheap thrill...potentially big win. Even cashing in on $2 or $5 can be a fun surprise for anyone (...over the legal gambling age). Oftentimes, money raised from lottery sales go back to community through supporting education or public lands.

Eco-friendly Kitchen Gifts: 

• Swedish Dish Cloths
  Cute AND practical. These things are amazing, not only are they reusable, biodegradable, and compostable, they work like a charm. Use them to replace washcloths, sponges, and paper towels in your kitchen, they absorb up to 3/4 Cups liquid per cloth, can be washed in the dishwasher up to 200 times, or can be bleached, boiled, or microwaved to sanitize

• Coffee Sock Reusable Coffee Filter
  Great for the eco-conscious coffee drinker in your life. These can replace single-use coffee filters reducing waste and saving money over the course of its life. Pair this with a bag of your favorite fair trade coffee or a beautiful handmade pour-over coffee maker from Etsy or your favorite local pottery artist.

• Russbe Bag
  Russbe bags have been my go-to reusable bag for years now. My freezer and fridge are full of them and I even take them to my bulk food store to avoid using the plastic bags there. They’re easy to wash and great for freezing beans, soups, veggies & fruit. In contrast to some other reusable zipper bag brands, Russbe bags are super affordable, easy-to-find, and sturdy which makes it easy to replace your entire fleet of single-use bags with these bad boys.

• Beeswax Wraps from Bee’s Wraps or Khala & Co.
  These can be used to replace plastic cling wrap and single-use sandwich bags in your kitchen. They’re great for wrapping up that half-used avocado or covering a leftover bowl of soup in the fridge. Just wash with cold water and reuse.

Eco-Friendly Health & Beauty Gifts

• Croon Makeup Remover
  These little reusable microfiber wipes are magic! I actually started wearing makeup again because these made makeup removal so easy, not to mention they actually work, even on mascara. No soap required. (2024 update: I can only find these on Amazon through 3rd part sellers now, they may have gone out of business...sad!)

• Bite Toothpaste Tabs Subscription
  I admit, some people might think this would be a strange gift, but imagine giving someone the joy of not shopping for toothpaste for a year! Not to mention, the hours spent agonizing over which toothpaste formula is the most chemical-free or how long the tube will sit in the landfill.

• Bare Soaps Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
  Not only are these bars a great plastic-free alternative to bottled shampoo and conditioner, they use sustainably sourced palm oil, their products are cruelty-free and their packaging is made from plantable seed paper (cool!).

Sustainable Gifts for the Practical Gift Giver:

• Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap
  Can be used as hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, cleaning, and more! Also a great idea for the traveler in your life, it’s biodegradable, multi-purpose and the bottles can be refilled at many bulk food stores. Dr. Bronner’s is widely available at spots like Natural Grocers and Target. Their list of sustainable practices and do-goodery is too long to list here, check out their impact report to read about their plastic packaging initiatives, anti-racism activism, landfill-free manufacturing, and more.

• Locally roasted coffee or locally-made tea
  A useful and thoughtful gift for the hot beverage drinker in your life. This is an awesome way to support local businesses. As a bonus, it’s easy to wrap and ship so you can share a little piece of your town with friends and family far away. 

• Wool socks
  I know, 8-year-old me is rolling her eyes remembering the frustration of receiving socks and underwear as gifts. But we’re adults now! Wool socks are cozy, generally sustainable, and, of course, practical. For the most eco-friendly options, look for 100% wool socks made from sheep or alpaca wool in the US. Brands like Duckworth, Alpacas of Montana, Farm to Feet.

• Organic grocery delivery from Misfits Market
  Surprise your foodie friends or family members with grocery delivery using food that would otherwise go to waste. Misfits Market is working to break the cycle of food waste by sourcing organic produce and other high-quality groceries that don’t meet the superficial standards of traditional grocery stores. They use recyclable and compostable packaging so you can feel good about that.

Shopping small & local

• Look for local holiday markets and made fairs, you can find these by looking on public Facebook events in your area, Eventbrite or a simple Google search for “holiday made fair <your town> 2021”

• Take advantage of small business at shops in your local community on Small Business Saturday (the last Saturday in November)

• Support your favorite makers. Here are some of my go-to’s: Beautiful, unique statement jewelry from Adornment by Nicole, simple, elegant silver and turquoise jewelry from mother-daughter team Generations Smithworks hand-bound notebooks from Fineberg Art Studio, cool art and goods from Real. Fun. Wow, Lisa Congdon, Drawn to High Places, Tess Lackey and Bryn Merrell, stained glass art from Golden Hour Glass Co., and women’s clothing and accessories made from recycled plastic bottles from Youer.

• Eco-friendly online shops: 

  • Earth Hero - As an eco-friendly online marketplace

  • Package free shop - Check out their zero-waste starter kits!

  • Zero-waste store - Zero-waste products and package-free shopping

  • Wisdom Supply Co. - Recyclable, reusable, repairable school and office supplies

  • KindHumans - Connecting the community of conscious consumers with sustainable, ethical products 

Outside the box giving:

• Give to those in need. Make a donation to your local food bank on behalf of your friends or family.

• Give your services. Create your own custom coupons for babysitting, house cleaning, a fun night out, or another service that you could offer the recipient.

• Give second hand. Check Facebook Marketplace and eBay to find things on your list that have been gently used. Visit your local antique stores and thrift shops to find something unique, nostalgic, useful, and fun. 

• Give an experience. A trip to the museum or zoo. A staycation for a night at a local hotel or Airbnb. A picnic at the park or on a hike (cold weather folks, bring out the thermos!).

• Make your own gifts. My favorites include: handmade candles in cool thrift store glasses and bowls, lavender satchels from the good part of a holy sock, save your glass jars for cookie mix in a jar. There are loads of awesome ideas on Upcycle That.

I hope this guide is helpful. I’d love to hear your favorite earth-friendly holiday favorites, feel free to leave a comment below.

Happy Holidays, all!