Looking for eco friendly gifts this season? Sustainable and conscious options are more and more in demand, and for good reason. This Green Gift Guide has ideas from sustainable fashion to homeware, eco travel products, and more!
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Whether you are planning for a minimalist Christmas or looking for some sustainable gifts ideas, we cover conscious and ethical brand options as well as DIY projects to make those eco friendly gifts even more special.
If you are looking for a sustainable company to purchase from, Earth Hero is an eco friendly online marketplace that has done the research on products for you. They source sustainable and conscious products and have a range of eco friendly gift boxes that your loved ones will adore.
Table of Contents
Sustainable Gifts for her
There are plenty of great sustainable gifts for those women in your life that can encourage a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
1. Cork Yoga Mat
Have a yogi friend? This sustainably harvested cork yoga mat has a natural rubber backing, and an artistic design from non-toxic dyes. Scoria donates 10 meals to those in need for ever mat sold!
2. Pela Compostable Phone Case
Pela phone cases are compostable and have a lower carbon footprint than traditional plastic phone cases!
3. Soy Candle
This candle from Golden Coast is made from 100% vegan and non-toxic soy wax with scents of eucalyptus, sea salt, redwood, and palo santo. The beautiful amber glass jars are perfect to reuse too!
4. LARQ self cleaning water bottle
Have you ever heard of a self cleaning water bottle? Well the LARQ Bottle is a purifying AND self-cleaning water bottle. With just a touch of a button it can remove 99% of harmful bacteria using innovative non-toxic mercury-free UV-C LED technology to purify your water in only 60 seconds.
5. Ceramic Mug
Is there anything better than the perfect mug? These mugs from United by Blue are glazed ceramic stoneware, and each adorable design bought removes 1 pound of trash.
6. Gift an experience
One of the most sustainable gifts you can give, is an experience. Viator offers experiences all around the world, from walking tours, to sailing tours, to day trips, there is a wide range of activities to choose from.
7. OSEA Body Oil
OSEA’s Undaria Algae Body Oil stands out as a skincare gem. Enriched with a blend of 10 nourishing oils, including sunflower seed, sesame, and linseed, this rejuvenating body oil effortlessly seeps into the skin.
8. Moroccan Shopping Basket
Moroccan Shopping Basket
Handmade from palm leaves from Essaouira, this Moroccan shopping basket is perfect for trips to the beach or the farmer’s market.
9. Recycled Wool Hat
Tentree’s Recycled Wool Festival Hat is not only stylish, but it is made sustainably. Your purchase also helps to plant ten trees.
10. Cotton Tote
Reusable Cotton String Bags are super handy for zero waste shopping. Taking up little room, these bags can expand to hold plenty of vegetables and fruits.
11. Stainless Steel Straws
Stainless steel straws are a stylish way to avoid plastic at home and when you are out! If your loved one doesn’t have one yet, its the perfect sustainable gift.
12. Epsom bath salts
These epsom bath salts are perfect for relaxing! They are packaged in a reusable jar and come in a set of 6, so you can keep one for yourself, and gift a few to your friends!
13. Temperature Controlled Smart Mug
Are you after a gift for that special someone who works long hours at the desk? Heating smart mugs are a great choice for those who leave their cuppa a little too long on the desk before drinking!
14. Bamboo Bathtub Tray Table
Do you know someone that loves baths? A collapsible and adjustable bathtub caddy could be the perfect gift for them. With a book/tablet stand, phone holder, wine glass slot and plenty of space, this tray table will provide a relaxing spa experience at home.
15. Acacia Wood Bowls
Gift your loved one these naturally renewable and acacia wood bowls. They are perfect for dips, and appetizers.
16. Weighted Blanket
Heard of weighted blankets? They can provide deep-pressure input that feels grounding and calming (for some). If your loved one has been talking about getting one of these, be sure to check this brand out!
17. Ilia Eyeshadow
This beautiful warm eyeshadow palette from Ilia is cruelty free and vegan. The eyeshadow colours are long lasting with a buttery texture that allows for a smooth application.
18. L’occitane Almond Shower Oil
Have you tried shower oil before? It’s a game changer! This softening shower oil helps you cleanse and feel nourished instantly, turning your shower time into an at-home spa experience.
19. Indoor Herb Garden
Have a friend that loves plants and herbs? This smart hydroponics growing system will help them grow swiftly and easily.
20. Lomi Composter
Know someone who wants to compost without the effort? The Lomi composter provides a quick and easy solution, turning waste into natural fertilizer with the click of a single button!
Eco Friendly Gifts For Him
Searching for that perfect present for him? We’ve found some great sustainable options to help you with your shopping!
Minimalist Cookset
This camping cook kit is the ideal gift for adventurers. Coming with a kettle, and two insulated tumblers you can cook simple meals or hot drinks on the go.
Cork Wallet
This cruelty-free and vegan wallet is made from cork that is naturally hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, waterproof, lightweight, durable, and biodegradable.
Conscious Step Socks
Conscious step socks keep your feet warm aswell as changing our world for the better. This socks that protect animals pack donates $1 per pair towards protecting elephants, sharks and saving dogs, they are also fair-trade and vegan certified.
4Ocean Bracelet
4Ocean removes 1 pound of trash from our seas for every bracelet sold. The bracelet itself is made out of recycled plastic and glass, and their limited edition bracelets fund different marine causes from whale conservation, sea turtle protection and more.
Minimalist Guitar Stand
Have someone in your life that loves playing guitars? This guitar stand takes up little space and is made out of wood, making it an inexpensive and easy to assemble alternative to traditional guitar stands.
Beard Grooming Kit
Know someone with a glorious beard? They might enjoy a beard grooming kit equipped with oil, a brush, conditioner and self care lotions!
Organic Basics
Organic basics are a brand that truly cares. By purchasing this set you can prevent 2.1 Kilos of CO2, 1518 grams of chemicals, and 112 grams of waste going into the environment. The basics are also made out of GOTS certified organic cotton which feels and breathes great.
Portable Solar Charger Power Bank
This handy solar charger is the perfect gift for an outdoor enthusiast. It’s water resistant, shock resistant and dustproof, and features a compass, a flashlight and charger. It can charge with a solar panel of outlet, and is compatible with phones, gopros, tablets and other USB devices.
Self Care Gift Ideas
Eco friendly toiletries are perfect for small but thoughtful gifts. Bathrooms are filled with products that could be swapped out for more sustainable items. Here are some great sustainable options for eco friendly gifts that someone can really use at home!
Shampoo Bar
Shampoo Bar
Do you want your friend to eliminate single-use plastic shampoo bottles? This natural shampoo bar adds volume and and is packaged 100% plastic free.
Organic Cotton Rounds
Organic reusable facial rounds are perfect for cleansing and easy to clean – just toss the pad in the wash, and reuse.
Natural Shower Loofah
This natural loofah can be used to clean around the house, exfoliate your body, and even do the dishes! It is compostable, and super light weight.
Reef Safe Sunscreen Butter
Want to try some plastic-free sunscreen? This all-natural sunscreen butter by All Good is the perfect size to keep in your pocket or bag, and it is reef safe!
Different Brands to Try
There are more and more eco friendly brands making zero waste goods. Depending on your taste (or that of whoever you want to buy a gift for) you might want to review some other brands.
- Top 5 Zero Waste & Plastic Free Toothpaste Brands
- The Best 5 Zero Waste Shampoo Brands for Plastic Free Haircare
- Zero Waste Kitchen Swaps
Books on Sustainability
Books are a great present during the festive season. Why not give a book that can teach and hopefully inspire a more sustainable lifestyle going forward. Here are a couple of great, green books for eco friendly gift ideas!
101 Ways to go zero waste
Filled with sustainable tips, tricks, DIY recipes and more, Kathryn Kellogg’s book, 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste will give you some great actionable steps to change your consumption.
Eco Friendly Gifts for Kids
Beeswax Crayons
These crayons are made from natural beeswax and don’t contain paraffin wax or cheap fillers. Great for the little budding artist in your family!
Wooden Activity Cube
Created with wood, this toddler activity center from has plenty of shapes, colors, numbers, sizes, and puzzles for a child to explore!
Eco Dough
This non-toxic and all-natural eco-dough is the perfect present for a kid who loves building and sculpting!
Wooden Magnetic Tiles
Thinking about getting some magnetic tiles for a little one? Tegu have brought out a wooden version of the popular magnetic tiles that are naturally safe, with no plastic, no led, non-toxic and no small parts. They also come in cute pastel colours!
Wooden Music Instrument Set
Know a child that is a budding musician? This wooden musical instrument set features a tambourine, a hand drum, bells, maracas and more, and will fill your home with the sound of fun!
Wooden Play Food
This set of wooden fruit and vegetable toys are a great pretend play addition. The wooden fruits come apart and stick together with nylon buckles, and give a great crunch sound that kids may enjoy!
Gifts for the kitchen lovers
Zero waste products are a hot topic this year. There are more and more brands out there striving to give customer satisfaction while achieving environmental and ethical standards that were not thought possible (or considered) a few years ago.
Bees Wax Wraps
These beeswax wraps are a great alternative to cling wrap or sandwich bags, providing an eco friendly option. They contain organic cotton, beeswax, organic oil, and are durable and washable.
Swedish Dish Cloths
These eco-friendly cloths are not your ordinary cleaning companions; they’re super absorbent, reusable, and biodegradable. A thoughtful addition to any kitchen, they’ll make wiping your bench a breeze while keeping sustainability at the forefront.
Stasher Silicone Bags
Stasher silicone bags have a reusable, airtight seal design, made from food-grade silicone that’s both safe for the environment and your food. These versatile bags are not just for sandwiches; they’re microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe, making them perfect for meal prep, or storing snacks on the go.
All-in-One Salad Container
Perfect for adult lunches, the Bentgo Salad container keeps meals fresh and crisp with its airtight lid and separate compartments, ensuring salads stay delicious all day. Dishwasher-safe and microwave-friendly, this BPA-free set is a convenient, eco-friendly choice for on-the-go nutrition
What about packaging and delivery?
It’s a great question. The items mentioned so far are from an amazing organisation that truly has sustainability at its core. Earth Hero has done everything in its power to reduce its carbon footprint in the packaging and delivery process.
Things that have been considered include:
- Recycled Paper Packing
- Compostable and Recyclable Packaging
- Carbon Offsetting
- Selling Brands with Good Sustainable Practices
There is no doubt that every product/item has its own unique footprint. By reducing the footprint and (or) buying reusable products we can significantly reduce the environmental impact on our world this holiday season.
How to wrap an eco friendly gift
If you’ve gone to the effort of finding (or making) an eco friendly gift this season, the last thing you want to do is wrap it in some plastic-based wrapping paper!
Most store-bought wrapping paper is not actually recyclable or compostable. A good way to test if the paper is recyclable is to do the scrunch test. It should also be noted that sticky tape left on paper means that it cannot be recycled!
Wrappily is a great eco friendly wrapping paper brand that you can buy online. Made from recycled newspaper, and a soy-based ink, Wrappily have some stunning reversible designs that are recyclable and compostable.
Alternatively, there are plenty of other great Eco Friendly Christmas Wrapping options, from Kraft Paper to used fabric, mason jars and more. Get creative and see what you can use from home!
Eco friendly gifts on Amazon
Many people already have accounts on Amazon. This means that it might be easier for you to simply add some eco friendly gifts to your Amazon Shopping Cart.
While Amazon does not have quite the same level of transparency and environmental care as Earth Hero, they do stock a lot of great sustainable gifts for home and personal use. Here are some of the best ones that you can buy straight from your Amazon account.
- Glass drinking straws
- Waxed canvas lunchbox
- Dopper water bottle
- Hydroflask cup
- Solar charger
- Solar fairy lights
- Soap nuts
- Stasher (Silicone Reusable Sandwich Bags)
- Guppyfriend washing bag – Catches micro plastics in the washing machine
Sustainable Fashion
It’s not always easy to buy fashion items for people as gifts. But there are some amazing sustainable fashion brands out there doing great work for the environment in their causes.
A nice eco friendly gift might be a gift card for a sustainable fashion brand. Here are a couple of great brands to get you started:
- Organic Basics underwear and activewear – it’s hard to wrong with underwear. Especially in this case where the organic cotton, ethically sourced and made product is as good as this!
- Baiia Swimwear – this brand is taking recycled ocean plastic and turning it into something truly unique and beautiful!
Is Online Shopping Better Than Traditional Store Shopping?
A study by MIT in 2013 looked at the difference in carbon footprint between shoppers who bought products online vs. those who bought in a traditional storefront (not a zero waste shop).
The results showed that:
- Online shopping was more eco friendly for those living in a suburban area
- Physical store shopping was more eco friendly for those living in urban areas (cities)
It should be noted that these were based on shoppers in the USA. It also did not take into consideration, rural shoppers. Obviously, if you can ride your bicycle to the local organic farm for your groceries that is going to far outweigh getting anything delivered from online shopping.
>> Click here to learn more about ways to Eco Shop!
DIY Zero Waste Gifts
Buying eco friendly gifts online is convenient. If you get someone a gift that is truly thoughtful and relative to that person, a sustainable gift can be a life-changing moment for someone.
If you have time (and in some cases don’t want to spend much money) you can always try a DIY Zero Waste Gift that’s kind to Mother Earth.
Using items you may already have around the house you can whip up some great eco friendly gifts! Here are some ideas.
Coffee Scrub
Are you a coffee drinker? If you use coffee grinds on a daily or semi-daily basis you will likely have a decent supply of used grinds (start saving them now!).
A coffee scrub can be used in the shower as a kind of energizing/exfoliating experience to leave your skin rejuvenated and smooth.
Quick Steps Summary
- Save used coffee grinds in a glass jar
- Store in the fridge to prevent them from going bad
- Once the jar is nearly full add enough coconut oil (a few tablespoons) to make a consistency that you can easily spread the grinds around in your hand like a paste
- Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to give it a nice smell
- Wrap the jar in some eco friendly wrapping
Note that you can make the same kind of scrub using granular sugar (a sugar scrub!)
Upcycled Jars
Mason jars (or large opening jars – like pasta sauce or jam jars) are great for repurposing. They also don’t require any wrapping if you do them nicely!
Eco friendly gift – Jar Ideas
Here are four easy zero waste Christmas gift ideas that you can do with upcycled jars this season:
- Create a series of planted succulents or devils ivy vine inside the jars using soil
- Stack up layers of desert goodness so that you can eat straight from the jar itself
- Try making your own jam or homemade pasta sauce specific to the person you are giving the gift to (their favourite flavours)
- Add in a nice smelling candle
DIY Gift Card
There are almost infinite ways in which you could get creative with DIY gift cards. This can be a great eco friendly gift that can last a whole year (depending on what your voucher is for).
You’re limited only by your imagination here, but let’s looks at a few examples for inspiration:
The Card Itself
An eco friendly gift card does not even need to be a card. You can make it out of whatever you have/want! Here are some ideas:
- A used box – you can write on the inside of the box walls what the gift entails
- A piece of driftwood – carve or write the gift into a piece of wood
- A piece of fabric inside of a jar – write on a colourful piece of used cloth and fold it into a glass jar so they have to pull it out to read
The Best Eco Friendly Gifts are experiences
Eco friendly gifts don’t have to be physical. Experiences are just as valuable if not more than a physical gift. There are so many ways that you can offer DIY experiences as an eco friendly gift this season. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Offer to cook something special (a certain number of times)
- Take someone on a personalized tour of an area or place they’ve never been, or arrange a picnic at a place they love
- Treat your loved one to a haircut or a skin care facial
- Is there a skill you have that you can teach for free? You don’t have to be a professional, just better than the person you’re offering it to.
- Take them to dinner at their favourite restaurant
- Offer to be the designated driver to some festive events! There is normally a lot of drinking around the Christmas season.
- Book a winery or brewery tour
- Do they enjoy yoga or the gym? Renew their subscription for them!
- Book tickets to see a music gig, movie, or comedy show
We love your content. Regards from Pissouri Bay Divers from Cyprus!
Thanks! Happy diving!