Eco Gift Guide 2023
Holidays, especially Christmas, can lead to a lot of overconsumption.
This is a massive list of sustainable gifts to give from ethical companies this holiday season. If I have or found a discount code, I included it. The goal is to buy things people will use, so the gifts don’t go to waste. Physical gifts are my love language, and I love giving gifts that have the potential to inspire eco-friendly changes down the line.
I hope you can find something for your loved ones, whether you’re shopping for Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Sister, Brother, Children, Friends, or your Significant Other. When in doubt, I love making consumable gifts or purchasing experiences.
I’ve broken this gift guide down into three categories: Physical Gifts, Experiences & Consumables.
That being said, this is not a post trying to convince you to spend over your means, or buy things you or your loved ones don’t need. But if you are buying gifts for loved ones, here are some sustainable and ethical companies that I love and personally buy from.
ECO GIFTS FOR THE NON-ECO PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE
Every year I keep a note on my phone that says “gift ideas” and throughout the year when I am with that person, I will jot down ideas I have for things I can get that they will use or that will make their life a little easier. Jotting notes down throughout the year makes shopping for the holiday way less stressful.
I will also flat out ask people what they would like for Christmas. This ensures people will be getting things that they actually need or want. I like when people give me generic ideas so there can be some element of surprise.
I also try to avoid “overly eco” gifts, like I would never buy untoilet paper or period underwear for someone unless they asked for it. I also don’t want to overwhelm anyone, because everyone’s sustainability journey looks different. I aim to buy reusables that everyone uses or could use from sustainable companies.
Here are some of my favorite eco gifts for the non-eco people in my life.
STASHER
Stasher bags and bowls are a great kitchen tool. These reusable silicone bags are dishwasher safe, microwave ready, stove top safe, oven strong and freezer friendly. These bags are not only great in the kitchen, but would work great as toiletry bags, for the traveler in your life. This year, Stasher also introduced a makeup bag. I love the Everyday bag.
LEAF RAZOR
Leaf produces plastic-free metal gender-neutral shaving razors that are ecofriendly, ethically and sustainably made. My Leaf Razor has changed my shaving game, and significantly improved my shower life. This past year, they also released a dermaplaner that would make a great gift for the person in your life who likes doing skincare. I’m a big fan of their shave oil too.
BKind
BKind is a small business with several natural vegan skincare products and haircare products! I love everything I’ve tried from Bkind and hope you do too!
Tushy Bidet
This might be a weird one and one I would recommend asking before gifting, but a Tushy bidet is a great gift to give to someone who wants an easy ecofriendly swap!
Krave Beauty
Krave Beauty has several amazing skincare products that I would recommend. I personally love their Oat So Simple Water Cream and Oil La La.
Suri
SURI has entered the sustainability space as the only sustainable electric toothbrush with a recycle program for their plant-based replaceable heads.
GOLDILOCKS
I have been using Goldilocks Beeswax Wraps for two years now, and love them. You can use them to make little snack baggies or to wrap a sandwich. It has entirely replaced plastic wrap for me and it’s a super versatile tool that’s essential in my kitchen. This would be a great gift for anyone to encourage some sustainable kitchen habits.
EVERLY CANDLE REFILLS
Everyone loves a good candle, but not everyone loves the waste that comes with it, or the toxic ingredients. That’s where Everly comes in and saves the day! Everly makes sustainable candle refill kits with ethically sourced coconut & soy wax, and packaged in a bag made with renewable materials of wood pulp and cellulose. The refill kits can be used to fill any old candle jar, and 1% of the item’s sales go toward 1% for the planet to fight climate change.
SOUPER CUBES
I was gifted Souper Cubes in the middle of 2022 and they have forever changed my food waste game. Souper cubes are made with food grade silicone, are dishwasher, freezer and oven safe, and BPA free. I freeze pretty much anything going bad now into souper cubes, and the cubes pop out easy and go back into the freezer for storage. It is perfect to preserve broth, sauces, soups, and so much more.
PACKAGE FREE SHOP
Package Free Shop is home to a plethora of sustainable goodies, you’re bound to find something for someone on your list shopping here. These products are bound to influence your loved ones to make meaningful sustainable changes. My favorite products are the Boba Bubble Tea Metal straws, the dish brushes, and produce bags.
EC30
The perfect gift for someone new into ecofriendly living, someone who just moved out on their own, or someone interested in having less of an impact on our planet is an EC30 Try it All Kit, with a bunch of sustainable swatches.
CLICK & GROW GARDENS
If you have a loved one who loves to cook, they probably also love cooking with fresh herbs. An indoor garden from Click and Grow is low maintenance unlike other hydroponics gardens, and will guarantee fresh herbs & greens all year round indoors! If seeds don’t sprout, the company will replace them, and they have automatic grow lights on a timer. There’s a variety of vegetables as well as size of gardens to meet anyone’s needs. I have the Smart Garden 27 and love it so much. I can grow 27 plants at once, but a few feet of wall space is needed. The Smart Garden 3 is the perfect size for a kitchen counter to grow a few herbs, and is on sale.
FABLE DISHES
If your friends love to host, or could just use new dishes, glasses, or flatware, look no further than Fable. Fable makes timeless, sustainable dinnerware, glassware and flatware, that is both high quality, and beautiful. The clay is sustainably sourced, and their pieces are designed responsibly. The company is fully transparent, and donates meals to children and families in need with every purchase.
ETHIQUE
I have been using Ethique products for months, and I love to shop at Ethique for my own bathroom bars. They also make really great concentrates too if you don’t love bars. My favorites are the Heali Kiwi shampoo bars, and Deep Green face wash bars. They also make reasonably priced holiday gift packs that would make a great gift. I have not seen if they are having additional holiday sales or not, but will update with more info if they do.
SUPERZERO
Superzero makes amazing natural shampoo & body bars that are vegan, cruelty free, plastic free, and made ethically. This holiday season they are having a sitewide sale, and have perfect holiday gift sets. I love the self care one! If you’re not looking to purchase a set, their shampoo and conditioner bars are wonderful as well. They are having their biggest sale ever with 20% off sitewide!
GIRLFRIEND COLLECTIVE
I am obsessed will all things Girlfriend Collective. Girlfriend Collective makes ethical, high-quality clothing from recycled materials. I love their sports bras and compression leggings, and I’ve been wearing their joggers around the house a lot this winter already.
CLIFFSET
Cliffset makes a personal, portable cutlery set that comes with a spray and napkins to clean after each use. This is super useful if you’re traveling a lot or you eat at your work desk. I have a set that stays in my car and is perfect for the times I need cutlery and can refuse single use. There is a 25% off sale for the holidays.
DRYER BALLS
Keep It Simple sells the cutest dryer balls I’ve ever seen. Dryer balls fully replace dryer sheets, and are reusable for 1,000 loads. {I’ve had dryer balls for longer than that and they still work fine} They have a bunch of different designs, and they are a small business. These would make a really fun stocking stuffer, or a great gift set!
NUTSHELL COOLERS
If your loved one travels a lot, likes to visit parks and go on picnics, check out Nutshell Coolers. They are sustainable, foldable coolers made from coconuts! I have a Nutshell Cooler and have loved using it! They’re a new company, so their first batch of stock is 20% off.
Everist
The best gift for someone who maybe didn’t like shampoo bars is Everist. These are sustainable concentrates that dare I say work even better than shampoo bars.
TAZO TEA
If you’re shopping for a tea lover in your life, Tazo Tea has a focus on sustainability and commitment to climate justice. Their regenerative teas taste really good and would make a great gift! Alternatively, making your own tea blend in thrifted jars would make a great gift too!
Oats & Soaks
If you want to gift a little self care package, Oats and Soaks has Oat Soaks that turn your bath water into a creamy, velvet spa-like experience. They are filled with botanicals and skin loving oatmeal, perfect for skin irritation and sensitive skin.
THE LAST OBJECT
Reusables have an upfront cost, but save tons of money over time, so buying a Last Object is a great gift for someone making eco swaps.
ECO-READS FOR THE BOOK LOVER
I have so many recommendations for books to get your loved ones this holiday, so instead of sharing a massive list, here are my top five that I’ve read, loved, enjoyed, and will read again.
- Braiding Sweetgrass
- Go Gently
- The Intersectional Environmentalist
- 101 Ways To Go Zero Waste
- The Anthropocene Reviewed
Terracycle
TerraCycle is know for upcycling and recycling the items that are not recyclable and often end up in landfills. This year, they launched TerraCycle Made, a shop where they make products out of those nonrecyclable items! You can find plant pots, compost bins, wireless chargers, frisbees, organization bins, and even watering cans. They have a bunch of different items on their website.
Shorts By Sav
Shorts By Sav makes upcycled denim beautiful again. I have a gorgeous pair of custom shorts and an upcycled tshirt that are amazing quality!
Rareform
RareForm makes one-of-a-kind items from old billboards. They make totes, coolers, duffels, toiletry bags and so much more!
Mason Jar Lifestyle
Mason Jar Lifestyle has hundreds of accessories to transform your mason jar, and they have some great gift sets!
REUSABLE KCUPs
Reusable kcups have the opportunity to make a Keurig or similar machine, which typically has a lot of plastic waste, low waste and plastic free. I use stainless steel perfect pods. They are very affordable too, either $13 or $14 and last forever.
She Fly pants
She Fly Pants are perfect for any hiker in your life and they are on sale.
TEA LEAVES FOR THE TEA LOVER
Tea Leaves has all different flavors of loose leaf tea and compostable tea bags for the tea lover in your life.
THE EARTHLING CO
The Earthling Co makes plastic-free shampoo and conditioner, wooden soap dishes, bamboo combs and more for under $25.
MARLEY’S MONSTERS
Marley’s Monsters has a 6-pack of unpaper towels for $20 and a 6-pack of cloth napkins for $12.
BLUELAND
Blueland carries numerous ecofriendly cleaning products with some refills and starter kits being under $25. My favorite is the hand soap, which are glass bottles and they have ecofriendly tabs that you can add to water and make a bottle of hand soap.
EXPERIENCES
As I’ve gotten older, I have appreciated both giving and receiving “experience” gifts. These are great for family and friends and these are often more meaningful than physical gifts. Here are some ideas for experiences!
DONATIONS
Make a donation in their person’s name. There are millions of organizations you could donate to, from science or disease research, to environmental causes or groups, or something like the Other People Fund that helps people pay for therapy.
You could also adopt a whale, turtle or other animal in their name. World Wild Life has many different animals that can be “adopted” and the money goes toward protecting nature.
SELF CARE / SPA DAY
If the person you are buying for is someone who frequently gets their hair or nails done, give them a “ticket” for an appointment with cash. Or plan a self care / spa day at home with them!
PLAN AN OUTING
Explore your city with your loved one! Plan a day to go to a local museum, zoo or aquarium with them, take them golfing or to a sport event, or buy them tickets for a concert or some local event they would enjoy. Take them to a wine tasting, or maybe a winery or brewery tour.
Outdoors
Take them camping, on a new hike, or even to a local state or national park for a mini-cation.
CONSUMABLES
I love gifting consumables every year, homemade or purchased. It almost guarantees the individual would “use” the product they are gifted, which is easier to guarantee than some items.
PURCHASING
A good box of chocolates, or sustainable chocolate bars is always a solid option. Lots of small businesses like bakeries have seasonal “gift boxes” of delicious treats. You can also gift a bottle of liquor or wine, but be conscious of who you are gifting to. If the person has had substance abuse issues in the past, do not gift.
HOMEMADE
Homemade gifts can turn out wonderfully. My favorite thing to gift is a DIY Hot Cocoa basket. Thrift a couple mugs, which are inexpensive and everywhere at thrift stores, and make a jar of hot cocoa mix. You could even pick up a basket at a thrift store and add some mini marshmallows.
Last year I made homemade vanilla for our families. I shared the journey on TikTok, which you can see here.
Make Bark in Stasher Bags, the bags can be gifted to your family as well! I’ll also be making fudge in a Stasher Bag, stay tuned for the video!
Make Holiday Cookies! Make your favorite recipe, and share it with your loved ones, with the recipe written down on a note card.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, FROM MINE TO YOURS
I hope you get to spend time with your loved ones this holiday season, and have a great time. May you have a wonderful holiday filled with love and warmth.
**Some links in this post are affiliate links, and I earn a small commission. Discount codes may not work during sales, if the sale is better that my discount code.
