15 Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas For The Holidays
When it comes to gift shopping for Christmas, people usually focus on finding the most expensive, unique, and practical gifts. Or they’d go out of their way to show their creativity through their gifts to make their loved ones feel special. But aside from practicality and uniqueness, another factor that must be considered when gift shopping is the eco-friendliness or sustainability of the gifts.
As beautiful as your holiday presents may be, you perhaps don’t realize that many of them are not good for the environment. Some of these gifts would probably end up in the trash after a week of use. And the more gifts are thrown into the trash, the more waste is added into the landfills. So instead of unknowingly contributing more waste to the landfills this holiday season, it’s time to consider the impact of your gifts on the environment before buying.
To ease your worry and confusion about what to shop for Christmas, here’s a list of 15 eco-friendly and sustainable holiday gift ideas.
1. Eco-Friendly Christmas Cards
One gift that doesn’t seem to grow out of style is Christmas cards. Despite living in the digital era, where virtual cards are an option, there are people who still prefer receiving physical cards due to their higher sentimental value. When giving physical cards, you’ll have the chance to write down your personal messages to your loved ones, which they can truly appreciate. And for a sustainable option this Christmas, consider gifting some eco-friendly holiday cards.
Many gift store websites, like Earthbits.com and similar online shops, offer a wide range of eco-Christmas cards. They’re not only made of recycled paper, but they’re also embedded with seeds of wildflowers and herbs. So once the holidays are over, your loved ones can have the option to plant the seeds until they fully grow and mature. It’s almost the same thing as giving them a greeting card and plant. With these cards, you can even expect your loved ones to say, ‘I like this eco Christmas card from Earthbits.com.’
2. Bamboo Bath Towels
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly neutral gift to give, you can consider purchasing sustainable bamboo bath towels, which are made from viscose from bamboo. They’re soft to the skin and a lot more absorbent than traditional cotton towels. These bamboo bath towels come from a wholly organic source, so they’re friendly to the atmosphere, making them an excellent eco-friendly choice for a holiday gift.
3. Bicycle
Another perfect eco-friendly gift for your loved ones this Christmas is a bicycle. Among the biggest contributors to air and noise pollution on the planet are cars and other smoke-emitting vehicles. Every year, thousands of individuals around the world purchase new cars. And the more cars are on the roads, the more carbon dioxide is emitted into the air.
By gifting bicycles, you can encourage your loved ones to go the eco-friendly way by using the most earth-friendly type of transportation. A bike is also a perfect gift for those who love to walk their way to school or work.
4. Recycled Cotton Socks
Help your loved ones get into the spirit of Christmas by giving them presents that reflect the season, such as holiday socks. But instead of the typical socks you see in stores, go for cotton socks that are made of recycled materials and free of harmful toxins. These socks can keep their feet comfy and warm all season and are machine washable. They’re also available in baby sizes, perfect as a gift for babies or relatives with newborns.
5. Eco-Dough For Kids
If you’re looking for a sustainable gift for kids, consider giving them an eco-playdough. Kids would surely love this pliable and soft toy molding under their hands. Not only that, but you can also prevent exposing your kids to harmful chemicals because it’s made of natural materials and, therefore, nontoxic. What’s more, the colors are extracted from plants, fruits, and vegetables. This eco-playdough is less likely to dry out, too, unlike standard ones.
6. Reusable Bamboo Cutlery Set
Gift your friends or relatives with this stylish yet reusable bamboo cutlery set for their dining table. With this set, they’ll have utensils that are safe and good for the environment. You may even encourage them to stop using single-use plastic forks and spoons for their family meals and fancy dinners. This bamboo-made cutlery set is also lightweight, making it easier to pack for vacations and family trips.
7. Sustainable Shoes
Nowadays, there are footwear companies that sell shoes made of recycled and sustainable materials, such as plastics from the ocean, compostable materials, and organic cotton. If you know someone who’s needing a new set of footwear this holiday season, wrap them up with a pair of sustainable shoes. Just make sure to inquire first and ask the shoe manufacturers about the materials they use and see if they support eco-friendly options.
8. Ceramic Compost Keeper
Some people may be discouraged to continue composting their food waste because it sometimes gets smelly and the odor dominates their entire kitchen. However, this is the perfect time to help your loved ones continue their composting efforts by gifting them a ceramic compost keeper.
Ceramic compost keepers have tight lids, which can help filter out the odor from food waste and can keep their kitchen from smelling terrible. They also feature stainless-steel handles, making them portable and easy to carry to the compost pit. Your gardener friends and loved ones will surely appreciate this unique and eco-friendly gift.
9. Thermal Travel Mugs
This functional thermal travel mug is a perfect eco-friendly gift for your loved ones who can’t go a day without a cup of hot cocoa or coffee. They can carry the mug wherever they go, and they won’t need to buy drinks in plastic cups, which they’d only end up throwing afterward.
This thermal travel mug would keep their beverage hot for extended periods and prevent leaks and spills while they’re on the go. What’s more, there are coffee shops that would even offer discounts to customers using reusable cups or mugs when buying from their stores.
10. Plantable Colored Pencils
If you know anyone who loves art and anything crafty, you can gift them plantable colored pencils. Yes, you heard it right. These pencils are plantable, meaning they can grow and sprout when planted. When the colored pencils become too short to be used, your loved ones can plant their stubs on pots and watch these pencils grow.
11. Cloth Bowl Covers
With the upcoming Christmas dinner and Thanksgiving meals, you can expect many households to have plenty of leftover food. And to store their leftovers and keep them fresh, they may use plastic containers or wraps. Or if they don’t want to eat the food anymore, they may simply throw it away.
To help and encourage your relatives or friends to preserve their leftover food in an eco-friendly way, try gifting them with cloth bowl covers. These are better options instead of plastics. They’re also breathable and washable, making them easy to reuse anytime.
12. Recycled Headband
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly, fashionable gift for your fashionista friends, why not give them recycled knot-front headbands? These gift items aren’t like the standard headbands as they’re made from recycled polyester. Not only would your friends look chic while wearing them, but they’d also be able to help the environment.
13. Sustainable Bean Bags
Bean bags are popular seating options because of their versatility as they can be placed anywhere around the house. They’re also known for being customizable since you can add or reduce their filling until it satisfies your comfort. For an eco-friendlier choice, go for bean bags made of recycled materials, such as remains from used sofas, and give them to your loved ones who need new seating for their home. Once they know what the bean bags are made of, they’d surely be glad to take part in minimizing waste that goes in the landfills.
14. Cork Yoga Mat
For the beloved yogis in your life, consider gifting them a cork yoga mat made from oak tree barks. The thing about oak tree barks is they can grow back quickly after being harvested, thus maintaining wildlife diversity. This will make an excellent gift for your eco-minded yogi friends.
15. Reusable Shopping Bags
Anyone who wants to reduce their carbon footprint would surely appreciate reusable shopping bags. These washable shopping bags are made of ripstop nylon, perfect for carrying stuff like gym clothes and grocery items. They’re also available in cute colors, so you can choose which design or color would fit your loved ones’ style.
Happy Eco-Holidays
Doesn’t it feel good to spread the holiday cheer with your gifts while making a positive impact on the environment? Keep the Christmas festivities alive while preserving nature by getting your friends and loved ones any of the eco-friendly gifts above. Consider this your little way of gifting the planet.
