Sometimes more is less. And in the case of special occasion gifting, zero waste presents can be the gift that keeps giving to people and the planet. Where once a bamboo toothbrush or stainless steel straw was only for the most “granola” family and friends in your life, low-impact gift-giving has now become the hottest trend to keep our planet cool.
The months between Thanksgiving and New Year’s see a 25% uptick in trash, according to the University of Maryland. That’s a million tons of extra packaging, wrapping paper, and single-use gifts that contribute to our growing landfills.
Set your spending to green this season with these fun, useful, and sustainable presents for the eco-warriors — and your hard-to-buy-for aunt — all of which are Mother Earth-approved!
Best for: The traveler in your life.
For the person always on the move, the Travel Pack rePETe is doing its part to take single-use plastic out of waste streams. It’s made from 56% recycled materials, including 100% recycled PET fabric, aluminum, and PET for the cord, showing the brand’s commitment to repurposing waste materials. It’s also customizable, making it a unique and personalized gift. ChicoBag’s mission aligns with sustainability, and supporting the company with your gifting dollars also means you’re supporting 1% for the Planet, a nonprofit funding regenerative projects across the world.
Best for: The guy with a clean-shaven face.
Some of the items that fall victim to single-use waste the most are in our bathroom routines. The Zero Waste Safety Razor is crafted from 100% stainless steel (no plastic to be found!), promising durability and longevity compared to 5 to 10 shaves from the conventional version. The razor arrives with carbon-neutral shipping and comes with 10 complimentary blades and short- and long-handle options to cater to personal comfort preferences.
Best for: Your favorite person’s self-care routine.
Zerra & Co. specializes in creating beauty products with a focus on sustainability and minimal environmental impact. Its products are designed to be zero waste, meaning it aims to eliminate or significantly reduce waste produced through packaging and product usage. The Solid Routine Bundle comes with a moisturizer and cleanser bar in an infinitely reusable aluminum tin that can be refilled! The perfect starter pack for a sustainable self-care routine!
Best for: The gadget lover.
The boundary-breaking Paper Camera by Paper Shoot is the perfect answer to the 85% of our e-waste that is sent to landfills after its life has run its course. Founded in 2012 by an engineer in Taiwan’s paper industry, Paper Shoot’s ‘paper camera’ is built entirely with repurposed, recycled, and biodegradable materials and with dozens of uniquely designed interchangeable cases. And for the technologically savvy person in your life, they can even build the 18mp version themselves!
Best for: The person who loves to entertain.
The Recycled Wine Bottle Platter with Spreader from UncommonGoods is the perfect upcycled gift for someone who enjoys entertaining and appreciates earthy conversation pieces. This unique platter is crafted from upcycled wine bottles and is perfect for serving cheeses, spreads, and other appetizers — a party for the planet!
Best for: The hustler who is always on the go.
An astonishing 38 million plastic water bottles end up in landfills each year. And friends don’t let friends pollute — they gift a Stojo instead! The 20 oz. Stojo Bottle makes an excellent, planet-friendly, zero waste gift for anyone on the go. This reusable bottle also collapses into a compact, carryable size when empty, making it ideal for travelers, commuters, and fitness enthusiasts who don’t want to be tempted by the single-use bottles eyeballing them in the vending machine.
Best for: The book lover.
The best zero waste gift? One that feeds you and gives you excellent zero waste habits for years to come. Perfectly Good Food: An Achievable Approach to Cooking, Eating, and Wasting Less will give the foodie in your life all the know-how to make planet-friendly meals that are heavy on taste and light on waste. Written by two sisters with deep experience in the restaurant industry, this book teaches your giftee how to maximize every edible part of their ingredient list!
Best for: The fashionista who loves a conversation piece.
Vegan leather is no longer a new trend, but Noah’s Wine Leather Sammy shoe is taking this low-impact fashion staple to the next level. Not only are these vegan sneakers made of “wine leather” — a material produced from grape marc, a byproduct of wine production — but they are also biodegradable, meaning they are completely zero waste! They also impress with a climate-friendly carbon footprint, which has about 65% less CO2 emissions in production compared to the sneaker industry.
Gift green this holiday season! Every small step we take toward sustainability counts, even that Secret Santa gift you put under the tree this year.
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Published December 19, 2023 3:04PM
Eveelife is an eco-oriented lifestyle platform that helps consumers make more purposeful choices about how they live and what they consume. We do it by curating content and products that help them make more conscious, carbon-free choices while amplifying their EV ownership experience.
