Best Sustainable Holiday Gifts 2024
This year, I will miss the spending the holiday season at home in Canada for the fifth time due to my travelling lifestyle. I must say, it is much easier convincing my family not to buy me gifts when I’m not there to receive them!
With consumerism running rampant at all times of the year, the holidays have now just become one more way for massive shopping retailers and corporate brands to push more stuff on us. Why not rethink how you do Christmas this year and try giving some more eco-conscious and sustainable holiday gifts to your loved ones?
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Jump to sustainable holiday gift recommendations
alternative green christmas gift ideas
These sustainable holiday gift ideas are a terrific alternative to typical material gifts. Why not try giving your recipient something more special than an object this year?
1. The Eco-Gift of Time for the Holidays
There is nothing that says “I love you” and “you matter to me” than giving someone your time. Planning a date, a weekend getaway, or registering for a workshop or educational classes together with your giftee will help you make memories while connecting doing something you mutually love. Not to mention this will be your best value for money gift, because you can’t put a price tag on love.
2. Sustainable Holiday gifting trend – Donations
Want to put your funds towards a good cause and please your gift recipient? Why not find out which charities or foundations they support or feel passionate about and make a donation in their name? Whether it’s fighting climate change, protecting the amazon rainforest, or supporting wildlife conservation, your gift is sure to be appreciated by any planet-loving person.
3. Local artisan holiday gifts
Supporting local artisans in your community screams economic sustainability. Handmade Christmas gifts that suit your recipient’s style and interests are an excellent option for an ethical holiday gift. Choose from crafts, art, pottery, gifts made from upcycled materials, or any other number of treasures made by a gifted artist you’d like to support.
4. always Popular Consumable Gifts
Nothing brings people together over the holidays quite like food and drink. Perhaps your recipient would enjoy a gift basket of local organic fruits and vegetables, or a cake or tray of other treats from a family-owned bakery? If you’re good in the kitchen you may even consider whipping something up yourself. My mom has become pretty good at creating fancy charcuterie boards over the last few years!
5. Subscriptions as Carbon-neutral Christmas gifts
Another conscious consumerism holiday gift idea would be to purchase your giftee a subscription. If you know their interests, you could buy them a year’s worth of their favourite e-magazine, subscription to an app, or streaming platform they love. If they’re into fitness or yoga, buy them a month’s pass at a local studio. Are they also trying to lead a more sustainable lifestyle? Why not grab them a subscription for some eco-friendly toilet paper at Save Trees?
Looking for more general ways you can make your gifting more eco-friendly? Check out last year’s post for five more low carbon footprint gift ideas and more specific product recommendations, too!
Keep Social Sustainability in Mind
If you want your gift to be truly sustainable, one that is planet-friendly is a great start. But don’t forget about the people that produced your present. Choosing ethical holiday gifts and fair trade Christmas presents are just as important. From sourcing, to manufacturing and shipping, the people behind the items we purchase while gift shopping should be considered. Take a few minutes to look into the background of a brand in this respect before clicking that “Pay Now” button.
our green gift guide recommendation
It was our pleasure to curate some fantastic eco-friendly and ethical holiday presents for you! From organic, recycled, renewable, or biodegradable materials, we hope this list hits the target for your recipient.
Best eco-friendly Christmas presents for the littles
Most of us have children in our lives that we love. Lavishing them in gifts seems to be how we show our adoration, whether it be at birthday parties, Christmas, or other special events. Why not choose non-toxic and sustainable gifts for the tree huggers in training?
all circles
Play items for children to nurture a sense of creativity and imagination, handmade in Canada from baltic birch. Durable and long-lasting, these sustainable toys are lead-safe, low VOC, and have BPA free finishing. All Circles Children’s Fund partners with organizations to alleviate child poverty. These toys make excellent non-toxic holiday gifts for kids.
wishbone design studio
- New Zealand company
- Made to last and repairable
- Contain recycled materials
- Offer a pre-loved marketplace for customers to sell and purchase used
- Five year limited warranty
Natural Rubber Pacifier Keeper Case – hevea
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly baby gift, why not keep the little one’s pacifier clean and safe? Made from natural rubber and free from plastic, phthalates, parabens, or heavy metals. Holds two pacifiers.
Organic cotton t-shirt – by us!
- Certified Organic cotton
- Oeko-TEX Standard Certified
- Print to order means no excess stock wasted
- Made to be remade – returnable at end of lifecycle for circularity
- And you’ll be supporting our brand!
Plastic-free Christmas gifts for an eco-friendly home
Refillable and reusable holiday gifts that help your giftee build a more environmentally-friendly home and lifestyle are the perfect sustainable present!
Sustainable kitchen, bath, Laundry & more
Ecoternatives can help you find affordable, eco-friendly, and sustainable gifts for all areas of your giftee’s home!
With carbon free shipping and zero plastic shipping materials, you can rest assured that your purchase is eco-conscious, too!
Save 10% off your order with code
ECOTERNATIVESANDSS.
Non -toxic air fresheners – enviroscent
These vegan, pet-friendly, and recyclable air fresheners from Enviroscent would make the perfect sustainable holiday gift! Made without acetone, benzophenone-1, BHT, carcinogens DEA, MEA, or TEA, formaldehyde, plus much more. A convenient and flexible subscription service will allow your giftee to purchase refills when necessary.
Explore more plastic-free and ethical gift choices for your recipient’s home from Zero Waste Store here.
Vegan holiday presents for animal lovers
Does your gift recipient love animals and try to lead a cruelty-free lifestyle? Here are some vegan options to consider!
Plant-made protein – livwell
These USDA certified organic plant-made proteins are vegan and free from synthetic fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics, and chemical pesticides. The packaging is made with recycled material and is 100% recyclable or reusable. And, your giftee can find oodles of delicious recipes on Livwell’s website to try out!
Use code PROTEIN15 for 15% off!
plant-based pet food & supplements – Wild eARth
These vet-developed, high-quality protein recipes are made with 100% vegan and cruelty-free ingredients.
Formulas are 24-28% protein by weight and contain all 10 essential amino acids dogs require from their diet. Check out their website for amazing reviews from pet owners!
Ere Perez
- Natural cosmetics made with clean ingredients
- PETA Beauty Without Bunnies certified
- Carbon neutral certified
- Non-GMO
- Signatories of the UN Global Compact
- Use code EPGLOW15 for 15% off!
Environmentally conscious gifts for the traveller
As a traveller myself, I can always appreciate a sustainable travel accessory as a gift! Here are some green Christmas gift ideas for the globetrotter in your life.
Earth backpack – terra thread
Made with 14-oz Certified Fairtrade Organic cotton canvas with 16L capacity, this is the perfect day travel bag for your recipient! Terra Thread is a carbon-neutral B Corporation with a Fair Trade Certified factory. Purchases support the Feeding America campaign, which donates meals to kids and families in need.
Travel bidet – tushy
- A bidet is more sustainable AND better for your butt than toilet paper.
- Lightweight, discreet and collapsible.
- Hinged nozzle with 3-point spout for a 5-star clean.
- Comes with a NEW airmesh carrying case for faster drying.
Casual footwear – thousand fell
Every traveller needs a casual and comfortable pair of shoes that can go with any outfit! Look no further than Thousand Fell. This footwear brand incorporates previously recycled materials and naturally regenerative materials into new products, and allows you to send back your old shoes at no charge to be circulated back into the closed loop system.
Sustainable Holiday gift ideas for the nature and Outdoors lover
From biodegradable Christmas gifts to ones that support causes like preserving coral reefs or tree planting and agroforestry, here are some ideas for the outdoor enthusiast in your circle.
solar powered play – mpowerd
Mpowerd is a Certified B Corporation that provides clean energy options in the form of solar lanterns, string lights and mobile charging. They create products with durability and longevity at the forefront of the design, with a
recycling program to send products back at end of life. They have also delivered over 80,000 Luci solar lanterns and mobile chargers to Ukraine and the surrounding countries since the conflict began.
Nature Prints – successfully sustainable
Choose from a variety of nature photography by our founder and author, Julie Navitka. Printed on 100% recycled paper and shipped in a recyclable cardboard mailer.
Farmstands – lettuce grow
Feeling generous? If your recipient loves to grow their own veggies and herbs, this may be the perfect gift! It’s like a having a mini-greenhouse or garden year-round. Choose from indoor, outdoor, or Farmstand nook, made in the U.S. Includes non-GMO, pesticide-free starter seedlings.
Zero waste Christmas gifts for someone who has everything
Still unsure? Don’t succumb to the pressure and make a panic purchase! Perhaps one of the options below will make the best eco-friendly Christmas present for your loved one.
Organic Cotton sheets – leafscore
Treat your giftee to a sustainable sleep with GOTS Certified organic cotton sheets from Leafscore. They are Fair Trade Certified and come in a variety of sizes. They ship plastic free in a cotton bag and cardboard box.
You can’t go wrong with jewelry! The environmentalist in your life is sure to appreciate some responsibly-made earrings or a bracelet!
sustainable jewelry – Soko
This Certified B Corps is
a women-led, people-first, ethical jewelry brand. They offer jewelry made from a variety of materials including 24k gold-plated recycled brass, and colored products made with locally sourced recycled glass. Their Kazuri pieces include handmade, hand-painted beads that shine in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Use code SOKOANDSS for 20% off!
Need more sustainable holiday gift ideas? Check out our recommendations from last year here or our Sustainable Brands page for a complete directory of environmentally sustainable and responsible brands to help you find the perfect gift.
Let’s talk Eco-conscious gift wrapping
I know you didn’t go to all that trouble finding the perfect sustainable holiday gift to wrap it in non-recyclable paper and cover it in plastic bows, tape, and ribbon! There are plenty of options for green packaging for gifts:
- Reuse wrapping paper you’ve saved from past gifts.
- Newspaper, brown paper, or other scrap paper or magazine pages laying around the house.
- Wrapping paper made from recycled materials.
- A thrifted gift box or basket.
- Wrap your gift in thrifted or scrap fabric.
- Or simply put it in a reusable tote or shopping bag!
Final thoughts about sustainable holiday gifts
Just as with any gift, it’s the thought that counts, so first consider your recipient’s interests and values. Next, consider an alternative to a physical gift – we all tend to have too much “stuff” anyway. If your heart is set on a tangible present, look for eco-friendly materials and from a brand that practices sustainable manufacturing. Don’t forget to wrap your gift in plastic-free and eco-friendly packaging!
Happy Holidays!
All products recommended to you on Successfully Sustainable are independently researched in depth. To avoid waste and lead a minimal lifestyle, we test products only when required. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about this here.
