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It may seem like there’s no such thing as a list of truly eco-friendly gifts—between the wrapping paper, the packaging materials, and carbon footprint of shipping presents across the country, it can seem like minimizing waste and participating in holiday gift exchanges are completely antithetical to one another.
However, there are some ways to make the holiday season more earth-friendly. For this guide, we chose to feature gift ideas that set yourself or your loved ones up with tools that will make it easier to foster a more sustainable lifestyle throughout the rest of the year.
In the spirit of reducing waste, this list of eco-friendly gifts includes goods made from post-consumer and sustainable materials, items that serve to reduce household food waste, as well as items designed to replace single-use plastics in the kitchen and around the home in the spirit of a zero-waste mindset.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: We’re big fans of Bee’s Wrap. It’s Epi’s favorite plastic wrap alternative, as it stands up to consistent daily use and has a moldable yet sturdy feel. It’s basically a cloth food wrap fortified with beeswax, which makes it both sturdy and pliable. A few sheets of Bee’s Wrap are a great gateway eco-friendly gift for anybody on your list who is just getting started on building a more sustainable kitchen.
These reusable silicone zip-top bags are heat-safe, freezer-safe, and dishwasher-safe, which is just one reason why they won our product test for the best alternative to plastic bags. These make an especially great gift for people who pack their lunch often or like to bring snacks on the go.
Due to a widespread effort to reduce the amount of single-use plastic grocery bags, lots of people have a drawerful of reusable grocery totes these days—but canvas tote bags also have a sizable carbon footprint. Instead of going for a brand-new canvas grocery bag, look for totes made from recycled materials, like this Blue Q tote that's made of 95% recycled plastic.
I’ve gone on record as a personal fan of solid dish soap, and I’ve been using it in my kitchen since I first tested it out. While cutting plastic out of our lives is not the easiest thing in the world, going for a block of long-lasting bar soap is a surprisingly simple switch to make, and the perfect gift for someone trying to reduce plastic waste.
Silicone baking mats are one of the easiest ways to cut down of single use materials in the kitchen. Not only can they go in the oven, but they are also useful if you need a nonstick surface for making candy, rolling out dough, or decorating cookies. Similarly, silicone muffin cups can be used over and over again and are very easy to wash.
For the eco-conscious aesthete, Swedish dishcloths check a lot of boxes when it comes to functionality and design. Made of biodegradable cellulose and cotton, they are highly absorbent and mildly abrasive, like a sponge. These reusable cloths come in endless combinations of solid colors and patterns.
Silicone lids are versatile because they don’t have to be sized to a specific container; instead, they create a seal when pressed against the rim or lip of any pot or bowl. The best versions can withstand high oven temperatures and can also go in the refrigerator or freezer. Smaller sizes are perfect for covering partially used canned foods or cups of coffee, whereas the big ones can cover casseroles and Dutch ovens.
Anyone who wants to transport large dishes of homemade food this holiday season might appreciate this thoughtful gift for cutting down on foil and plastic. Canvas food covers are designed to fit standard casserole dishes—and they’re machine washable too.
Making sparkling water yourself will help decrease your use of plastic bottles. There are several home soda maker options out there, ranging from the purely functional to the more visually appealing. If the giftee in question is particularly stylish, they will appreciate the Aarke’s minimalist stainless-steel design. The BPA-free, refillable bottles last for hundreds of uses, and fits neatly in a refrigerator door.
Even if you use recycled paper, the whole act of gift wrapping can feel a little wasteful, especially in this context. In Japan, people use furoshiki for all manner of carrying and wrapping. With artful folds and knots, furoshiki cloth can transform into a produce bag, a water bottle holder, wrapping paper, and plenty more. The best part? There's no limit to how many times it can be reused.
The secret to cutting down on paper towel usage is to own a large quantity of kitchen towels—like, way more than you think you need—and to stop being precious about using them to wipe up coffee spills and tomato sauce splatters. Look for towels made from recycled materials, as it takes approximately 5,283 gallons of water to produce just 2.2 pounds of conventionally grown cotton.
Blueland is a cleaning brand that aims to reduce the plastic waste related to household cleaning. Its supplies are formulated as dissolvable tabs that can be put straight into reusable spray bottles. Their solutions are also free from phosphates, bleach, ammonia, and VOCs, which adds to their sustainable appeal. Once you’ve unpacked your order, you can either compost or recycle all of their shipping materials.
For any gift recipient in your life who is both eco-savvy and creative, a plastic water bottle stripper might be a good surprise gift. The contraption cuts down plastic bottles into slender strips, which can be used for all manner of crafts, like weaving and basket making. I have one for myself for making papier-mâché armatures.
Not everybody has the space to have a full-on outdoor composting setup, which is what makes the bokashi composting method especially great for apartment dwellers. These composting bins allow you to process food scraps entirely indoors, and they don’t release gas during the process.
While biodegradable and compostable straws are much more common these days, there’s still some value to having a reusable straw on hand for avowed plastic-free folks. For one, paper straws don’t always offer the most pleasant drinking experience, and you still might encounter the plastic variety in the wild. A collapsible metal straw with a to-go case is ideal for travel, but we also like glass straws for drinks at home.
