When shopping for the perfect present, it is important to incorporate sustainability into your gifting plan. Purchasing items online, using shipping services, and purchasing products that are made packaged in heavy plastic can be detrimental to the environment. In this article, we will explore the best eco-friendly gifts that will fit any budget. Your recipient and the planet will thank you!

Reusable Straws (Bonus Points if They are Packable!)

One of the best eco-friendly gifts you can invest in for your recipient is reusable straws. While these might be a staple in many sustainable households, they are a great way to get your less eco-friendly friends on board with being kind to the planet.

If accessible to your friends, we recommend purchasing glass or metal straws to avoid plastic use altogether. There are some brands that even offer packable reusable straws so that your recipients can carry them everywhere they go! Many reusable straws come in different shapes and colors so that you can customize your gift depending on who the recipient is. Sip sip, hooray!

Beeswax Food Wraps

One of the most commonly used kitchen tools is plastic wrap. Plastic wrap, while inexpensive, can be extremely detrimental to the environment. It takes a very long time for plastic wrap to biodegrade in the earth’s soil. Not only that, but plastic wrap is not reusable, and must be thrown out after a single use. Plastic wrap can also transmit microplastics into our food and leftovers, causing harm to our bodies long-term.

Take care of those on your gift list this year and invest in beeswax food wraps! These are reusable, organic wraps that can be cleaned and stored easily for everyday use. Plus, they also come in fun colors and patterns to help spice up your gifts this holiday season.

Coconut Shell Bowls

If your friends and family are fans of smoothie bowls or oatmeal, they have likely eaten out of a coconut shell bowl while on vacation or at a health food restaurant. Why not bring the fun of eating out of a coconut shell bowl to the comfort of home? By gifting coconut shell bowls, you are investing in a reusable, organic, and sustainable product that also offers an element of fun. These bowls can be engraved with the names of your recipients, or customized with designs for a personalized touch.

Eco-Friendly Soaps

A good-smelling soap makes for the perfect holiday gift. Try visiting a local farm or soap shop to see what they have to offer! Oftentimes, these soaps will be packaged without plastic and made on-site, avoiding manufacturing and shipping waste. Plus, you will be supporting a smaller locally owned business and choosing a scent that you think best fits your recipient. 

Eco-friendly soaps make for a great personalized gift for anyone on your wishlist. They are also better for your skin, as they contain essential oils instead of harsh fragrances, and no preservatives or other yucky ingredients for your body.

Biodegradable Phone Case

Phone cases are a great stocking stuffer. However, as phone cases take a lot of wear and tear, they must be replaced quite frequently. Instead of gifting your recipient another basic silicone case, invest in a biodegradable phone case and give back to the planet. These phone cases can be customized, and are typically made from recycled materials.

Reusable Paper Towels

Reusable paper towels are another great eco-friendly gift to add to your shopping list this holiday season. Everybody uses paper towels, whether they are sustainable or not. Try getting your last eco-friendly friends on board with the sustainability movement, by introducing them to a pack of patterned reusable paper towels for their kitchen and bathroom clean-up needs. Typically, reusable paper towels are made with recycled fibers that are made to withstand the wash! 

These paper towels will end up saving your recipient copious amounts of money in household cleaning supplies. This is because reusable paper towels are entirely washable, and can easily be reused again and again. 

Reusable Bags

It may seem as though everybody already has reusable bags, but this is not necessarily the case. Reusable bags are easy to forget, and it seems like we can never have enough of them! Get your recipients a fresh pack of reusable bags to keep in their cars for convenient grocery shopping all of 2023. You can even find packable ones that are made to fit directly in the backseat pockets of vehicles! 

Bamboo Earplugs

Ear plugs are typically a one-time-use product, but if you invest in high-quality ones, this doesn’t have to be the case! Bamboo earplugs make for the perfect stocking stuffer for anybody on your list. Whether they are planning an upcoming trip, have a noisy neighbor, or prefer to commute in silence, everybody has a use for earplugs. 

Composting System

If you have a friend who has been interested in composting, get them off on the right foot with a composting system. Composting doesn’t have to be messy or turn into a big project, there are multiple different composting systems out there for every living style. 

Wrap With Care! 

Finally, we encourage you to remember to wrap your gift items with the planet in mind. Instead of purchasing gift wraps such as bags, paper, bows, and more, use newspaper or other secondhand items around the house to package your gifts. This will add a unique element to the outside of your gift, cost less, and add a sustainability boost!

All of us at HomeOrganic wish you a happy New Year! For more information on how to stay sustainable in the new year, contact us today.