Got some eco-conscious folks on your holiday shopping list this year? Good! With the incredible abundance of green gift ideas that are flooding the markets right now, you should have no problem finding the perfect gift for everyone… no matter what type of ‘green consumer’ they may be.
To kick off the holiday shopping season, we’ve rounded up some of the season’s best green gift ideas. Whether you’re shopping for a health nut or a tree hugger, you’re sure to find a few good ideas below. To make it easy, the gift ideas are categorized according to what kind of green consumer you’re shopping for.
GIFTS FOR THE OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST
INDOOR MUSHROOM GROWING KIT
If your outdoorsy friend lives in the city, help bring the outdoors inside with a mushroom farm. Added benefit: they get mushrooms to eat after just a few weeks
STAINLESS STEEL WI WATER BOTTLE
Help your hiker, runner, cyclist, or day-trekker go BPA-free with a stainless water bottle.
GIFTS FOR THE ANIMAL LOVER
HUMBLE CHIC VEGAN LEATHER WRISTLET
Faux leather has a tendency to look like plastic but some accessory brands are producing very high-quality leather-like bags and wallets that are actually quite luxe. One is Freedom of Animals. Bonus points because their handbags and backpacks require 70% less energy than competitors. First World Trash makes luggage from seatbelts and salvaged vinyl right in their Queens, NY shop
THE WORLD WILDLIFE FOUNDATION
Consider giving the gift of helping out endangered animals around the world. The World Wildlife Fund, for example, sells Elephant Adoption Kits as well as other species kits. This helps out the creatures your friend or family member holds close to their heart, plus it reduces clutter because your gift won’t take up any space on their shelf.
ANY GIFT FROM THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION
When you shop the NWF catalog, every purchase helps wildlife in some way. Their catalog is full of items that animal lovers will treasure, from beautiful bird holiday cards to apparel to home decor.
GIFTS FOR THE HEALTH FANATIC
SOY CANDLES
This is a classic green gift for a reason. Burning regular (made of crude oil) candles produces harmful chemicals that people breathe. Soy candles, on the other hand, burns clean and pure and is 100% natural.
ECO-FRIENDLY YOGA MAT
There are numerous connections between the practice of yoga and environmental awareness and a clean earth. That’s why there’s a touch of irony that most yoga mats are made from harmful substances like phthalates, rubber, latex and other toxic materials. An eco-friendly yoga mat solves the problem and makes a great gift, too.
A DRY BRUSH
Dry brushing is said to get your lymph system pumping naturally. Gift the gift of health with a wood-handled dry brush that improves circulatory system functioning and exfoliates at the same time.
GIFTS FOR THE RESOURCE CONSERVATOR
There’s literally no end to the ways we can all reduce our carbon footprint, consume less, and produce goods with less waste and pollution. To that end, there are tons of small companies popping up in all sectors that produce goods we all need and crave… but which require fewer resources to manufacture. Here are a few of them:
CLOTHING
ECO-FRIENDLY HEAVYWEIGHT SOCKS
The fashion industry is notoriously wasteful and pollutant-producing. I can take 200 tons of water to dye just one ton of fabric! Find a green fashion line and get everyone on your list gussied up the green way. If you have big bucks, splurge for Stella McCartney’s line of green ultra-high fashion. For a wallet-friendly option, try H&M’s Conscious Collection made from sustainable, local fabrics
A HEMP WALLET
Hemp wallets satisfy a few eco-friendly requirements: they’re animal-friendly and they’re also environmentally friendly. National Geographic approves of hemp as a wallet material because it requires very few pesticides and production is carbon neutral.
SMART AIR CONDITIONER CONTROLLER
Thermostats that use artificial intelligence to ‘learn’ your home’s basic energy needs and set the temperature accordingly make great gifts. There are also light switches that ‘learn’, automatically turning the lights on and off as you meander throughout your home during the course of daily living. There are electricity-saving, heating oil-saving, and water-saving devices for every gadget-loving green consumer on your list.
Eco-conscious gift giving can be fun, practical, and surprising. These ideas are only a smattering of what you can give. Let this serve as your launch pad for great ideas to come as you move through the upcoming holiday shopping season. Good luck!