19 Ideas for Sustainable Holiday Gifts

This holiday season, give your loved ones gifts that will bring them joy and are good for the planet. Here are some ideas for eco-friendly gifts of all price ranges:

1. A smart thermostat. Help your loved one save energy (and the planet) with a smart thermostat in their home. Learn more about the benefits of smart thermostats in this blog post.

2. Eco-friendly clothing and apparel, such as Adidas shoes made from recycled ocean plastic or clothing from tentree—a sustainable clothing company that plants ten trees for every item sold!

3. A National Parks pass. Give your loved one the gift of nature this year by giving them access to more than 2,000 recreation areas across the country with a National Parks entrance pass. If they need ideas on where to visit first, our CleanChoice team compiled a list of our favorite national parks! 

4. A sustainable cookbook. Recipes that are zero waste or plant-based can help your loved one reduce the environmental impact of their meals. Learn more about the significant environmental benefits of plant-based eating in this blog post.

5. A 4ocean bracelet. 4ocean sells bracelets made from recycled materials and removes one pound of ocean trash for every product sold. So far, 4ocean has removed more than 25 million pounds of trash from oceans and coastlines around the world!

6. Solar-powered products from MPOWERD, such as outdoor lanterns, string lights, and even mobile charging devices. MPOWERD works to provide clean energy to the more than 3 billion people around the world who don’t have access to clean, reliable, or affordable electricity—so their products are eco-friendly and support a great cause!

7. Pela phone case. Pela offers 100% compostable phone cases, AirPods cases, smart watch bands, and more. Pela’s phone cases create 30% less emissions, use 34% less water, and create 80% less waste than traditional phone cases. To date, Pela customers have prevented more than 313,000 pounds of plastic from ever being produced!

8. Grouphug solar charger. This mini solar panel can be hung from a window with a simple suction cup hook, and through its USB port can charge phones, smart watches, and more—with 100% solar-power!

9. A puzzle made from recycled materials. Give loved ones of all ages puzzles from eco-conscious brands such as eeBoo or Cobble Hill!

10. Eco-friendly candles. Candles can make the perfect holiday gift, but many candles contain harmful chemicals that are released into the air while burning. Give the gift of an eco-friendly candle made with natural, non-toxic ingredients. 

11. Live plants, such as succulents or other decorative house plants. Help your loved one green their home with these air-purifying house plants! 

12. An electric scooter, bike, or even car. If you have a big holiday budget and want to go all-out with gift-giving this year, consider buying your loved one an electric scooter or bike—or even an electric car—to help them reduce their transportation footprint.

13. Lomi composter. This sleek and stylish countertop composter can compost food waste with just the click of a button and turn it into organic fertilizer in just a few hours. Help your loved one save the planet by diverting food waste from landfills, where it releases harmful methane gas.

14. Reusable products to help your loved ones reduce waste. Check out our blog post with ideas for must-have reusable products, or gift them this Zero Waste Starter Kit—the ultimate beginner’s bundle for living waste-free!

15. A gift card to an eco-friendly brand. Check out our blog post to find environmentally conscious brands. You could also give a gift card for an experience, such as a museum or cooking class, rather than material items.

16. A professional home energy audit. By having a home energy professional inspect their home, they can discover where their home is inefficient and how they can increase the energy efficiency of their home. You'll help them save money on their energy bills all year long! Learn more about home energy audits here.

17. A donation to an environmental organization in their name. Honor them by supporting an organization that works to protect our planet and fight climate change. Need some inspiration on where to donate? Check out these 20 incredible environmental organizations. 

18. Trees planted in their name. The Arbor Day Foundation will plant trees in honor of your loved one in the U.S. forest of your choice and even send them a personalized commemorative certificate!

19. Holiday offsets to directly support the sustainable care of forests. This holiday season, give your loved one a gift that will heal our planet for future generations, by sending an eco-friendly gift that helps replenish our forests. Your $25 gift will offset 1 ton of CO2—that has the environmental impact equivalent to preventing 1,003 lbs of coal from being burned!

For more sustainable gift-giving inspiration, check out these creative ideas for eco-friendly gift-wrapping solutions to cut down on waste this holiday season.

If you’re shopping for gifts online, consider using EcoCart—a free internet extension that automatically offsets the environmental impact of your order. You can also download the Finch browser extension to easily view a product’s sustainability score while online shopping.

Looking for more ways you can make a positive impact on the environment? One of the easiest and most impactful ways you can help protect our planet is by choosing 100% clean, renewable energy from wind and solar for your home. Learn more about how you can sign up today and help create a better environment for future generations.