Check out third year Jamie Wertz's guide to green holiday gift-giving!
Do you have a friend who is always talking about sustainability but you don’t know where to look to find the perfect holiday gift? This list shows that eco-friendly gifts don’t have to be expensive or hard to find. You can save money and save the planet at the same time. Cross off your to-do list by getting your friends and family one of these great zero-waste gifts.
Did you know that over 40 billion plastic utensils are produced each year and tossed away after only being used for a matter of minutes? This bamboo utensil set helps your friend turn away from throw-away culture by providing them with a reusable fork, knife, spoon, and chopsticks. They come wrapped up in a sleeve made from RPET, recycled plastic water bottles, and have a carabiner so you can attach them easily to a lanyard or bag for easy access while on the go.
Americans use 500 million straws every day. Luckily, there is a reusable solution to disposable straws. Whether you're drinking smoothies, juice, or coffee, stainless steel straws make sipping safe and easy. They are easy to clean with the brush, or you can pop them into the dishwasher. Help your friends #skipthestraw and go plastic-free with drinks.
Whether it's buying a head of lettuce and putting it into a bag, stowing groceries, or packing a snack, plastic bags add up! Luckily, there are many alternatives to help avoid being caught needing yet another one. There are heavy-duty grocery bags that fold away to fit into a backpack or pocket, reusable plastic bags that are dishwasher-safe for daily snacks, and washable produce bags for fruits, veggies, and bulk items at the grocery store.
Try making a DIY project for a unique gift. Turn an old jar into a terrarium with a few small plants and stones or make a personalized card out of fun cut-outs from old magazines. Upcycling helps reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills by giving new life to old materials. Other ideas include baking a batch of cookies with seasonal ingredients or making a simple sugar scrub. For this peppermint recipe, all you need is sugar, coconut oil, and peppermint essential oil or extract.
What do you give to a friend living a truly zero waste lifestyle? Rather than supporting consumerism and giving your friends more stuff to accumulate, you can opt to give the gift of an experience. A massage, a cooking class, or tickets to a movie will please any minimalist and provide memories that last longer than the joy of material gifts.
By getting or making any one of these green gifts this holiday season, your friend will be filled with joy as they embrace a more sustainable way of life. Just don’t forget to wrap thoughtfully. Either choose not to wrap at all, put the gift in a reusable grocery bag for two gifts in one, or use another material that you were about to toss out!