Our 2020 Holiday Gift Guide is here!
I want to start off by acknowledging that we are in a very unusual circumstance as we near the end of 2020 and enter the holiday season. However, there’s still something exciting about this time of year. We all want to express our appreciation for our loved ones—maybe now more than ever.
Despite the current state of things, we still wanted to share our recommendations for sustainable gift-giving. As I write this blog intro, NYC public schools have been closed indefinitely and we are in the midst of the second wave of COVID-19. Many of us will be spending the holidays as much smaller groups, and will be canceling scheduled trips home or to other destinations. Understanding that we will all want to stay connected, and of course, exchange gifts with one another during such a dark time, there is a way to do so without creating a ton of waste.
Before I jump in, I STRONGLY advocate for second-hand gifts when possible. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Ebay, Poshmark, ThredUp, local thrift stores, Buy Nothing groups—these are all fantastic options and you can find literally ANYTHING you could ever want. Not only that, but second-hand is much more inexpensive and affordable. That being said, I understand that not everyone is comfortable with second-hand gift giving so I hope this guide will help make shopping a bit more eco-friendly for you.
I’m going to start with sustainable, physical gifts, followed by a slightly more “zero waste” style with reusable gifts, and then finish it off with “no gift” gifts. This guide is pretty comprehensive so there should be something for everyone in here!
Sustainable Gifts
Home
EarthHero
EarthHero is an awesome online shop for all things zero waste. You can find a gift for everyone on your list, including your boss, your three-year-old nephew, and your cat. I always want to recommend brands and companies that do the right thing, so I’m proud to work with these guys! All of the products on their online shop go through strict guidelines and they look at the complete lifecycle including materials and ingredients, production processes, fair labor, and packaging. EarthHero truly understands that upstream AND downstream elements must be considered when we vote with our dollars for sustainable brands. They're also a certified B Corporation and a member of 1% for the Planet.
Use code ZEROWASTENYC for $5 off your order!
The Growing Candle
This is not your ordinary candle! Hyggelight is a family-owned business based in Toledo, Ohio and their Growing Candle is a product that starts as a candle and transforms into a pot of wildflowers! When the candle burns down you simply plant the label into the empty vessel, cover it with soil, and watch the flowers grow!
Use code feel’inPINE for 20% off your order!
Other sustainable candles:
ReWined - Natural soy wax, made from a repurposed wine bottle (yay reuse!) and locally in Charleston, SC.
PF Candle Co - Plant-derived oils, 100% soy wax, terra-cotta jars designed for reuse as a planter, brush holder, or storage once the candle is finished! Available on Amazon (I don’t normally endorse Amazon but it doesn’t seem to be available on the PF site any longer).
GoodLight - Plant-based paraffin-free, 100% non-GMO plant-based palm wax.
Apparel and Accessories
Torrain
Torrain is a company I recently discovered. They offer handmade, high-quality bags made out of feed packaging! Think pet food, cement, rice, malt, wheat, grass seed, and flour packaging. The lining of the bags are made from recycled plastic bottles and they source materials from South Africa, Morocco the US, and Southeast Asia.
TenTree
tentree is a sustainable clothing and accessories company that uses hemp, cork & organic cotton. They also plant 10 TREES for every single item that is sold. To date, they’ve planted over 50 Million trees! Planting trees is a considerable solution to climate change since they capture and therefore reduce atmospheric carbon.
They celebrate “Green Friday” so shop their site on Friday 11/27 for up to 50% off!
Allbirds
I’m sure most of you have heard of Allbirds. They are a sneaker company that uses natural and recycled materials in all of their products. They also measure the emissions of everything from their materials to the end of life of their products and utilize carbon offsets. They eventually want to be a carbon-negative company. Lastly, they’re a B-Corp and use 90% post-consumer recycled cardboard as their packaging.
Pela Case
A compostable phone case that all started from a family vacation in Hawaii. This is definitely a sustainable way to protect your phone, but make sure you inform the person you are gifting this to how they can properly dispose of Pela Case at its end of life. The cases can be industrially composted where available (look into compostingcouncil.org to locate your nearest industrial composting facility and see if they accept bioplastics). One of the things I love most about Pela Case is that if your city does not have an industrial composting facility, or does not accept compostable bioplastics, you can send your old Pela Case back to the company so they can reuse the material!
Reuse Gifts
What’s better than giving the gift of reuse?! There’s a sneaky, yet fun way to do this. I love to cook, so making food items as gifts is a dream for me. The trick is to make whatever food item you want to gift in a jar, that way the person can consume the goods and then reuse the jar when it’s empty!
Some jar dessert ideas:
Gifts for Kids
Beyamade
Beyamade is a sustainable, ethical baby and toddler clothing brand. The clothing fits 3x longer than other brands because they’re adjustable and grow with your child! If you aren’t going to opt for second-hand and prefer to buy new baby clothing, I definitely advocate for high-quality purchases that will last and can be passed down (if it’s financially feasible for you).
ECOlunchbox
High-quality food storage containers. Non-toxic, stainless steel lunch boxes and lunch bags (great for adults too). They’re also a woman owned business and another B Corp!
Other fun, eco-friendly gifts for kids:
Green Toys - made from 100% recycled plastic and in the USA
Bombas Sesame Street Youth Socks
Outdoor Activity Box - connecting with nature is so important!
Second-hand Kids
My personal favorite way to shop for gifts for little ones is second-hand. Thrift stores sell TONS of toys and clothing in almost perfect condition and often with tags still on them. Children outgrow clothing and their toys so fast that thrifting is smart and economical!
Some local stores in NYC:
Hour Children
Owl Tree Kids
Jane’s Exchange
Flying Squirrel
Craig’s List, FB Marketplace & Buy & Sell groups are also good choices!
Online - SidelineSwap offers great deals on new and used sporting equipment
The no Gift, Gifts
74% of Americans prioritize experiences over products. Studies have found that spending money on experiences brings more lasting joy than spending money on things.
Events
Restaurant Gift Card - this is a great gift, especially if you want to advocate for low waste, farm to table, sustainable or vegan restaurants like Lighthouse, Rhodora, or Jajaja Mexicana (all NYC based). They can be used for takeout or for a post-COVID outing.
Eventbrite gift card, or tickets to virtual events!
Airbnb Experiences - a lot of these in-person experiences have gone virtual. Now you can learn a new skill without leaving the comfort of your home.
Education
CourseHorse, Skillshare, Coursera - remote learning for adults!
Learn a new language with Duolingo, Babbel, or the OG—Rosetta Stone.
Media/Entertainment
Audiobook subscription to Kindle, Nook, Audible.com, or Scribd.
Audm subscription - this app will literally read articles to you! The app brings you narrated, long-form articles from the most prestigious publishers including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, WIRED, Vanity Fair, and many more. This is great for your super busy friend that still wants to stay informed.
Luminary Subscription - subscription-based podcast service with original shows.
Subscription to any other form of online entertainment like Spotify, Netflix, HBO Max, etc. Seriously, if someone paid for six months of Netflix for me, I would be thrilled!
Fitness
While most gyms aren’t open right now, lots of people are opting to work out from home. Consider an online subscription to their favorite workout studio.
Donations as Gifts
Think about the people in your life that already seem to have everything and you never know what to buy them. Making a donation on someone’s behalf for a cause they care about is the perfect compromise!
Some suggestions on local NYC based organizations who are fighting climate change you can donate to:
Sanitation Foundation
Grow NYC
LES Ecology Center
Big Reuse
Earth Matter
Surfrider NYC
Community Mutual Aids
Community Fridges
Community Cleanups
Local Gifts
As much as I advocate for sustainable gifts I also think it’s super important to support local makers. Now, if you can find a local business owner who also sources responsibly and prioritizes sustainability, that’s the dream! This month and next in NYC there are a ton of in-person and virtual holiday markets where you can support local artists and makers: donyc.com/holidaymarkets
Low waste
gift wrap
Low waste gift wrapping tips:
Use brown Whole Foods or Trader Joes bags that you have lying around
Plantable seed paper
Ribbons will usually get tangled in equipment at recycling centers. Use twine or hemp or any string from natural fibers that can be composted, and use real items as adornments (cinnamon, vanilla or real plants!).
Scrap fabric - think about clothing you have in a bag to donate and cut pieces of fabric from that.
Paper tape
Fabric, or the item as wrapping paper. Example: scarf, pretty dish cloth, cloth napkin or produce bag.
Speaking of fabric as the wrapping paper, try Furoshiki! Furoshiki is a Japanese style of fabric wrapping using a square piece of cloth. The word refers both to the craft and to the cloth itself, which usually has an elegant, decorative design. Furoshiki has become increasingly popular with cultures around the world as it has transformed the art of gift-giving. Check out how to do it here.
I hope you all enjoyed this gift guide and got some great ideas for what to buy your loved ones. Happy Holidays!