For birthdays, graduations, the holiday season, and more, give your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors a present that makes a big impact — just not on the environment. Eco-friendly gifts are becoming increasingly popular because they can help to divert waste like plastic bags and containers from landfills.

Certain eco-friendly gifts may be carbon-neutral, meaning they don’t cause any further emissions during production. You can reduce your carbon footprint by focusing on gifts that are reusable, which means your friends will get to use them again and again. You can even opt for upcycled gifts to give older materials a whole new life.

When you utilize Kotn Supply, you’ll have access to low-impact, small-production products made of the highest quality materials. And we’re excited to share more great options for you to pick from when the time comes to spread the holiday cheer.

Here’s a closer look at your gift guide for earth-friendly presents everyone will enjoy:

Best Eco-Friendly Gifts for Everyone

The best sustainable products are designed to be used. You have lots of options to choose from, with products that reduce home waste, inspire green thumbs, and add that extra special something to daily activities and practices. Here are a few of our top picks for sustainable living presents that are sure to be a hit. 

1. BPA-Free Water Bottles and Straws

You just can’t go wrong with a refillable water bottle or stainless steel tumbler. Single-use plastic water bottles are some of the most wasteful items in the world — and some of the easiest to swap out.

Reusable water bottles can be made with many different materials, like glass and recycled plastics, and they help to cut down the use of plastic water bottles at home and on the go. They’re available in dozens of colors and styles, so you can find a style or color that your giftee will really appreciate.

Make this gift into a set with a pack of reusable straws that can be added to beverages in lieu of plastic straws, cutting down on emissions and waste. Reusable straws also make for a great stocking stuffer for kids and partners. 

2. Egyptian Cotton Clothing

When Egyptian cotton is properly grown, it can be quite low-impact on the environment — and clothes made from it make perfect gifts.

The Egyptian cotton apparel from Kotn Supply is B corp certified, ethical, and sustainable. Egyptian cotton is machine-washable and a staple of any modern wardrobe thanks to its comfortable and breathable feel.

You can find a wide range of Egyptian cotton clothing, from socks and undies to classic t-shirts and cozy sweatshirts. There’s something for everyone, and Egyptian cotton pieces can be mixed and matched to create a really special gift. 

3. Tote Bags

Natural canvas tote bags are an eco-friendly gift that keeps giving. They are a great gift bag that actually wraps the product, so you can cut down on paper and waste, but your friend or colleague will be able to get good use out of them for a long time to come.

Tote bags come in a wide range of colors, styles, and designs, and you can even personalize them right at home with fabric paints or a silk screen kit. Help them reduce plastic waste with every shop when you gift a unique and versatile tote bag in a personalized design. 

4. Beeswax Wrappers

Another can’t-miss way to reduce your environmental impact at home is with beeswax coverings. Beeswax covers are the perfect substitute for plastic wrap and aluminum foil, which can only be used once. With beeswax wrappers, the kitchen requires fewer single-use products, and food will last longer, meaning less waste in landfills. 

5. Recycled Yoga Mat

There are many reasons to consider gifting a recycled yoga mat this holiday season. To start, recycled yoga mats give new life to products that would have otherwise ended up in the trash, and upcycling is one of the best ways to reduce our environmental outputs every day.

It’s also lovely to share the gift of yoga this holiday season. There are many health benefits to practicing yoga, both for the mind and body; this can make for a wonderful gift for starting the new year off right. If you want to add something special to the gift while still keeping it sustainable and low-impact, consider pairing it with a subscription to an online yoga program or app. 

6. Compost Bin

Composting at home doesn’t have to be complicated. There are several options for at-home compost bins and programs, depending on where you live.

With a compost bin, they won’t need to worry about tossing the old fruits and veggies. Instead, food waste and certain recycles will break down, diverting waste from the landfill and potentially helping local farmers and gardeners, as well.

7. Reusable Paper Towels

Reusable paper towels made from sustainable materials may seem a little out there, but it’s an idea that’s growing in popularity. Instead of being made from recycled paper, they simply act as towels, substituting the single-use products we use daily.

Reusable paper towels fit right onto the paper towel rack we already have in our homes and can be tossed into the washing machine at the end of the week with the clothes. Reusable paper towels come in many colors and designs, so this is an easy gift to personalize and one they’re sure to appreciate. 

8. Shampoo and Conditioner Gift Sets

There are so many types of shampoo and conditioner, so this gift can be a bit more personal than the rest. But if you know a friend searching for a reliable low-impact hair care routine, then a silicone-free shampoo and conditioner set may be the way to go.

A lot of shampoos and conditioners contain microplastics, which are tiny pieces of plastic that get into the environment, as well as the food and water we consume. The good news is that you can find eco-friendly products that don’t contain such microplastics, including shampoo and condition bars.

Instead, these are often scented with natural ingredients like essential oils that have all of the pleasant aromas with none of the unpleasant chemicals. 

9. Skincare and Self Care

Similarly, a lot of skincare products also include microplastics. Microplastics are bad for the environment, and they can actually affect our skin, as well.

Organic, all-natural, small-production products are often far more effective for achieving healthy, glowing skin. If you know your friend or partner well enough, consider gifting them skincare products that fit into their existing routine but leave a smaller carbon footprint behind. 

10. Cruelty-Free Beauty Products

Eco-friendly beauty products have also become popular as sustainable gifts in recent years. In many cases, beauty products are also cruelty-free, helping to protect nature and all living things. 

Cruelty-free products tend to be gentler on the skin — especially those made without synthetic fragrances or dyes — may be useful for people who don’t like to use a lot of product or who have sensitive skin. They can be a tad more costly since they are made with sustainable, often fair-trade ingredients and practices, so they make for a thoughtful and lovely gift for the holidays. 

How To Wrap It 

Not only can you pick up a cool and long-lasting eco-friendly gift for your friends and loved ones this holiday season, but you can wrap it in an eco-friendly way, as well.

Here are a few of our top picks for low-impact wrapping options they’re sure to appreciate:

Compostable Paper

There are types of compostable, recyclable, and low-impact wrapping paper available on the market. Not only can these paper products be used again if they’re kept in good shape, but they can be put into the compost bin or recycling bin to ensure that they don’t end up in the landfill, like other types of wrapping paper. You can even find biodegradable paper or plant-based paper options. 

Recycled Materials

Of course, the best way to be sustainable is to skip new purchases whenever possible. Most of us likely have spare materials of some kind or another around the house, and you’d be surprised at how many creative ways those materials can be used to wrap a present. 

Consider taking a shawl or scarf you don’t wear, or even spare fabric from the scrap pin, and tying the present in a pretty knot. Newspaper, brown bags, and even old t-shirts can all be used to elegantly wrap a gift without creating any new waste. 

Reused Gift Box or Gift Wrap

You also want to look at any gift boxes or gift wrapping you already have in the house. The more uses a product gets before going into the trash; the lower its environmental impact will be.

Try to save any wrapping paper, bags, or boxes from previous holiday gifts or celebrations. Then, pull out your many clever options when the time comes for sustainable wrapping. It will save you money and help to reduce your environmental output. 

Or, go the extra mile by forgoing the boxes and paper bags altogether: Slide your present into a canvas tote bag, and then the wrapping is part of the gift — and it’s totally reusable. 

Conclusion

There are many benefits to sharing sustainable gifts with friends and family this holiday. When we work together, we can create a culture focused on environmental sustainability and cutting down on waste. We can ensure that the gifts we share are useful for a long time to come. Reusable gifts can even be used to save money over time, which is another benefit to long-term products.

The awesome news is that you have tons of sustainable and zero-waste gift ideas to pick from when the next celebration rolls around. Many sustainable products are available in various colors and patterns, so they can be customized and personalized, and sustainable products are really designed to be useful, which means your friend will enjoy them again and again.

You can even wrap your sustainable gifts in an eco-friendly way, with the materials you already have in the house, or even gift boxes and bags from previous holidays.

If you’re on the search for sustainable gifts at a larger scale, Kotn Supply has you covered. We make it easy to design, order, and track your personalized custom products, and we’re proud to work in an eco-friendly, low-impact way at every step of the process.

Learn more about sustainable purchasing and gift-giving with Kotn Supply today.

Sources:

A Beginner’s Guide to Climate Neutrality | UNFCCC

9 Benefits of Yoga | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Microplastics are everywhere — but are they harmful? | Nature

Composting At Home | US EPA