By Christianne Wittbrodt
With the holidays fast approaching, gift shopping can be incredibly stressful. With so many options available to you, how can you decide which one to get? Not to mention, which one will contribute the least to the ever-growing landfills?
From production to packaging to the end-of-life phase of each product, holiday products generate 25% more waste from November through the end of December than is generated during other months. This list compiles a few gift ideas that will wow any woman in your life without adding any extra stress on the planet.
12 Eco-Friendly Gifts To Get Her This Holiday Season
Indoor Vertical Garden
Stunning design, healthy food, good for the planet and for her grocery bill. There’s so much to love about Gardyn’s state-of-the-art indoor hydroponic garden.
With 50 different plants to choose from, the woman in your life will always have a beautiful fresh salad or flowers at her fingertips. The system is fully automated, so it even takes care of itself when you go out of town.
The indoor garden is also a lot of fun for anyone with kids!
Reduce Food Waste At The Push Of A Button
A fantastic gift for the whole family, Lomi composter turns your food waste into plant-friendly dirt with the push of a button. The composter fits on your kitchen counter and is free from odor, pests, and messes.
Food waste is one of the biggest contributors to landfills which generate methane, a greenhouse gas far worse than CO2 for global warming and climate change. Turning food into dirt eliminates those emissions.
Everything from fruits and vegetables to bread to animal products can be tossed in the composter, and in just a few hours it turns waste into soil perfect for any yard or garden.
Cozy Sheepskin Slippers
Who doesn’t love a cozy pair of slippers? While slippers are a popular gift to give during the holidays, not all companies manufacture them in a very sustainable way. This definitely isn’t the case for Xanthe Anna sheepskin slippers.
Everything about these slippers is good for the environment. The slippers are made with eco tan sheepskin, 100% recycled thread, and 60% recycled material for the soles. They are durable, comfortable, and can be worn both inside and outside! She will absolutely love these!
All Natural Fragrance
Most traditional fragrance brands use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are poor for the health of the planet and for the health of the wearer. If you’re looking to find a brand that is more eco-friendly and still has a wide variety of scents to choose from, look no further. Henry Rose fragrances, created by Michelle Pfeiffer, has a scent for everybody! She will adore any one of the countless scents Henry Rose has to offer.
This brand uses all natural ingredients that have been screened by the Environmental Working Group. Henry Rose also uses recycled glass for every bottle and tops each one with a soy cap. I also love that these are the first ever Cradle to Cradle Certified fragrances. Check out their slew of scents to find the right one for every woman on your list.
Oh-So-Soft Organic Cotton Sweatshirt
Everybody loves a cozy hoodie or sweatshirt to curl up in when it’s dreary and cold outside. Most sweatshirts are made almost entirely of synthetic materials that are associated with plastic production. These plastics can end up in our waterways and pollute them once they get tossed into the washing machine. This is why you should look at sweatshirts from brands like Pact.
Their Downtime Cozy-In Sweatshirt is made entirely from organic cotton in a fair trade factory. The production of this sweatshirt saved 64 gallons of water that would have been used if it was made from conventional cotton. She will adore this carbon neutral sweatshirt because it will be soft against her skin and have minimal impact on the environment.
You Can’t Go Wrong With Chocolate
Is the woman you’re shopping for not a fan of receiving clothing for the holidays? Perhaps they have a sweet tooth instead? If that’s the case, look no further! French Broad Chocolate provides delicious chocolates that are to die for. This certified B corp is extremely sustainable and works with local farmers and gardeners.
Every compostable item associated with the chocolate making process is composted which helps the fertility of local soil. If you’re not sure which box to get, why not go with the Signature Collection that has a small taste of everything? These chocolates made in Asheville, North Carolina may just be the perfect gift for Her!
Check out French Bread Chocolates
Sustainable Wine
Another very popular gift during the holiday season is wine! For the wine connoisseur in your life, you might like to check out A to Z Wineworks. Not only do they have a huge variety of wines to choose from, but She will love what each bottle represents! A to Z Wineworks is another certified B corporation and has been named “best for the world” since 2015.
All grapes are locally sourced in Oregon and all direct sales shipping is carbon neutral. On top of this, all company workers get paid above the living wage and the A to Z collaborates with local community partners to provide support. A to Z Wineworks can offer an excellent gift for any woman over 21.
Relax And Reduce Waste At The Same Time
The holidays are a time for comfort. With the end of the year fast approaching, people finally have the time to wind down and relax. Help the woman in your life do this by gifting her a comfortable and durable pair of leggings. The Girlfriend Collective has so many stylish options when it comes to leggings, but a popular one is their compressive high-rise leggings. They are also a great choice of eco-friendly activewear.
She will love that they are made from 79% recycled plastic bottles and that they can be recycled using the ReGirlfriend program. This particular pair of leggings diverted 25 bottles from landfills, prevented the production of 18 pounds of CO2, and saved over 3 gallons of water. This is an excellent gift option for Her!
Check out The Girlfriend Collective
Reusable Makeup Wipes
For women who choose to wear makeup, it can be disheartening to see how many disposable wipes and makeup pads it takes to remove it all after a long day. It can take up to a century for a makeup wipe to decompose since there is no way to repurpose any of the materials it is made of.
If the woman you’re shopping for loves to glam up with makeup each day, she might enjoy Greenzla reusable makeup pads to cut down on the waste associated with makeup removal. These reusable bamboo cotton round pads are soft on sensitive skin and can be easily washed. They come in a pack of 20, taking out any hassle of having to wash them too often. This is any makeup user’s dream!
A Leather Bag She Can Wear With Pride
Purses and handbags allow women to accessorize and feel stylish while still being able to carry all of her essential wares. Unfortunately, a lot of bags are not made with sustainable materials or ethical labor. Fear not because brands like Able Clothing exist!
This brand intentionally works with true leather, uses leather as a byproduct of the meat industry, and uses scraps of leather from the production of some products that would normally be discarded to make into smaller products like wallets. The leather working group that Able Clothing is part of follows strict environmental protections.
Lastly, the company’s Ethiopian partners use a 100% recycled water, closed process system to help maintain a healthy environment. The Lomi Foldover Crossbody is a fashionable purse that any woman would love to carry on her shoulder. It is stylish and represents the movement towards sustainable fashion.
Healthy Hair, Healthy Planet
Hair care is important to ensure that everyone looks and feels their best. Some of the most common problems people with longer hair tend to run are frizz and breakage. For those who don’t like to dry their hair with heat, a neat alternative is a hair towel. Sunrise Bliss offers t-shirt hair towels that can work with varying hair types and prevent those common hair problems.
Each towel is hand-sewn in the USA and the brand itself received an Eco Excellence award. This is unlike synthetic towels that use unfriendly materials.
Eco Rubber Yoga Mat
If the woman you’re shopping for this holiday season enjoys meditation and yoga but wears down her yoga mat quickly, take a look at this alternative! Traditional yoga mats are made of PVC and other materials that are not very eco-friendly.
This Manduka eKO Yoga Mat is made from natural tree rubber that is biodegradable. This yoga mat is 71 inches and comes in several different colors. Due to its thickness, this mat is long lasting and perfect for any yogi!
Happy Holidays!
Holiday shopping may be difficult, the woman you’re shopping for will surely love any of the items on this list. No matter what their interests are, eco-friendly options are available and will help any recipient feel even better about their holiday gifts! From cradle to grave, many of these brands are doing their part to ensure this holiday season is more sustainable and environmentally friendly than the last.
About the author
Christianne is a graduate student at San Diego State University studying sustainability, and she received her bachelor’s degree in the same field of study. She has worked closely with accredited professors to evaluate real world sustainability issues in hopes of learning from them and identifying sustainable solutions. Her love for the outdoors has fueled her passion to ensure that a brighter future is possible!
Disclosure: Every product is carefully selected by our editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.