It’s that time of the year again! Before you rush out to malls or websites to purchase your holiday gifts, make sure to check out our sustainable gift guide first. The 2023 collection includes gifts at all price ranges that give back to social causes from healthcare and the environment to a number of women’s causes. Check out what’s new or visit one of previous editions and find the perfect gift for everyone on your list!
Ornaments for Animal Rescue
Looking for a Christmas party gift, hostess gift or a unique stocking stuffer for an animal lover? Forged Flare specializes in creating unique ornaments that are reminiscent of stained glass. Handcrafted in Texas and perfect for gifting, my Mother’s Angels ornaments make people feel seen, appreciated, and heard. Pick a design filtered by an emotion – representing luck, love, peace, etc; by birth month, holiday occasion or charity.
The Paw Print for Charity ($49.95) holiday ornament that shows an angel with a paw print, gives back 30% of every sale to HOME Rescue, a local animal shelter in the Dalls-Ft. Worth area. The founder, Jen Street and her family created this design with a specific intent — to give back directly as a thank you for getting them through the loss of their pet.
Tote Bags for the Planet
No one needs another tote bag, but yes, they do need this one! Any travel addict on your gift list is going to love the oversized tote bag by Xplorer Maps, with hand-drawn story maps and accessories that illustrate various destinations. Select your favorite national park, city or destination, or collect them all. Made of heavy duty cloth material, the tote bags are reusable and sustainable. Take them grocery shopping, to the beach, or even holiday shopping! Get a matching jigsaw puzzle and keep the entire family engaged during the holidays.
Xplorer Maps is a member of 1% for the Planet, which partners in conserving and preserving our public lands. To date, they’ve donated over $145,000 to nearly 40 different organizations worldwide.
The bags cost $24.99 and are available through their website and on Amazon.
Sustainable Athletic Ware
Let’s face it – you are going to pack up a few pounds during the holidays and come January, you will likely set a new year’s resolution to eat healthy and exercise more! So, gift someone you love, as well as yourself, Vitality premium athletic apparel and loungewear for added motivation to move. My personal favorite is the Cloud II Trouser ($88) which comes in a dozen colors. It is flattering and super comfortable, perfect for running errands, walking at the trail, and while traveling.
Vitality’s brand designs are for everyBODY, available in sizes 2XS-4XL, including for men and women. Vitality’s mission of inclusivity, commitment to customers, and focus on confidence-inducing apparel remains at the forefront. Each piece of clothing is sustainable, ensuring steps to reduce energy consumption, material waste, and emissions. Along with sustainable and ethical production practices, Vitality has also raised $500,000+ for a variety of organizations including the Special Olympics, It Gets Better project, Active Minds, Girls, Inc., American Red Cross, and more.
Gourmet Food Supporting Women in The Workforce
If there’s a foodie or chef on your gift list, get them a meaningful subscription box from the Denver-based social enterprise Women’s Bean Project (WBP). This initiative encapsulates gourmet products from WBP and additional complementary products from curated brands. For only $75, your receiver will get a box full of surprises each quarter, which includes an assortment of baking, soup and bread mixes, spices, snacks and recipes.
What sets this gourmet food subscription apart is its profound impact – 100% of the proceeds directly contribute to training and employing women who face significant barriers to entering the workforce. Women’s Bean Project hires women with histories of incarceration and homelessness, women who are ex-gang members or former addicts with multiple felonies, and puts them to work manufacturing gourmet food items. But more importantly, the nonprofit addresses the mental, physical, and emotional health of the women participating in the program.
Candles for Female Leaders
Barbie is not the only one to highlight girl power in 2023! These cute vegan soy wax candles by Candier feature sassy and fun messages that make for the perfect personalized gift any woman or teen girl will love. Send good smells, holiday sprinkles and inspiring messages like the Donut Worry Candle. Warning – It actually smells like a fresh glazed donut and may make you hungry!
Candier’s flagship candles are poured in the U.S. with pure, natural sustainable soy wax and are cruelty-free blended with essential oils. Plus, a portion of all Candier sales go to Girls Inc, to support the next generation of female leaders. They’re also 100% committed to minimizing their carbon footprint and fighting climate change by limiting their plastic use and donating to Greenspark.
Blankets For Breast Cancer Victims
Want to gift a warm hug across the miles? Moon Sonders Dreamighty® wearable throw blanket will keep adults and kids warm and snuggly all through the winter. Available in solid colors and character patterns, the soft fleece blankets with sleeves are perfect to wear as you sip on hot chocolate, watch a feel good movie or while you wrap Christmas gifts.
The founder, Karen Bonnici is herself a breast cancer survivor and committed to supporting breast cancer victims. Her “Let Your Strength Shine” blanket is a heartwarming ally for the Pink Fund’s essential mission and 5% of profits from sales of blankets goes to alleviating the financial strain on breast cancer patients.
Order the Moon Sonder blankets for the entire family on Amazon. Kids $29.99 and adults $49.99.
Coffee Mugs Supporting Art
Gift the coffee lovers on your holiday list characteristic handcrafted coffee mugs and espresso cups created by artisans. These are no ordinary mugs! They are especially designed for those who cherish art, culture, and coffee. The best selling Snowman Mug ($49.99) with gold handle was conceptualized during a workshop where artisans shared tales of their childhood winter memories. Today, every purchase of this mug ensures their stories continue, fostering a community of shared memories and art.
For every mug sold, a portion of the proceeds is directed towards supporting local artisans and their families. Enjoy Ceramic Art also collaborate with community initiatives that focus on preserving traditional ceramic craftsmanship, ensuring a future for this art in the modern age.
Hats For Social Impact
Hats are a must have in my travel suitcase so I always love it when someone gifts me a new hat! You can’t have too many, right? One of my favorite hat companies is Wallaroo, which is made in Colorado and inspired by Australia. For nearly two decades, this company has been dedicated to creating trendy hats that effectively protect the skin from harmful UV rays. Skin cancer is a growing concern around the world, and Wallaroo takes skin cancer education and prevention seriously. Make sure to select a hat rated according to the UV radiation blocking capabilities. A UPF 50+ Palm Beach ($55) fabric fedora blocks 97.5% of ultraviolet rays, according to the Australian Radiation Protection Agency, and is fashionable to wear at ant resort. The wide brim Sanibel hat ($53) ensures maximum sun protection and the chin strap provides extra wind resistance for when you are out at the beach or open water.
Wallaroo Hat Company is part of a growing global community of 2,100 Certified B Corporation® making business a force of good. In addition to designing fashionably functional hats, Wallaroo donates sanitary products to women in need.
Block Printing Honoring Artisans
If you are looking for household gifts for the parents or in-laws, Saffron Marigold is a fair trade, handcrafted textile company that produces beautiful, boho-chic home decor and accessories with unique block-printed designs. They work in fair trade partnership with artisans in India who utilize eco-friendly materials from local sources and adopt low-energy production techniques, mainly handcrafted methods. You can find table lines, bedspreads, quilts and shower curtains made of natural fibers like cotton, alongside reclaimed or upcycled materials, as well as low-impact and natural dyes. As a result, the patterns are vibrant and stylish!
Every purchase ensures a wonderful ripple effect: steady employment for skilled artisans, economic self-sufficiency for apprentices, and safeguarding the time-honored craft of block printing.
Jewelry Supporting Breast Cancer Research
Alexis Jae Jewelry offers one on a kind solid 14k gold and diamond statement pieces that female travelers on your gift list will love. Ethically sourced gems and recycled gold ensure that the jewelry is not only pretty, but sustainable. They are also sold at wholesale prices without any middleman markups. What’s more? 25% of profits from all product sold support breast cancer research through a partnership with A Cure In Our Lifetime.
Check out the compass necklace ($600) that will remind you to stay course and follow your North Star, or get the jet setter a chic and versatile 14k gold aircraft pendant ($115).
Spices For Equity
If you love to cook like me, you will love the quality of spices from Burlap & Barrel. They are a leading purveyor of single origin spices sourced equitably around the world. Founded in 2016, Burlap & Barrel is a single origin spice company and social enterprise working directly with expert spice farmers in more than 20 countries to source unique, beautiful spices for home cooks and professional chefs.
Really, their spices taste fresher and more flavorful because they come directly from small farms! With a better-than-fair-trade sourcing model, they help improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. You can find practically any spice on their website, from Royal Cinnamon and Zanzibar Black Peppercorns, to rare botanicals like Amazonian Pompona Vanilla and Wild Timur Pepper from the Himalayas. My personal favorite is the chef Floyd Cardoz masala gift set ($66.99) because it is packed with six essential flavors from all over India, but you really cannot go wrong with any of their spice collections.
Gift Wraps For The Planet
Finally, wrap all your gifts this holiday season with Shiki Wrap’s reusable gift wrap and bags made from sustainable materials. You can machine wash and reuse these soft, stretchy, fabric wraps without any need for tapes and ribbons. These beautiful printed gift wraps not only help save the environment, they also support artists and feature designs that benefit nonprofit organizations. For example the Ocean Conservation themed prints benefit The Rozalia Project for clean oceans and a healthy marine ecosystem. Prices range from $14-25 per wrap. Get the entire holiday collection for $135 and you will have plenty to wrap all your gifts this year.
Shiki Wrap is a 1% for the Planet member that includes thousands of businesses and environmental organizations working together to support people and the planet.
