By: Catherine Daleo
Reading time: 20-30 minutes

Last but certainly not least in my series on how to have a zero-waste holiday, is the gifts, followed by wrapping everything up with the wrapping paper and all the traveling people do! 

Every year, people stress themselves out and go into debt over buying presents for people, feeling like we’re obligated to get everyone something, and to spend money they don’t have in an attempt to make others happy for the holidays or to feel appreciated. And, this also leads to a lot of waste being generated for the holidays.

There are many different ways that you can be zero-waste, mindful, and minimalistic for the holidays, as well as save money, still make people happy and have a GREAT Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate! Even if you do still want to buy things, there are also a ton of ways to make better choices with doing that as well! 

And I promise you that the people who matter would rather have your presence than actual presents. 

I’ve saved the best for last, because there are just so many amazing ideas that anyone can try out in their journey of being zero-waste! 

And feel free to skip around this article, because I am going to deep dive on some of these ideas to express the different factors to consider, the arguments surrounding certain ideas, and otherwise try to convince you, the audience, to try some of these ideas out! So, if you think a suggestion won’t apply to you or someone you’re getting gifts for, that’s okay! 

As always, I don’t expect everyone to go along with everything I suggest. If instead, I got everyone to try at least one or two things from this list, it will still make a huge, positive impact on the planet, and on people’s lives. And who knows, maybe you’ll get some ideas of things from here that you yourself may want for Christmas/the holidays instead of new clothes, games, or other things you might get bored of quickly. And, these ideas work for other holidays or celebrations, like birthdays or weddings!

So get a notepad ready, because if you still have people on your list of gifts to get, you’ll want to jot down some of these ideas for what you want to get (or do) for them!

Gifts

Zero Waste Gifts 

To start things off for doing some zero-waste gift-giving, why don’t you consider getting actual zero-waste products for your friends and family? 

There are so many options out there, especially if the person you’re getting something for is just starting out their own zero-waste journey, or needs some help with that first step! 

That being said, you can either ask what kind of zero-waste items they’d like or need, or just surprise them, if you can take a good guess at what they might like, or maybe they’ve even mentioned it to you. 

And, not only are these gifts are good for the environment, they’re practical, and they have the potential to save the person receiving the gift some money! 

Reusable Bottles and Mugs

A great item to start with can be either a reusable water bottles and/or a coffee mug for on the go! If you know someone who is always using a plastic water bottle or is always getting coffee, get them a good quality water bottle or mug to help them quench their thirst on the go while being environmentally friendly! 

If you haven’t heard by now – we’re producing over one MILLION water bottles every minute. And, water from plastic bottles has traces of plastic in them (which means we drink nasty chemicals from it), and those ‘paper’ coffee cups are actually lined with a plastic coating as well. Not to mention that they both wreak their own havoc on the environment no matter where they end up. The best way to mitigate this is to refuse and reduce our use of these items. So getting a reusable bottle or a to-go mug is a great step in the right direction. A Hydroflask or something similar works great! 

Plus, it will save that person money by buying less bottled water, getting a discount on their coffee purchase, or even just by deciding to make coffee at home to take on the go instead of stopping at a coffee shop. 

And to add a little personality to your reusable gift, get water-proof vinyl sticker or two and give it along with the bottle or mug so that the person receiving it can have something to decorate their gift with! A great way to do this is by checking out local artists who make stickers of their art and designs and seeing if they offer a bundle price for a couple stickers. You’ll get some unique designs to add to your gift, and you can help out a local artist!  (Just make sure the sticker is water-proof so that it can be washed without falling apart). One artist I always visit at my local monthly community pop up is Lauren The Doodling Nomad! If your gift-recipient is a nature enthusiast, Lauren’s art will go perfectly with your gift! And she delivers through her website! 

Filtered Water Pitchers or Dispensers

Moving on to the next thing, if the person you want to get a zero-waste gift for already has their reusable bottle and mug, or would still be buying water bottles if they don’t like to drink tap water, consider getting them either a water filter pitcher or a water dispenser! 

Considering the person’s lifestyle, either of these options might work best. The pitcher will save on space, but a dispenser will last longer between refills. If you get a water filter pitcher, such as a Brita or other brand, the gift recipient will have to get filter replacements after the first 6-12 months, depending on how much they use it (i.e. how much water they/their family drinks from it), and how many replacement filters come with the initial kit. My Brita pitcher that I got at Costco earlier this year was about $30 and came with two filters. 

In the case that that may be out of your gift recipient’s budget, the next best choice would be a water dispenser, if they have the space for it of course. These come in standard styles where they simply hold a water jug upside down, or they can be electronic and make the water different temperatures. The electronic ones can also come in styles where the jug is placed on the ground instead of upside down. 

With this option, you will have to consider a couple things. For one, will the person you’re gifting it to be able to easily refill the jugs, let alone pick the jug up to flip upside down on the dispenser, or perhaps have someone who can do it for them? If not, an electronic one might be the better option. But with that choice, you will then have to consider the cost of the additional electricity being used. It generally isn’t much to power a water dispenser, but it is still similar to a mini-fridge with cooling down the water. If you can find out how much energy will be used by the unit, and calculate the cost of the added power, you can decide if this will be a feasible option to go with. 

Lastly, with this idea, should you go with the dispenser instead of the pitcher, consider also getting one or two jugs to give along with your gift to get the person started off right. If you want to take it an extra step, fill the jugs before gifting them! Luckily, in most places I’ve seen, the cost to refill these jugs is very cheap, sometimes more cost effective than a crate of water! 

Reusable Straws and Utensils

Next on the list of things are reusable straws and utensils. For many people out there, they really don’t like putting their mouth on the cups given to them at restaurants or out and about elsewhere when getting something to drink. And that’s totally fine! Try getting them to make an environmentally conscious decision by getting them a zero-waste kit that has both reusable straws and utensils in it! 

There are many places online, and even in your community, that sell this type of product. One shop that is local out here in Vegas and also has an online store is called Minimal Market! They sell many different zero-waste products, one of which is a little folded cloth kit that comes with a metal straw, a straw cleaner, and a bamboo utensil set. You can use the pieces while you’re eating out, especially someplace that uses plastic utensils, rinse them off, and then wrap them back up to take them clean them. 

Usually the cloth bags come in different designs depending on the store you’re shopping at, so you can find something that fits the personality of the person you’re giving the gift to! 

Or, if you want to save some money and do a hand-made gift, you can make your own set! If you know how to fashion a cloth or sew it to make a pouch, you can take a reusable straw of your choosing (possibly from a multi-pack, that way you can make several kits), and a nice set of metal utensils and put it all together! 

Reusable Bags of Varying Kinds

Another great way to help someone cut back on their plastic waste is by getting them reusable bags – whether it’s for shopping, produce, snacks, or all three! 

Plastic bags in all shapes and sizes are horrible for the environment. We’ve all seen the countless stories this past year of whales and dolphins being found with their stomachs full of plastic bags. Turtles think bags are jellyfish and try to eat them as well.  Even a cow in India and deer in Thailand are getting sick from consuming this plastic waste. So it’s imperative that we drastically reduce our plastic usage not only for the environment, but for the other inhabitants on this planet that are suffering from the amount of plastic that’s been building up. 

To do this, you can either get these different types of reusable bags separately to gift, depending on if the person already has one or the other, or you can make a kit with two or all three! 

Get some good quality reusable bags, preferably made from a durable, natural material or fiber. Try to avoid the cheap reusable bags at the grocery store – they’re made from plastic. You can usually tell by the feel, the print, or if it has a recycling logo on it somewhere. 

And while they’re reusable, they’re not going to last long, especially when too much weight is in them. I’ve lost so many bags this way. Not to mention that over time the plastic from those bags flakes off into microplastics, which we want to avoid. Instead, look into natural materials like canvas, cotton, or hemp bags. 

Next, find some mesh or netted bags to be used for produce at the grocery store! There are many options online, including these options from the Minimal Market’s website! You can put them right in the new shopping bags you got, so that they’re ready to go the next time your gift recipient goes grocery shopping. 

And lastly for the bags, look into getting reusable baggies. There are several different options that are out there, from silicone ones that can be washed in the dishwasher, to cloth ones that can be hand washed or machine washed. They come in many different sizes as well. And, doing a quick search online you’ll find that there are multiple options of vendors to buy from, from Etsy to your big box stores. Depending on the person you’re buying for, you can pick a style that fits best with their lifestyle and their snacking or storing needs. In which case, you may want to see about getting a couple different sizes. 

After you’ve gathered all your different reusable bag options, place them inside one another (like a nesting doll) with the shopping bag on the outside acting like the wrapping, and make the pack look all nice. If you want, you can add any additional small zero-waste items to the bag that you like and make a giant goodie bag! And you can also add some colorful tissue to the inside of the main bag to hide the extra goodies inside. 

Shampoo, Conditioner, and Soap Bars

If you’ve read my previous article on how to get plastic-free with health and beauty switches, you might not need much convincing for why these next suggestions would be a great gift, or even a stocking stuffer! Whether you get just a shampoo and conditioner bar, a soap bar, face balm, or the whole package, this can be a great gift idea, if you’re willing to put a little time and effort into getting the right combination of products! 

As I had mentioned in that article, I am personally very fond of the brand LUSH, but they are not the only company out there that makes eco-friendly hygiene products. So wherever you may decide to get these kinds of things, you’ll first want to find out what kind of hair and/or skin type your gift-recipient has or deals with (as it may not be obvious). If you like LUSH, and happen to live near a physical store, you can ask the people who work there what products work best for certain skin types. 

If you can find out subtly, or have to boldly ask up front, learn whether they have dry or oily hair/skin, what types of scents they like, and so on. It can be hard shopping for this type of product unless you know what will work best with the person getting it. 

Or, you might be in luck, and the person you are gifting already likes using LUSH or some other company with this product. If they do, see if you can get a picture of their preferred bars, and get those for them! Those bars can get relatively expensive, so I doubt the person will mind getting some fresh ones! 

As I mentioned, these can make great stocking stuffers, particularly if you get the metal tins to keep them safe in! A lot of these types of bars can ‘melt’ if they get warm or wet, so you will want to make sure it is wrapped or enclosed in something. 

And, at least with LUSH, their return policy is pretty flexible, with a 31-day return policy (with the receipt, or exchange-only without it), and used products can be returned as long as they’re 75% in tact. Which means that your gift-recipient can try it out, and return it if it doesn’t work to their needs. 

Bamboo Toothbrushes

This last suggestion is more likely for those who know the person they’re gifting to very well, and know whether or not this gift would be acceptable. Or, if you’re buying for kids – especially the ones who care about the environment.

That’s because if it’s not someone who understands the environmental reasoning behind the gift, they may think you’re trying to say something by giving them a toothbrush even if it’s made from bamboo. So it might not be a good idea for someone at your work, unless you know them well enough. 

That being said, if you know someone wouldn’t be opposed to it, has mentioned previously that they would like to try this idea out, or has otherwise shown interest, this might also be good stocking stuffers to give to someone, or for the whole family. 

For the toothbrushes, if you want to have a lot to give out, the Zero Waste Cartel has an online shop where they sell them in a 10-pack. And they each come individually boxed in cardboard, so there is no plastic. There are of course other choices out there, but this had the best deal when I got my brushes, so I wanted to share my personal suggestion. 

This option may also work best for someone you know that travels a lot. If you can get them a toothbrush container, especially a zero-waste one, you can help them reduce their plastic usage while on the go! 

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