We’ll let you in on a little secret: Environmentalists don’t want you to gift them unnecessary crap that will end up in a landfill.
And wile it might initially feel intimidating, shopping for the environmentalists in your life is actually quite easy.
And it’s not just about the gift! Here are a few more key tips:
- Be mindful of packaging. There are so many companies that do a great job with reducing unnecessary plastic in their packaging — choose to shop with them. (The most mindful companies usually communicate their packaging upfront.)
- Double check if your recipient already has a similar product — or if they actually want this. A spoiled gift is better than a wasteful surprise.
- If something isn’t a need-to-have, then skip it.
- Sure, a product might be eco-friendly, but is it ethically made too? Are the people who created the product treated and compensated fairly?
- Think about the entire product lifecycle. When your recipient is done with the gift, what will happen to it? Will someone else be able to enjoy it? Will it decompose so it doesn’t end up in a landfill? Or maybe it will be totally consumed so there’s no waste left?
Fortunately, our team of earth-lovers put together some recommendations for you to make your shopping easy.
By the way, some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Everything in this article was independently and honestly written by the Good Good Good team. Thank you!
The absolute best gifts for environmentalists:
Pela Compostable Phone Case
Few of us are brave enough to use a gorgeous new phone without a case — and even if you have AppleCare or insurance, replacing a broken phone all the time isn’t very sustainable.
While a lot of phone cases are boring, ugly, or made with wasteful plastic, Pela has gone out of its way to create sustainable phone cases that you feel proud to show off!
The brand makes compostable phone cases made from flax shive and plant-based polymer. Plus, each case comes with an extra envelope to send back your old phone case, which can then be recycled properly.
What’s good:
- Donates a percentage of every sale to ocean cleanup and preservation initiatives
- Certified B Corp and Climate Neutral certified
- All products free of lead, cadmium, BPA, and phthalates
Shop: Pela
Lomi 3 Countertop Composter
For people who want to reduce waste in a thoughtful way, composting is surely the answer. But instead of a stinky bucket of dirt on their apartment balcony or hidden away in their backyard, there’s the Lomi 3.
Lomi is a smart waste system that turns food scraps into odorless, bin-ready waste at the push of a button.
What’s good:
- Makes home composting easy and odorless
- In 2024, Lomi users processed more than 54,306,000 pounds of food scraps, helping to keep a total of 146,929,639 pounds of food out of landfills
- Certified B Corp
- Zero-waste packaging
- Lomi upcycles and donates Lomis to schools, with over 1,000 donated to date
Shop: Lomi
Chocolate from Tony’s Chocolonely
We wanted to start off this list by highlighting a “consumable gift.” The environmentalist in your life doesn’t want stuff that will end up in a landfill one day; they want gifts that they truly need, or gifts that they can completely use up. And what’s better than savoring something delicious?!
Bars of ethically produced chocolate are a perfect gift. Whether your loved one starts snacking right after they open their gift, or save it for a special occasion — you can rest assured that no crumb will go to waste.
What’s good:
- Tony’s Chocolonely was named the most sustainable brand in the Netherlands (four times!)
- The brand has a mission to bring awareness to modern slavery, produce only slave-free chocolate and pushes the entire chocolate industry to follow its example
Shop: Amazon | Tony’s Chocolonely
Explore Good Good Good’s guide to the best consumable gifts
Apparel from Toad&Co
Not to shatter the illusion, but it’s time you knew: when an environmentalist receives clothes as a gift, they always secretly look up the company’s sustainability efforts later. We’re going for cuteness, comfort, and conscious consumerism, folks!
Toad & Co is an apparel company you can feel good about.
The brand has a whole range of apparel (from cute sweater vests made with recycled fibers, super comfy hemp loungewear, and organic cotton plaid shackets, to cozy beanies and scarves made with OEKO-TEX certified yarn — all of which is thoughtfully produced with people and planet in mind.
(We especially love all of the incredibly helpful resources about eco-friendly fabrics.)
What’s good:
- Member of 1% for the Planet
- Made of organic cotton and recycled fibers
- Its use of eco-friendly materials limits the number of chemicals, water, and wastewater used in production
Shop: Toad&Co
Sustainable Watch
A beautiful watch is an incredibly memorable gift that will go everywhere with your loved one. And by opting for a sustainable watch, you show that you understand their values — and have great taste.
Solios makes those watches.
What’s good:
- Solios was the first watch company to become B Corp-certified
- All watches are powered by solar energy
- Solios uses an innovative cork approach to vegan leather, making all vegan leather watch bands free of rubbers and plastics
Shop: Solios
→ Explore Good Good Good’s guide to the best eco-friendly watches
Hip Pack from Cotopaxi
Whether the environmentalist in your life loves to hike — or just needs a place to keep their phone and wallet while they bop around town — a crossbody bag or hip pack is a must-have accessory.
Cotopaxi’s Del Día hip packs collection uses scrap fabric from excess production, significantly reducing waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfills.
Each bag is one-of-a-kind, comes in various fun colorways, and is made of durable, lightweight, 100% repurposed fabric.
What’s good:
- Made from repurposed nylon scraps
- Lifetime warranty and repairs
- B Corp and Climate Neutral certified
- Through 1% for the Planet and other foundation efforts, Cotopaxi donates and provides grants to do more good
National Park Socks
Sure, socks are a bit of a holiday cliché, but that’s only if you gift boring socks. These playful, comfy, and symbolic socks from Parks Project are a wearable reminder of the beauty of U.S. national parks, all while keeping our public lands safe and clean.
What’s good:
- Certified B Corp
- Every purchase benefits national parks and public lands
- Has donated over $2.7 million to parklands since 2014, including building habitat and wildlife restoration, advocacy and education, and volunteer programs
Shop: Parks Project
Explore Good Good Good’s ultimate guide to the best socks that give back and our guide to the best national park-related gifts!
Cariuma Sneakers
Whether your gift recipient is a wave rider, skater, or just needs a stylish and comfy pair of shoes to brave the ups and downs of every day, Cariuma sneakers will be the perfect fit.
With high-top styles, fun collaborations, and more, snagging a pair of Cariuma sneaks is a step in the right direction.
What’s good:
- Every pair of sneakers plants two trees
- B corp certified
- Shoes made in ethical factories
- Responsibly sourced materials
Shop: Cariuma
Terra Threads Earth Backpack
Work, school, travel, adventure: Everyone needs a solid backpack. If your gift recipient is in the market for a sustainably and ethically made backpack, Terra Thread offers a beautiful, spacious everyday backpack to depend on.
What’s good:
- Made with certified organic cotton canvas in a Fair Trade-certified factory.
- Your purchase supports Feeding America’s work to end hunger and donates meals to kids and families in need
- Terra Threads is carbon neutral and B Corp-certified
Shop: Terra Threads
Jade Yoga Mat
Yoga mats from Jade Yoga are eco-friendly and made with natural rubber tapped from rubber trees. The mats are free of PVC, EVA, or other synthetic rubbers, and are all made in the U.S.
Try the best-selling Harmony mat, or a “Yoga Starter Kit,” which includes a natural rubber yoga mat, a cork yoga block, a yoga strap, and 30 days of free online yoga classes from Yoga International.
What’s good:
- Plants a tree for every mat sold
- “Color cause” program donates to causes for each color bought
- Runs a community partner program to bring yoga to those who might benefit from it, such as people in prisons, hospitals, and shelters
Shop: Jade Yoga
Glassware from Our Place
Help your loved one elevate their happy hours by adding this beautiful set of colorful recycled glassware from Our Place.
What’s good:
- Each glass is sustainably made from recycled glass and sand, as well as naturally dyed
- Mailed in plastic-free packaging
- BIPOC-owned
- Offers a recycling program to keep cookware out of landfills
Shop: Our Place
Check out our full list of the best recycled glassware brands to explore other options, too!
Bombas Gripper Slippers
Bombas, while known for its cozy give-back socks, also makes slippers! The Gripper Slippers are a half slipper-half sock hybrid with a soft brushed lining and special non-slip grippers.
What’s good:
- Certified B corp
- One essential clothing item donated with every purchase
- All products designed with durability in mind, with a “happiness guarantee” to keep items lasting longer
Shop: Bombas
Eco-Friendly Candle from Siblings
Candles are always a great gift — but you can go above and beyond by gifting a unique and sustainable candle.
Siblings is an eco-friendly candle brand that meshes its commitment to the planet with a DIY element.
With non-toxic scents, clean coconut wax blends, and 100% compostable packaging, your gift recipient can create their own candle completely guilt-free.
What’s good:
- Vessels are endlessly reusable
- Trees are planted with every 3-pack purchase, and the brand dedicates a portion of its Black Friday sales to reforestation every year
- Siblings is certified Carbon Neutral
- Eco-luxury candles produce 86% less waste and 50% fewer carbon emissions than traditional candles
Shop: Siblings
Hemp Sheets from Tuft & Needle
Adulthood means transitioning away from the cheap department store bed sheets and into uber-comfortable, well-made sheets.
Tuft & Needle has cozy, eco-friendly bedding on lock, from down alternative pillows, to a hemp duvet cover, and hemp sheets.
(Which would all pair wonderfully with an eco-friendly mattress or bed frame, we might add).
What’s good:
- Hemp is grown with less water than cotton and is a biodegradable fiber that dries faster than cotton (and therefore uses less energy!)
Shop: Tuft & Needle
Non-Toxic Cookware
Everyone can appreciate a beautiful and reliable set of pots and pans. Caraway’s cookware sets are made with kitchens and the planet in mind and feature stunning colors.
With non-stick and non-toxic surfaces, this is a great gift for the home chef in your life.
What’s good:
- All of Caraway’s ceramic-coated aluminum cookware is free of harmful chemicals like Teflon, lead, and cadmium
- This cookware releases up to 60% less carbon into the environment compared to traditional non-stick coatings.
- Shipped in packaging made from recycled cardboard and biodegradable cork trivets
- Caraway helps customers find local recycling options for their metal cookware.
Trashie Take-Back Bag
There are few things more stressful than the quarterly closet clean-out. Give the gift of making it easier.
The Take Back Bag can be filled with old clothes your gift recipient no longer wears, and Trashie will do the work of recycling their pre-loved items and turning them into something useful.
Plus, purchasing a bag will give you credits to use toward a new sustainable clothing item or other reward.
What’s good:
- Keeps old clothes out of landfills
- Contributes to a circular economy
Shop: Trashie
Zero Waste Bite Toothpaste
Toothpaste tubes are notoriously hard to recycle (and nearly impossible to get all of the paste out of). In recent years, companies like Bite have created more sustainable alternatives.
These toothpaste alternatives eliminate waste from your loved one’s daily (hopefully twice daily!) routine.
What’s good:
- Fully recyclable packaging
- Bite is a woman-owned B Corp that is certified cruelty-free
→ Explore Good Good Good’s ultimate guide to sustainable stocking stuffers
Rechargeable Electric Lighter
Everybody loves a cool gadget that feels like the future — and it’s even better when that gadget reduces waste and helps you light a favorite candle.
What’s good:
- Alternative to single-use plastic lighters that end up in landfills every year (95% of the annual 600 million lighters sold to U.S. consumers every year)
- Fully rechargeable and made to last
Shop: Amazon
Explore Good Good Good’s ultimate guide to the best rechargeable electric lighters
The Intersectional Environmentalist by Leah Thomas
In “The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet,” activist Leah Thomas offers a primer on intersectional environmentalism for the next generation of activists looking to create meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable change.
What’s good:
- This book can be read chapter by chapter or kept nearby as an easy-to-flip index for exploring the complexities of looking at environmentalism through an intersectional lens.
Shop: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm
The Goodnewspaper
Every month, our team of optimists, journalists, and artists makes a beautiful print newspaper filled with good news. There’s something special about holding a physical newspaper — and our readers continue to report that it helps them absorb the positive news better than reading from a screen.
We offer gift subscriptions for three, six, or 12 months — and we also recommend just picking up a subscription for yourself.
What’s good:
- Printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks
- Climate Neutral Certified
- Gives back to environmental nonprofits with 1% for the Planet
Shop: Good Good Good
MasterClass
By now, most of us have heard of (or experienced) MasterClass — the platform where the world’s greatest teach next-level classes to help you learn new skills and see the world differently.
We love that MasterClass has expanded its classes to include topics like activism, conservation, gardening, vegetarian cooking, and more.
We’ve been especially excited about the launch of classes with Jane Goodall (on conservation), Melinda Gates (on impactful giving), Amanda Gorman (on poetry), and Ron Finley (on gardening). And of course there are hundreds more classes to choose from.
One fun trick we recommend: Check out the Duo or Family memberships as a way to save while gifting for the whole family.
What’s good:
- MasterClass hires diverse instructors to teach classes
- The company donates annual memberships to accredited charitable organizations serving communities in need
Subscribe: MasterClass
Gift Card to a Sustainable Shop
Oftentimes, the most sustainable thing you can do is let your loved one pick out their own gift. They know exactly what they need — and they’ll appreciate that you gave them that opportunity.
Even more, they’ll love that you chose a gift card to somewhere that aligns with their values — instead of, say, Amazon.
We recommend gift cards from:
Explore more eco-friendly gift guides: Best Eco Friendly Gifts | Inexpensive | For Him | For Her | For Mom | For Kids | For Coworkers
