Thank you so much to EarthHero for partnering with me for this sustainable gift guide! EarthHero is a one-stop-shop for almost any and all sustainable products you can think of. EarthHero is having a Cyber Monday sale that it 20% off and 5 tress planted for every order. After the sale, you can follow my affiliate link (I do make a small commission if you make a purchase through this link). You can also use my code “midwestmeg10” for 10% off any order! Let’s get into the blog post!
Sustainability is something I have been getting more into this year and something I have talked about on the blog a lot recently. And with the holidays upon us, I knew I had to post something about it. My eyes are truly being opened to just how normalized wastefulness is in our culture. This is especially true in the holiday season, with Black Friday, cheap decor that breaks after one use, and wasteful wrapping paper and other forms of packaging. But something else I wanted to focus on was the gifts we give and receive.
I used to be a big fan of gag gifts. Now, I face-palm myself for it. What is the point of giving someone something that they will never use? If it’s a gag gift, they’ll think it’s funny for a little while, but the gift is bound to end up in the trash. What is even worse is doing a white elephant style gift exchange and ending up with something you really don’t like that, again, will definitely end up in the landfill. So along with trying to give gifts that you know will be enjoyed and loved by the recipient for a long time, I wanted to explore some more sustainable ideas for gifting. And who better to partner with for this post than EarthHero!
What is EarthHero?
EarthHero is an eco-friendly, online marketplace where you can find all things sustainable. Based in Boulder, Colorado, EarthHero aims to make shopping consciously something that comes second-nature. EarthHero has very high standards for the brands they sell on their website. They seek brands that use sustainable materials and ethical production and business practices. They then disclose all the information behind why a brand is sustainable on their website. I admire their transparency so much! And because of all the research the team at EarthHero puts in, it makes the shopping experience extremely easy and convenient for their customers!
EarthHero is a certified B-Corp and a member of 1% for the Planet– which means that 1% of their annual sales is donated towards sustainability and environmental initiatives. They also have partnered with Carbonfund.org to assure us that products from their website arrive with as little impact as possible. Along with this, they also have great zero-waste practices and actively partner with other companies that are as passionate about climate and the planet as they are! You can read all about this in EarthHero’s “About” page on their website. They are truly a great company and I am so happy to spread the word about them!
EarthHero sells so many cool things! A few honorable gift guide mentions are glass straws from Simply Straws, compostable phone cases from Pela, P.F. Candle Co candles, and organic cotton towels from Bambu. Let’s go more in depth with some more sustainable gift picks for the holiday season!
1. Reusable Grocery Bags
Right?! I know reusable bags can be a bit of white noise at this point because there are just so many options. But hear me out! Reusable bags are something that a person is bound to use. I personally wouldn’t throw out one until it breaks! They have a place in this sustainable gift guide for sure.
A great reusable bag brand is Bagito. Their brand supports safe and fair labor practices, and they donate a portion of profits to the non-profit organization Power2Sustain. Power2Sustain educates students K-12 about the environment and empowers them to take action. Bagito bags are made of rPET material, made from post-consumer plastics. Their bags are incredibly durable and also fold up into a tiny tiny pouch! They are so convenient to just pop into your purse. These bags come in a variety of different colors too, like this really pretty amethyst one I have!
Bagito bags are so compact and easy to carry with you!
2. Reusable Sandwich Bags
I use little plastic sandwich baggies all the time, which means that I also throw them out all the time. I had been meaning to invest in a Stasher bag for a very long time, and I’m excited to have finally added one to my kitchen! Stasher bags make great gifts for home chefs and people who are just trying to be a little more eco-conscious alike. These bags replace your regular disposable baggies and you can cook in them! Stasher bags are made of silicon and are free from phthalates and BPA. Stasher is also a certified B-Corp as well! These baggies are reusable, washable, and totally airtight. You can put them in the freezer, the microwave, oven, dishwasher, or even in a sous vide machine if you’re feeling extra adventurous. Stasher bags come in a variety of different sizes and colors, so it’s easy to find a bag that will be perfect for the cook or snacker in your life!
3. Refillable Bath Products
It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Lol. The company Plaine Products makes shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and face wash that is all cruelty-free and vegan, non-GMO, and free from sulfates and parabens. Along with being a B-Corp and a member of 1% for the Planet amongst other things, Plaine Products also allows you to refill your bottles. Yep, that’s right. When you finish a bottle of product (their bottles are made of easily recyclable aluminum, by the way!) you order a refill and send back the empty bottle with a shipping label provided to you. So easy and simple and innovated! I currently have a travel size shampoo and conditioner in the rosemary mint scent. They smell divine and work great!
4. Girlfriend Everything
OH how I love Girlfriend Collective. I have talked about them before in my legging guide blog post, so I am definitely repeating myself in this sustainable gift guide, but it is IMPORTANT I express this love!! As I said in that post, Girlfriend is by far the most inclusive brand of workout clothing that I’ve ever seen. They offer sizes XXS-6XL in workout leggings and sizes XS-XXXL in bras. Incredible!! Girlfriend is also passionate about sustainability. The leggings are made out of recycled plastic water bottles. They also offer clothing made from recycled fishing nets.
While I love their leggings passionately, I want to talk about the Paloma Sports Bra. It’s amazing. The fit is so flattering with a scoop neck and racerback. And it really holds a girl in, which is super important for busty ladies like me. It’s also super comfy and has all the same sustainable features Girlfriend products are known for. I 10/10 recommend this bra as a gift for any of your lady friends that do any sort of physical activity, from yoga to jogging!
And that is it for my sustainable gift guide for the holidays! Thank you so much to EarthHero again for this partnership! Reminder, you can use my code “midwestmeg10” for 10% off any EarthHero order.
Have any other sustainable gift ideas you love? Leave them in the comments below!
