The Multiplier Effect, in Action! SB’s 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

How is it the holidays again, already? For many, ‘tis still the season of
seizin’ as many holiday
deals
as possible. For us, it represents a time to decompress and appreciate our
blessings and continued resilience in the face of uncertainty — and support the
wellbeing and resilience of others through gifts that keep on
giving.

Our annual gift
guide aims
to encourage a more conscious approach to gift-giving by carefully
considering not only what we buy but how we buy. We like to highlight
products, services and experiences that create value and benefits beyond
short-term gratification for the recipient — and, in the best cases, reduce
waste and create opportunity or other positive impacts for producers,
communities and/or the environment.

So, here’s this year’s list of tips for taking a more intentional approach to
holiday gift giving and some of the many companies, platforms and products that
we’d be happy to support anytime.

How and where to buy

Image credit: Karma
Wallet

The convenience of one-stop and online shopping are undeniable, but more
thoughtful approaches benefit local communities. So, first: Do what you can to
shop locally.

Once you’ve exhausted those options, check out purpose-driven online
marketplaces such as Buy
Native, Goodee, Made
Trade (get 70% off sale items, plus 15% off your
entire order with code GREENHOLIDAY), Karma
Wallet’s
DoneGood and Marmalade.

If big-box stores are more accessible for you, Target is an almost one-stop
shop that is actively working to rein in its carbon
footprint,
support Black-owned
businesses
and promote sustainable and waste-reducing
products;
IKEA has tons of lovely housewares and gift
ideas, many of them recycled or otherwise sustainably made; and
Etsy and Uncommon
Goods feature millions of unique,
often-handmade products. And if the one-stop online shop is your best bet,
Amazon is also working to promote ‘Climate Pledge Friendly‘
products and reduce its
shipping
footprint.

Whatever you shop for, prioritize items that are made to last: For clothes, a
growing number of apparel brands repair, recycle and
resell
garments and accessories — keeping millions of tons of pre-loved, perfectly
wearable items from becoming
waste:
Think Fjallraven, Levi
Strauss,
Madewell, The North
Face,
REI and
Timberland,
to name but a few; and for bags and luggage, you can’t go wrong with
Timbuk2. Secondhand apparel
marketplaces including ThredUp, Poshmark and Vestiaire Collective are packed
with items from sustainable and designer brands for a smidgen of the price; or
peruse the curated collection of apparel and home goods at Buy Me
Once, already vetted for longevity.

One more important thing to know is that returned items are rarely
resold
— for most retailers, the logistical and monetary
challenges
of inspecting, repackaging and reselling returned goods make it more
cost-effective to just dispose of them. Some brands have started to
resell
or donate returned items, but most still end up in landfills — so, keep this in
mind whenever you shop.

Synergistic skin care

Image credit: Upcircle
Beauty

Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve –
what began as a home soap-making hobby over 20 years ago has expanded into a
full
line
of USDA-certified organic skin and hair care products made from
minimally processed, sustainable, cruelty-free, fair-trade ingredients. The
company evaluates the whole lifecycle of its packaging materials and has
traded in as much plastic as possible for aluminum and glass.
Cold Current Kelp
Care – this
women-owned, vertically integrated, regenerative kelp company on the coast
of Maine not only farms its own kelp – the co-founders “see [their]
product development all the way through, from sea to skin.” In addition to
the many, many
ways
regeneratively farmed kelp is an invaluable tool in fighting climate change,
it’s also highly beneficial to skin: Check out their Kelp Glow Facial
Oil.
doTerra essential oils — the ethical
personal-care brand offers a wide range of sustainably sourced essential
oils and other wellness products, sales of which also support the company’s
other efforts to restore native forests in Kealakekua,
Hawai’i;
and work with its farmers around the world to promote sustainable farming
practices. And all proceeds from its Neroli
Touch and Magnolia
Touch oil blends
through the end of the year will go to the dōTERRA Healing Hands
Foundation — which supports underserved
communities worldwide through health, education and economic development.
Mack Soaps – this small,
Massachusetts-based, LGBTQ-owned soap company handcrafts
luscious-smelling hunks of vegan soap, shampoo and conditioner bars, and
hand-milled laundry soap — full of sustainable, plant-based ingredients you
recognize with very minimal, recyclable packaging.
Melabébé — When Kelli Clifton
Ogunsanya searched for remedies for
her newborn daughter’s sensitive skin, she discovered major retail brands
contained fillers, sulfates, parabens and other artificial ingredients and
were not as effective for melanin-rich skin. So, she founded Melabébé to
provide a clean, effective plant-based skincare line for all skin types and
shades — for babies and adults, alike. The best-selling Moisture Care
Bundle
Box
contains moisturizing body wash safe for rosacea- and eczema-prone skin,
daily hydration cream parents swear by for diaper rash, and a shea
butter-based deep hydration cream.
The Right to Shower — vegan body
washes and soaps made with natural cleansers, recycled packaging and organic
ingredients. 30 percent of profits go toward mobile shower
initiatives
that help people experiencing homelessness.
SproutWorld plantable eyeliners (and
pencils) — made from
certified wood sourced from responsibly managed forests, and developed
without microplastics, the SproutWorld Black Eyeliner has a second life
as wildflowers.
St. Lucy Botanists — a
Barbados-based perfumery that creates 100% natural fragrances free from
synthetic chemicals, and made from renewable plant essences and upcycled
industrial byproducts — ex: oakwood from end-of-life oak barrels from the
wine and spirits industry, and cedarwood from sawmill wood chips.
Upcircle Beauty — clean skin care products
made from upcycled, otherwise-wasted
ingredients
including coffee grounds, blueberry extract, fruit seeds, stones and waters
and more.

The masculine side

Image credit: Stubble & ‘Stache

Bulldog: Self-proclaimed ‘Man’s
Best Friend,’ the UK-based brand makes clean, vegan, cruelty-free
skincare products for men with naturally derived ingredients — and no
plastic microbeads, synthetic fragrances or artificial colors. Plus, it’s
working to reduce its virgin plastic and energy use; and its recyclable
Glass Razor
is made from recycled beer bottles.
Doers of London: Another British brand
upleveling men’s skincare — this one is on a mission to create products you
need less the more you use them, for an affordable price. The brand’s
products are vegan; free from the problematic usual suspects (parabens,
glycols, synthetic fragrances and colors, etc); made with traceable, natural
ingredients; and they prioritize glass, aluminum and recycled plastics in
their packaging.
And for our bearded friends, Green
Koala, Professor
Fuzzworthy,
Stubble + ‘Stache and
Valorhood all offer beard balms, oils,
shampoos and more made from natural, organic ingredients; without those
usual suspects; in recyclable, reusable and/or zero-waste packaging.

Responsible recreation

Image credit: Solight
Design

For loved ones who thrive in the wild, you can’t go
wrong with functional, durable, sustainable garments and gear from
Fjallraven. And
REI recently made a big
move away
from limited sizing based on a binary gender model and released a broader,
more inclusive range of
sizes
in apparel, sleeping bags and more to serve the wider range of bodies that
wants to enjoy the outdoors comfortably.
On the bag front,
Jansport
has a range of choices for the sustainability-savvy: 80 percent of its
styles are made with recycled main body fabric — including
Restore,
made from textile waste — and the company offers a repair with warranty
program. And Freitag, which has specialized in
RIPs (recycled individual products)
since 1993, has released its first fully circular backpack: The Mono
[PA6] is a traceable, multifunctional
backpack/crossbody bag made from a single material that is fully recyclable.
For the crafty ones: French needlecraft company DMC’s newest line,
EcoVita, features 60 differently colored
threads made from 100%
organic wool and natural dyes including walnut, rhubarb, indigo and juniper.
The limited edition collector’s
box includes 30
full-sized skeins of the EcoVita naturally dyed organic wool thread in all
the colors of the rainbow. Perfect for friends and loved ones into crafting,
mending, embellishing, embroidery, cross stitching, punch needle and
weaving.
YOGO’s folding yoga
mat: The
latest iteration of Yogo’s award-winning travel yoga mat is thicker
and cushier, and made from FSC-certified tree rubber, with straps and
label made from recycled plastic bottles.
Upgrade their cap game with Vermont-based Turtle Fur’s new
Boondocker and
Cairn 5 Panel hats,
which the company says is basically equivalent to buying three hats:
They’re mostly made from hemp (with a small amount of organic cotton) —
which lasts three times longer than cotton — which means they’re likely to
stick around for decades without wearing thin. Plus, hemp plants use much
less water than cotton and nourish the soil while growing — helping save resources and restore the agricultural landscape.
Solight Design’s award-winning,
origami-inspired, self-inflatable, weatherproof, portable solar lights and
phone chargers are
great for camping — as well as power outages and other off-grid lighting
needs — and proceeds benefit the 1.6 billion people who live without access
to electricity: Over 600K have been donated to refugees, war-torn areas,
survivors of natural disasters and other communities without easy access to
light and power. Customers can also choose to support specific
organizations.
And when you’re tired of all the fun and ready to tune out the world, it’s
tempting to grab conventional, ultralight, single-use earplugs — but there
are many environmental and health-related
reasons
not to. Enter San Francisco-based GOB – a
startup on a mission to leverage biology to reinvent wearable wellness
products, starting with the world’s first earplug made from lab-grown
mycelium. They’re home
compostable, free from any harmful chemicals or additives and designed with
Fit technology to conform perfectly to users’ unique ear shape.

Clothing for a cause

Image credit: For Others

Kind Cotton — This Florida-based social-impact
brand offers a line of colorful, gender-neutral Ts, hoodies, hats and
more with a range of socially conscious messages — and for every item
sold, the company donates a book to a child. It’s on a mission to donate 1M
inclusive books to kids across the US; 171,341 books & counting.
For Others: For every hat, hoodie or T sold,
proceeds are reinvested directly back into the buyer’s local community. So
far, the company says it’s donated
85,000 meals to 80+ food banks and provided supplies to 43 public school
classrooms across the US.
And for the nature lovers in your life, check out apparel and gifts from
BeCause and World Wildlife
Fund — which fund a variety
of nature and wildlife conservation initiatives.
Scrappy Socks — North Carolina-based
Project Repat has been turning customers’
t-shirts into quilts since 2012. After producing over a million
quilts, they faced a new challenge: leftover t-shirt scraps. With 5% of
global waste coming from textiles, they decided to turn those t-shirt scraps
into 100% recycled Scrappy Socks. By partnering with Material
Return and worker-owned factory
Opportunity Threads, Scrappy
Clothing Company is promoting a localized, circular economy — reducing
waste, supporting local jobs, and helping build a more sustainable textile
industry.

Home stuff

Image credit: Renew by Trinity

Our Place’s versatile, non-toxic, nonstick
cookware is made to last
longer — they say 50% longer, with a ceramic nonstick coating made without
toxic materials including PFAS, lead and cadmium — and designed to do the
job of 8-10 pieces of traditional cookware. Plus, they use recycled
materials, plastic-free packaging and ethical labor practices.
For beautiful, circular home decor, check out Sungai
Design — which has upcycled
2,300,000 kg of plastic waste from Bali rivers and other
Indonesian waterways into a unique line of chairs, benches and
tables. And from its ‘Chop Shop’ in northern Texas, the RENEW by
Trinity team upcycles reclaimed bamboo
chopsticks into gorgeous cutting and serving boards and furnishings
including benches, shelves and tables.
Get the whole family interested in growing their own organic veggies and
herbs with indoor growing kits from Instafarm and
seeds, soils, growing kits, plant food and more from Back to the
Roots.
And for keeping cozy in winter, recycled down comforters, blankets and
scarves from Rewardown are made in
the company’s solar-powered production center with a fabric-regeneration
technique they say has saved over 540 tons of fabric since 2021. Plus,
its DownPlus Tracking system
allows customers to view the full journey of their recycled down — including
its origins, the collection process and the recycling methods used.

Next-gen kids’ stuff

Image credit:
Miniware

What better gift for new parents than to help them avoid some of the biggest
expenses and sources of waste associated with babyhood?
Rebelstork’s baby gear recommerce platform
offers deals on overstock and open-box items, and
Uppababy offers extended warranties and a free
Tune-Up Gear-Up program to keep its products safe and useful for longer.
Other good ideas include Miniware’s safe and
durable kids’ tableware made from renewable, non-toxic, plant-based
materials and food-grade silicone; recycled plushies and
dolls from Gund and
organic, upcycled cloth
diapers from Esembly. And Legacy
Bundles allows parents to ‘Bundle swap’
their kiddos’ gently used items and request more — based on the size, season
and gender of their choice – saving money, extending the life of kidswear
and reducing textile waste.
The Sunflower lanyard has become a globally recognized symbol with which
people with hidden disabilities — 80% of the 1-in-6 people globally who
live with a disability — can discreetly signal their potential need for
extra help navigating public spaces. As part of its mission to foster
inclusive
play,
LEGO
has released three Sunflower-lanyard-themed
sets
in collaboration with the nonprofit Hidden Disabilities
Sunflower. Fans can also now customize
minifigures using the Sunflower symbol online and at all 55 Minifigure
Factories
and LEGO stores worldwide.
Looking for other toys and games that go way beyond tired pink or blue?
Presently Goods’ marketplace features a
wide range of inclusive play activities from small toy brands that
represent a variety of cultures, ethnicities, abilities and backgrounds;
challenge gender norms, use recycled materials, and give back to their
communities.

Beneficial beverages

Image credit: Republic Restoratives
Distillery

For those that still want to do good while they enjoy a good buzz, the list of
sustainable and socially impactful spirits continues to grow:

Conscientious coffee

Image credit: Grounds & Hounds Coffee
Co.

And the same goes for those who want their daily cuppa to pay dividends:

Atomo Coffee is one brand working to
climate-proof
coffee
by eliminating the coffee bean altogether — but for those who aren’t
quite ready to make the switch, its 50:50
blend (50
percent Atomo’s bean-less coffee and 50 percent Arabica) can help
ease the transition.
Steeped Coffee — yes, it’s steeped — like
tea — in compostable, single-serve bags. Perfect for camping!
For the bird lovers in your life, try Birds and Beans
coffee
— this family-owned business out of Ontario, Canada began in 2008
with a mission to produce coffee that supports the ecosystems that
sustain our critical bird populations. It’s grown to offer a range of
USDA Organic-, Fair Trade– and Smithsonian Bird
Friendly®-certified coffees that protect biodiversity and support
ethical trade. And 5% of every bag sold funds conservation efforts.
Grounds and Hounds Coffee – 20%
of proceeds from its organic, Fair Trade-certified coffee – and 100%
of profits from its Rescue Roast
Blend –
support rescue initiatives and organizations providing a safe havens
for pups in need.

For the love of pets

Image credit: Rescued Wine
Candles

Speaking of gifts that benefit our animal friends, and those in need:

Through a partnership with the 15/10 Foundation,
15% of proceeds from We Rate Dogs’ ‘Tell your dog I said hi’
collection helps shelter dogs
with behavioral or medical issues to become more adoptable.
Rescued Wine makes soy candles in
recycled wine and beer bottles, and 10% of its annual profits support
animal-rescue organizations including the Fetching Tails
Foundation.
All profits from eyeglass and sunglass frames by Fetch
Eyewear — founded by Ann Sacks (of Ann
Sacks Tile fame) — support the Sacks’
family’s Pixie Project, which has
facilitated adoption and provided low-income veterinary care for thousands
of Oregon pets.
And on the planetary front, Cave Pets – launched in
Spring 2024 – is the first and only pet brand throughout the globe to have
its chomps, treats and nutrient powders Regenerative Organic Certified®.

Don’t ruin it with wrapping!

Image credit:
Wrappily

Once you’ve put extra consideration into buying ethical and sustainably made
gifts, it doesn’t make sense to then wrap them in materials that will further
clog landfills — most conventional wrapping paper not only isn’t recyclable or
biodegradable,
the glittery stuff can end up polluting waterways and poisoning marine life.
Instead of adding to the millions of tons of holiday wrapping waste, check out
recyclable and compostable gift
wrap
from companies such as Wrappily; or opt for reusable gift bags.

Or get a little creative with alternative
materials
(newspaper, magazines, maps, inside-out chip bags) and reusable materials such
as furoshiki wraps, based on the
Japanese tradition of wrapping items in a single cloth — Wrapp’r and
Etsy have
a ton of beautiful options.

Enriching experiences

Image credit: Rick
Hatch

But at the end of the day, do any of us really need more stuff? More and more
people are gravitating toward gifts of experience — where recipients can have an
educational adventure or tread more lightly while getting away from it all:

And for even more better-gift ideas, check out our previous gift
guides.

Wishing you and yours a safe, happy, healthy holiday season!

– The SB team

Main article image credits, clockwise from top left: EcoVita,
GOB, Cave
Pets,
Rewardown,
LEGO,
Sungai Design, Atomo
Coffee, Freitag, The Right to
Shower, Kind
Cotton,
Brother’s
Bond.

Sustainable Brands Staff

Published Dec 6, 2024 3pm EST / 12pm PST / 8pm GMT / 9pm CET