The best gifts are the ones that give! If you’re buying gifts this Christmas and Holiday Season, you’ll want to check out this awesome list of gifts that give back! Not only are you purchasing from a company that benefits the planet, you’re letting them and the people close to you know, that you support what the company stands for and what they are doing to help. Many of these gifts are great for when you just don’t know what to buy someone! These gifts are also great for close friends and family OR in an office exchange, secret Santa, or for someone you don’t know that well. There’s something on this list for anyone that you want to buy for this year, all while benefitting the planet… it’s a Win Win!!
Rothy’s –
If comfortable, washable, breathable shoes that help that planet sparks your interest, this is the place to shop. Rothy’s has transformed over 30 million plastic water bottles into stylish flats for women and kids. They also have certain styles that you can purchase which helps support women with breast cancer. This is a great way to support the removal of plastic water bottles from oceans and landfills.
S’well –
A water bottle that is stylish, efficient, and good for the planet? Sign me up! They are BPA-free, triple-walled with vacuum-insulated, high-grade 18/8 stainless steel, and keeps your beverage cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12. S’well helps provide clean and safe water to the world’s most vulnerable communities as well as supports the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Lonely Whale, an organization that helps the state of the ocean. Reusable water bottles also give back to the environment by reducing single use bottles. They also offer reusable snack containers.
4Ocean –
Speaking of the ocean, 4Ocean is an organization that removes a pound of plastic and trash from the ocean and coastlines for every item you buy. They started out selling bracelets (made from recycled ocean plastics) and have recently expanded to selling t-shirts, reusable water bottles and more. Each month they have a bracelet supporting a different animal or cause, where some proceeds also go to research or protection.
One Tree Planted –
A company that plants trees in North America, Latin America, Asia and Africa allows you to choose where you want your trees planted. This is not only a great gift, but a great way to honour a lost loved one. It costs $1.00 USD to plant one tree. This is a great gift for the tree hugger in your family, or a small add on to other gifts you have already bought.
Bureo –
For the skateboard lover in your life, check out Bureo. They are a company that recycles discarded fishing nets into skateboards. Nets are separated by material, broken down and made into skateboards and a few other items like sunglasses, Jenga, Frisbees, reusable tumblers, and a few t-shirts!
Hydro Flask –
Hydro Flask’s charitable giving program, Parks For All, supports the development, maintenance and accessibility of public green spaces. They support non-profit organizations focused on building, maintaining, restoring, and providing better access to parks. By buying their products, you are in turn supporting the maintenance of National Parks in the USA, not to mention replacing the need for single use plastic water bottles.
Puravida –
Puravida makes thread like bracelets that supports multiple different causes, for as little as $9 CAD. They have a bunch of environmental causes like California Fire Relief, For the Oceans, Save The Coral Reefs, and 1% For the Planet as well as Animal Causes like Save the Elephants, Turtles, and Dolphins. You can even make your own custom bracelets (50 minimum) for your own cause.
One Happy Leaf –
One Happy Leaf is a jewelry company that plants a tree for every purchase. The jewelry they sell is made from bamboo, a very sustainable resource. They have options of necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, and hair accessories, as well as some things for celebrations and weddings like table numbers, cake toppers, and save the date magnets.
Allbirds –
Allbirds has taken a pledge to go completely carbon neutral. For every ton of carbon emitted by the company, the Allbirds Carbon Fund will support a verified emissions reduction project to offset the carbon produced. They also meet strict standards to protect the land, and the animals and people who depend on them for the materials they use. They also use recycled bottles, recycled cardboard and castor bean oil to make their shoes.
Lush Charity Pot –
A Charity Pot from Lush contains a lotion that leaves your skin soft and smooth to the touch, as well as lightly fragranced. With every purchase of a Charity Pot, Lush donates 100% of the price (minus the taxes) to small grassroots organizations working in the areas of human rights, animal protection and environmental justice.
Ten Tree –
Buying clothes that plant ten trees? Yes please! Every item sold by Ten Tree plants ten trees. When you get your Ten Tree clothing item, all you have to do is register that item and they will plant… ten trees! They have planted over 30 million trees to date and have the goal of 1 billion trees by 2030. They also make their clothing out of recycled polyester (discarded plastic water bottles!!), TENCEL – a wood pulp fiber, organic cotton, and hemp. They also have a special line that helps California wildfire “releaf”.
Adidas –
Adidas has partnered with Parley to fight for plastic free oceans. The collection is high performance sportswear and running shoes made from ocean plastic. Every piece is made of up to 75% plastic trash collected from remote beaches and coastal communities.
Final Straw –
Final Straw is a company that encourages you to swap hundreds of single use plastic straws, for your final straw. A stainless steel tube with a food grade silicone lining, bends into a small carrying case easy enough to put on your keychain! It comes with a cleaning brush and carrying case, in a multitude of colours.
Wholesome Culture –
This is a clothing company that loves animals and the environment. They ship all of their orders in recycled packaging made of biodegradable material or in recycled fabric and they use water-based ink on all of their graphic products, because other screen-printing inks contain plastics and chemicals. Their “Eco-Tees” are made from organic cotton and recycled plastic bottles. They also give back 10% of profits to animal rescue and environmental organizations, and are WRAP certified to be ethically made.
Canada Helps Charity Gift Card –
Give the gift of giving this Christmas – a gift card that makes a charitable donation… this is a great option for someone you may not know that well, but also a great option for anyone. You simply purchase a gift card, choose the occasion (Birthday, Christmas, Thank You, etc.) and you can get it emailed to the recipient on a certain date, or print it out and give it to them. It is an amount that they can use to donate to any charity in Canada or internationally. There are many organizations and charities to choose from, you can encourage them to check out the environmental ones too!
Lotto Love –
These “Lotto Tickets” take a fun spin on giving this holiday. They are available in 2-packs, 4-packs, and 10-packs, some of which come with a greeting card and envelope. It’s essentially a scratch off ticket that donates either literacy tools, solar light, clean water, or nutritious meals to those in need. They are FSC certified meaning they produce eco-friendly products. This is another great gift for a Secret Santa or a fun stocking stuffer! Not just at Christmas, this is a great gift for any time of the year.