Hey guys! Alyssa here. This holiday season Kaitlyn and I want to give you thoughtful and sustainable gift ideas that won’t add to your friends and family’s clutter problem or a landfill. Sometimes we know exactly what to get someone for Christmas. But almost every year, we completely blank on what to get for some others. Kaitlyn and I also share a pet peeve for receiving gifts that ultimately clutter our homes. 

It can be difficult to get creative when this time of year is beyond busy! So today we’ve put together some ideas that can suit different personalities on your holiday shopping list. And this year we’re specifically highlighting “green” options as well as ones that likely won’t create new clutter. 

This year’s gift guide has gift ideas for men, women, children, and everyone in between! So have a look, and let us know what your favorite picks are!

Why sustainability

First, you may be thinking, why is it important to consider the sustainability of gifts? And what makes a gift “sustainable” or “green?” Some of the gifts we’re sharing today are made with with recycled, biodegradable, or natural materials and have a zero-waste impact on the environment with little to no discharge of harmful volatile organic compounds. Check out our video to learn more about how you can implement health-conscious design into your home.

Sustainable gifts are safer and healthier products and limit exposure to off-gassing chemicals which can potentially be harmful. So, to help you choose clutter-free and “greener” gifts we’ve divided this blog into three categories, 1) Sustainable Upgrades, 2) Thoughtful & Stylish Gifts and 3) Absolute Zero Clutter Gifts.

Sustainable Upgrades

This category looks at everyday products, that can be upgraded with high-quality, sustainable versions.

Bedsure Viscose Bamboo Sheets

Bamboo bed sheets are a great gift for restless sleepers who suffer from being too hot. Unlike cotton sheets, bamboo sheets can regulate temperature, are much stronger and breathable. 

EcoTools  

For loved ones who like to wear makeup, EcoTools Bamboo Makeup Brushes are a thoughtful gift and upgrade to their current brushes.

Kaitlyn here, and I own few sets of Ecotools brushes, and they are very high quality and hold up even after a LOT of use and washes. It’s such a plus that they are environmentally friendly!

Pillows for Sleeping – 2 Pack Cooling Shredded Memory Foam Bed Pillows with Bamboo Covers (Queen Size)

Bamboo pillows are the perfect green upgrade. Not only is the bamboo foam made with polyester and viscose from bamboo, but it also has a cooling technology feature that keeps the user cool during the night. 

Sprout Pencils | Special Mixed Edition | Colored & Graphite Plantable Pencils 

If you have artsy kids, friends or family, this gift might totally grow on them! After use, Sprout plantable pencils allow them to give back to the environment by simply placing the rear end of the pencil into a soil-filled pot and watering it. Be sure to let us know if you try this!

Thoughtful and Stylish Gifts

In a year where we’re adjusting to changes that affect many of our day-to-day lives, we love the idea of giving meaningful gifts that support the “new normal.” And a truly thoughtful gift never goes out of style – and is far less likely to become clutter.

Burt’s Bees Gift Set – Hand Repair Moisturizing Products 

This hand repair set is perfect for everyone, especially now that we are constantly sanitizing our hands with alcohol-based sanitizers that dry out our skin. The kit has an Almond and Milk Hand Cream to hydrate skin, a Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream to revive dry hands, a Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream to nourish your nails, and a pair of cotton gloves to secure moisture.

Lap Desk for Laptop with Cushion & Bamboo Work Surface 

Provide your friends and family with a comfortable at-home work surface. The lap desk isn’t just eco-friendly and uses no plastics but it is also ergonomically friendly meaning it was designed to be comfortable and efficient. The bamboo surface acts as a perfect surface for the mouse and also keeps the laptop cool.

Bormioli Rocco Glassware

Kaitlyn here again with this pick for new stylish glassware. If you have a friend or family member who has recently moved or renovated their kitchen, it’s always fun to find new glasses they can use everyday or when entertaining. Glass is also a sustainable material, so you can have your wine and drink it, too!

4Ocean Handmade Braided Bracelet From Recycled Plastic

If you have a friend who loves bracelets and/or has a passion for the environment, a 4Ocean bracelet is a meaningful gift. Each bracelet is not only made with recycled materials, but funds the removal of one pound of trash from oceans, rivers, and coastlines.

LED Lights, Cool White, Indoor Outdoor Decorative String Lights 

LED string lights are a perfect decorative gift for kids and teens. They are a big trend amongst them and they aren’t just decorative but also consume little power making them energy efficient.

Terra Cotta Plant Pot

Terra cotta is a naturally sustainable material that’s on-trend for our indoor and outdoor plants. And real plants clean the air we breathe and can often offset not-so-great things in the air. We love the idea of gifting a new indoor plant to a friend or family member who just moved or got a new job this year.

House of Marley Stir it Up Turntable 

An excellent gift for those who still listen to or have become interested in vinyl records. The Stir It Up Turntable has a minimal and streamlined design suitable for those with a taste for modern design. It is made with natural bamboo, recycled plastics, easy-to-recycle aluminum, and eco-friendly fabric and silicone.

Refill their favorite feel-good products

Kaitlyn here again! Beauty products are my guilty pleasure to deal shop during the holidays. And while buying someone something they don’t need will only ADD to the clutter in their lives, buying something they already LOVE will not. Take note if you notice your mom/sister/BFF gushing over a beauty product and buy them a back-up! It will make them feel both cared for and beautiful. (And this Briogeo detangling spray is fabulous, btw.)

Absolute Zero Clutter Gifts 

The category literally focuses on gifts that won’t clutter someone’s home. As an added bonus, since these are digital products/ideas, they also make incredible last-minute gifts for the notorious Christmas procrastinators!

Kindle + 3 Months Free Kindle Unlimited

For avid readers, the gift of a kindle is a perfect way for them to reduce the clutter of books in their home by adding them into a single device. Electronic books produce fewer carbon emissions than traditional book publishing, making the kindle eco-friendly. 

And, an Audible subscription is also a great idea for friends and family who you know enjoy a good audio book for their daily commutes, walks, and chores. (This is Kaitlyn’s favorite mode of learning all day every day!) You can additionally personalize this gift by providing a book recommendation that you know they’ll get a kick out of.

Amazon.com Gift Card in Various Gift Boxes 

When you are unsure of what to get, a gift card is the easiest route to go. This allows the receiver of the gift to purchase what is important to them without creating clutter.

Bonus points if you purchase one of the tin options which can be reused for gifting next year!

Masterclass Subscription

Lastly, Masterclass is an amazing platform to learn and discover new fields. The gift of a subscription provides the opportunity to not only learn something new but also to further develop existing knowledge. 

We hope this guide with sustainable gift ideas has inspired you to think a little differently about clutter and the environment. But also, that you don’t have to necessarily sacrifice style or quality when you choose to shop a little greener. Please let us know if you try any of these products out by tagging @kaitlynloosdesign on Instagram or leaving a comment below!

About Kaitlyn

Disclaimer: a small percentage of purchases from select links will benefit Kaitlyn Loos Design via an affiliate program. I appreciate anyone who wants to support the blog by shopping the products, but there is no obligation to buy

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