2023 sustainable gift guide
It’s that time of year when gifting drifts to the top of our minds—and it’s more important than ever to be thoughtful about what you give.
Did you know that many, many returned gifts end up in landfills? According to a 2022 report from retail returns platform Optoro, 9.5 billion pounds of returned items are sent to landfills every year.
In this guide, you’ll discover some of our favorite sustainable gifts for 2023. Plus, you’ll learn about all these options for environmentally friendly gifting:
Reusable products
Circular gifts
Gifts that give back
Resale gifts
Gift cards
We’ll also touch on the most environmentally friendly choices for getting rid of a gift you don’t want (though we hope you don’t end up in that situation!).
By the way, we’ll link to some brands. We’ve made picks based on our own research and aren’t being compensated for any business we send their way. We’re just trying to help you find waste-less solutions easily. Some of the brands featured are partners who use Ridwell members’ materials to create circular products.
Reusable products
Whether the people in your life strive for zero waste or simply want to live a bit more sustainably, they’ll appreciate gifts that eliminate single-use products from their everyday lives. Some of our favorites are cotton swab alternative LastSwab from LastObject, reusable paper towels from Papaya, and plastic-free refillable deodorant from Bite (known for their toothpaste bites!).
Circular gifts
Choosing products made with reused materials keeps those materials out of the waste stream. That’s what we’re all about! We even introduced our own products—Green Friday Goods by Ridwell is our first collection of items made from materials we picked up from our members, available for members to shop November 13-17, 2023.
Lots of our partners create circular products using materials from Ridwell members and the wider community of planet-loving people. Here are a few of our favorite things from our partners and beyond to give as gifts:
Wine totes from Refleece, made from worn outerwear. What a great way to present someone with a bottle and give them something they can use again and again.
Ski tie clips from Apres Ski, made from otherwise landfill-bound skis. Conversation piece alert! These clips are each unique, maintaining the colors and designs of the skis they came from.
Turtle-shaped coasters from Minneapolis-based Second Melt, made with coffee cup lids, straws, and other non-recyclable plastic. Who knew “trash” could be so adorable?!
Jewelry, home goods, and more from Refugee Artisan Initiative, a Seattle-based organization that partners with refugee and immigrant women to create beautiful products out of reused materials. 100% of profits go to a living wage for the artisans.
Coat racks, wine holders, and more from SkiArtistry, all hand crafted near Seattle. These skis don’t shred mountains anymore, but they’re looking as good as ever living their best second lives as an array of creatively made, useful items.
Handmade area rugs, bags, pet accessories, and more from Decatur, Georgia-based re:loom, a program of the Initiative for Affordable Housing that helps adults address obstacles to employment.
Recycled cork footbeds and shoes from SOLE, made with materials from ReCORK, an innovative cork recycling company that’s pioneering a lower impact future for the footwear industry.
Ornaments, home goods, and more from Piece by Piece, a Los Angeles organization with a mission to empower people who have experienced homelessness or economic insecurity. Every product is a mosaic made with upcycled materials.
Gifts that give back
When you give a gift, why not give to a cause you believe in at the same time?
Lots of brands choose to dedicate a portion of proceeds toward giving back. One of our favorites is Pela compostable phone cases—the brand donates a percentage of every sale to ocean cleanup and preservation initiatives.
1% for the Planet certifies businesses around the world that commit 1% of annual sales to vetted environmental partners—and more than 5,400 businesses are involved, so you can find certified sources for many products and services.
Two planet-loving brands with giftable products stand out to us: Patagonia and Tentree.
Patagonia started 1% for the Planet and, after reinvesting in their business, they use all profits to fight the environmental crisis through their nonprofit Holdfast Collective. They also buy back worn gear and resell it in their Worn Wear program.
Fun fact: Patagonia just released it's warmest coat ever and not only is it made of 100% recycled fibers, half of those fibers come from recycled plastic recovered from the ocean. (Coats on the cutting edge of recycling that also perform well in super-cold temperatures don’t come cheap: it costs $899.)
Tentree is a clothing company that works hard for the planet. Not only do they create all their products with what they call an Earth-First approach (using sustainably sourced and recycled materials and manufacturing in fair, safe conditions), they plant trees for every item purchased. Plus, they sell climate+ subscriptions and packages, a way to not only offset your carbon footprint, but to remove additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by planting trees.
Resale gifts
Patagonia isn’t the only brand with a take back program to resell worn goods through their channels. In fact, these programs are a rising trend as more and more people look to keep materials out of the landfill, particularly apparel.
The program from Eileen Fisher is especially interesting as it features mended items with unexpectedly cool visible patches. Others include REI Re/Supply, Levi’s SecondHand, and The Frye Exchange.
Other brands have introduced customer-driven resale, allowing people to post their own worn products and ship them to buyers. When you buy, you keep something useful out of the landfill. When you sell, you can usually get paid in cash or brand credit.
You can often find new-with-tags items in peer-to-peer branded resale marketplaces. A few to check out include Outerworn (Outerknown apparel), Girlfriend to Girlfriend (Girlfriend Collective apparel), and reBoot (Helm boots).
Gift cards
Whether physical or virtual (the less wasteful option!), gift cards are a great way to minimize product returns. After all, the recipient gets to choose what they want. And if you’re thoughtful about the one you choose, a gift card can feel just as special as something physical.
To make a gift card more personal, write a note to let the recipient know why you chose the one you did. Maybe you know it’s a favorite brand or maybe you want to help them discover something you love.
These days, gift cards are more than stand-ins for physical gifts, too. They’re a great way to give experiences. Standbys like dinners and spa days are always useful and more out-of-the-box options can be fun surprises. Learning hubs like MasterClass offer gifting as do wellness classes like Alo Moves.
We have Ridwell gift cards, too! Plus, we’re adding $10 to the Community Supported Membership fund for every one purchased in December.
What if you get a gift you don’t want to keep?
Remember, millions of pounds of returned gifts end up in the landfill every year, so returning the things you don’t love may not be the most eco friendly route. If it’s still the most appealing option for you, research the brand or store where you’re taking it to understand their recent history and you may find that they do the right thing. Many retailers are making an effort to reduce waste from returns.
What else can you do to keep an unwanted item out of the landfill? Here are our top three ideas.
Give it to someone in your community. If you don’t already know of a local organization that takes donations of your unwanted item, consider posting it on your local Buy Nothing group—you’ll make the day happier for an appreciative neighbor.
Sell it to someone who sees the value. Check if the brand that made your gift has a takeback or peer-to-peer resale program to make a few dollars or earn brand credit. If not, consider looking into other secondhand platforms like Poshmark or Depop.
Regift it to someone the item reminds you of. Regifting may have a cringey reputation, but if you know a friend will use something you won’t, passing it along is a planet-friendly choice.
With these tips in mind and with suggestions for sustainable gifts to check out, you’re all set to have a waste-less holiday season both as a gifter and as the recipient of a loved one’s generosity.
