Gifts That Keep on Giving: SB’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide

It’s that time of year again — the holiday season. While for many, this time
will be far from peaceful; for the fortunate rest of us, it represents a time to
decompress and be thankful for our blessings and continued resilience — and to
doing our part to support the wellbeing and resilience of others.

As always, the goal of our annual gift guide is to encourage a more conscious
approach to gift-giving by highlighting 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 some of the many companies, platforms and
products aligned with a more intentional approach to production and consumption
that we’d be happy to support anytime.

How and where to buy

Image credit: Buy Me Once

We know the convenience of one-stop shopping is undeniable, but more thoughtful
purchasing habits benefit local communities; so first, do what you can to shop
locally. Once you’ve exhausted those options, check out purpose-driven online
platforms such as Buy
Native, Goodee, Made
Trade (get 60% off sale items, plus 15% off your entire order with code GREENHOLIDAY) and The
Verticale — which supports BIPOC- and
women-owned businesses; Fair Trade-certified labor practices; circular,
inclusive, waste-saving, vegan and other categories of ethically made apparel,
personal care and home goods.

If big-box stores are more accessible for you, Target is an almost one-stop
shop that is taking impressive measures to rein in its carbon
footprint,
and support Black-owned
businesses
and 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 when all else fails, Amazon is also working to
promote ‘Climate Pledge Friendly‘
products and eliminate its
shipping
footprint.

Whatever you shop for, make sure the items are made to last: For clothes,
support the growing number of apparel brands that repair, recycle and resell
garments and accessories — think Levi
Strauss,
The North
Face
and
Timberland,
to name but a few; and for bags and luggage, you can’t go wrong with
Timbuk2. You can find great
brands on secondhand apparel marketplaces including thredUP, Poshmark or
Vestiaire Collective for a smidgen of the price; or peruse the curated
collection of apparel and home goods at Buy Me
Once, already vetted for longevity.

Personal care that cares for many

Image credit: Good Light

• Dignity Coconuts is on a mission
  is to end abject poverty for smallholder Filipino
  farmers
  through a community-centric model for producing coconuts — ensuring both a
  sustainable supply of coconut for their products and better livelihoods for
  farmers and workers. The company’s coconut oil-based cooking and
  personal-care products support
  this mission.

• Vida Bars are sustainable, clean,
  zero-waste shampoo and conditioner bars with no plastic packaging — made
  specifically for curly hair. Founder Ana Núñez wants to encourage curly-haired beauties everywhere to embrace and celebrate their natural hair.

• Disposable eye masks can create a lot of unnecessary waste, but Dieux
  Skin’s reusable Forever Eye
  Masks allow you to
  treat yourself daily without accumulating waste — and they’re compatible
  with pretty much any serum. After use, just wash them off and reuse when
  ready.

• Clean, gender-inclusive, vegan and cruelty-free, beauty brand Good
  Light donates 1 percent of
  profits to True Colors United — an
  organization that implements innovative solutions to youth homelessness that
  focus on the unique experiences of LGBTQIA+ community.

• Shea Yeleen’s handcrafted shea
  butter products nourish more than just your skin — each purchase directly
  contributes to the financial empowerment of women and the education of over
  250 children in Ghana. Currently, the business model is supporting the
  education of 268+ children. Founder Rahama Wright built her supply chain
  around women-owned shea collectives in Ghana and pays five times the local
  minimum wage. The Yeleen Beauty Makerspace —
  the first commercial, shared makerspace designed to support women and
  founders of color in the beauty industry – opens in Washington, DC later
  this year.

• Canada-based conscious lifestyle brand Sitti is committed to the self-reliance of refugee and displaced communities through skill-development training and long-term employment opportunities — its line of olive-oil-based bath and body
  products and growing line of kitchen accessories are made by Palestinian refugees at the Jerash Camp in Jordan.

• Skincare brand Sundree donates 3 percent of all sales to the Mental Health Coalition — which supports organizations including Trevor Project, The JED Foundation and The Loveland Foundation.

• Thistle Farms is a Nashville-based social
  enterprise on a mission to offer healing and hope for women survivors of
  trafficking, prostitution and addiction by ensuring access to safe housing,
  financial independence and a lifelong community of support. Proceeds from
  the sale of their candles, essential oils, accessories and all types of
  gifts provide jobs for survivors and help further the organization’s
  mission.

Clothing & accessories that serve more than style

Image credit: Pangaia

These garments and accessories do one better by eliminating waste, boosting
wellbeing and creating opportunities:

• Smartwool’s Second Cut™ Hike
  Sock is made in the US
  from a 50-50 blend of consumers’ old socks and responsibly sourced Merino
  wool.

• Hot sleepers, rejoice! Swiss-Swedish brand
  Dagsmejan’s “technical sleepwear” is
  scientifically proven to produce high-quality sleep — thanks to its
  sustainably
  made,
  trademarked fabrics that feature ultra-soft natural fibers such as Tencel,
  Merino, and eucalyptus; strategically placed vents in the fabrics that
  regulate body temperature; antibacterial properties that cut down on washes
  needed; and seamless, tag-less design.

• Life Cocoon’s aromatherapeutic Bliss
  Hoodie is the first CBD & eucalyptus
  oil-infused, heavyweight cotton hoodie designed to make you feel as if you
  are relaxing in a spa despite whatever chaos may be surrounding you.
  Available for pre-order.

• Upcycled activewear — LA-based Reformer
  makes seamless, luxury workout wear from recycled yarns at its own LA
  factory; while Italy’s Nuttch turns industrial nylon
  scraps into luxurious activewear and underwear, and is
  transparent about its entire
  process and impacts.

• For World Mental Health
  Day
  (Oct. 10) this year, materials-science company
  Pangaia partnered with
  meditation app Headspace on a collection of
  comfy tees and sweats that offer
  reminders of mindfulness and positivity, and come with a 1-month
  subscription to the app w/every purchase.

• Sustainable outdoor apparel brand Voited designs each
  item to be used in multiple ways, so you can have less stuff — from 4-in-1 blankets to
  the new Slumber Jacket that converts to a sleeping bag to pet blankets with
  an integrated bowl (Get 20% off site-wide with code: SEASON20).

• Detroit-based Rebel Nell is on a mission
  to “liberate art from rubble and women from the confines.” The nonprofit
  creates distinctive jewelry and accessories made from repurposed graffiti
  and materials; and provides employment, equitable opportunity, and
  wraparound support for women
  with barriers to employment.

• Kind Cotton is on a mission to put 1M inclusive
  books
  into the hands of kids. Each ethically produced tee, sweatshirt, bag and
  more spreads a message of
  positivity and inclusion, and provides a book to a child.

Extra nourishment

Image credit: Rasa

• Want more from your beverages? “Superfunctional,” adaptogen-packed, fair
  trade or direct trade herbal coffee alternatives and drink blends from
  Rasa provide sustained, nourishing energy and
  better sleep, among other benefits; Peak
  Cocktails’ fizzy, fruity concoctions are packed
  with adaptogens, nootropics and superfoods that recharge mind and body after
  a busy day or tough workout; and RDCL’s rich, creamy and nutritious
  Super Cocoa is loaded
  with 2 types of cacao — plus organic veggies, fruits, ancient grains &
  seeds, and 6 grams of organic pea protein per serving. And we can drink even
  more responsibly with Distillery 98’s Half Shell
  Vodka — made in Florida
  from locally sourced corn, the company works with farmers to raise oyster
  beds in their natural habitats along the Panhandle’s fragile marine
  ecosystems; and it’s the first spirit in the US to come in a 94 percent
  recyclable paperboard bottle.

• For yummy treats that boost more than your blood-sugar levels, check out
  Ugly Co’s upcycled fruit snacks — which give
  imperfect fruit new
  life;
  GoodSam Foods’ chocolate, nuts and
  coffee are supporting
  direct-trade relationships with indigenous farmers and scaling regenerative
  agriculture
  in Colombia; and Greyston Bakery’s mouth-watering line of
  brownies are made by dedicated New York bakers who have
  overcome barriers to employment (Use code SHIP4FREE through 12/31).

• And the conscientious bakers in your life might enjoy more climate-conscious
  baking mixes including King Arthur Baking Co’s Regeneratively Grown
  Climate Blend flour and
  Doughp Brownie
  Beast,
  powered by
  ReGrained’s
  upcycled, highly nutritious SuperGrain+ spent grain blend.

Kids’ stuff

Image credit: Gel Blaster

• Twin sisters Lindsay and
  Alexandra Lorusso have
  parlayed their years of experience at Canadian waste-management provider
  Wasteco into new circular kids’ clothing brand
  Nudnik — which upcycles pre-consumer organic
  cotton textile waste into premium, genderless kidswear (Get 20% off all
  upcycled
  clothing with
  code: HOLIDAYS).

• Brooklyn-based sustainable children’s lifestyle brand Oeuf is another family-run studio that designs ethically produced apparel and homegoods that are made to be loved hard and handed down.

• The “first climate-conscious game marketplace,”
  PlanetPlay was created to help the gaming
  industry and its 3.1B-strong playing community easily and accessibly
  contribute to climate action. The digital platform allows everyone around
  the world to contribute to climate action through in-game purchases and
  gameplay with affiliated game studios.

• German toymaker Schleich, which
  already makes long-lasting nature figurines and play worlds, is working to
  make all its toys and packaging
  recyclable by the end of
  2027.

• Bella Luna Toys is a marketplace for
  sustainably made toys and games that support the
  Waldorf approach to
  developmentally appropriate, experiential and academically rigorous
  education. Along with a wide range of toys, Bella Luna offers games that
  open young minds to sustainability themes — such as
  Planet, where
  players become ‘super beings’ who compete to create worlds filled with ideal
  conditions for wildlife to flourish.

• Family-owned and -operated Luke’s Toy
  Factory makes sustainable toys with
  interchangeable parts – think, a 3D puzzle that becomes a truck — great for
  helping little ones hone their problem-solving, fine motor, and creative
  play skills. Plus, it’s replaced 30 percent of the plastic in its toys
  with organic materials including Maple sawdust, walnut shells, flax fibers
  and more.

• Another family-run company, Gel Blaster is
  focused on getting teens, adults and families back in touch with play in
  order to live more active and connected lives. Its rechargeable
  blasters fire non-toxic,
  biodegradable “gellets” that disintegrate on contact (think paint ball with
  no stain, no mess, and no cleanup); and a portion of every sale goes to
  removing ocean-bound plastic & planting trees around the world.

Other cool stuff

Image credit: Jones Snowboards

Well, dang — everything in this category makes us want to make like REI and
#OptOutside!

• Philippines-based Fortuna Cools is
  on a mission to replace plastic foam with natural
  fibers. First step: the Nutshell Cooler, insulated with coconut husks — “the original cooler” that evolved to protect fresh coconut meat from the hot, tropical sun and is largely burned as a waste product of the coconut oil industry.

• National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for
  Wildlife (GFW) initiative is on a
  mission to enlist home gardeners across the US in helping to reverse
  biodiversity loss by purposefully planting native, pollinator-friendly plant
  varieties. Their curated collections of native, pollinator-attracting plants
  are available to help save butterflies, bees, birds and more in 38 Midwest
  and Eastern states,
  with free shipping; in the meantime, Western gardeners can curate
  pollinator-friendly plant collections of their own with GFW’s native plant
  finder.

• Laguna Beach Textile Co’s versatile, colorful, indoor/outdoor 100 percent recycled-yarn blankets
  are handwoven by a small family of artisans in Tlaxcala, Mexico.

• Yellow Leaf Hammocks not only makes the world’s most comfortable hammocks — the company is
  working to help its weavers in Thailand break the cycle of
  poverty through training and sustainable job creation.

• Personal audio equipment brand Skullcandy — “born on a chairlift in the
  mountains of Park City, Utah” — is “on a mission to help others who
  believe music heals and want to make the outdoors a better place.” Through
  its RePlay
  program, the
  company upcycles headphones and earbuds returned by retailers and customers
  into refurbished products — such as its Jib True 2 Wireless
  Earbuds — and
  recycles those that can’t be upcycled; and partners with local nonprofits
  working to address mental health, climate change and entrepreneurship.

• Speaking of chairlifts, another cool company inspired to help preserve the
  slopes and the climate by cutting waste is Jones Snowboards — whose
  Re-Up Tech is now
  upcycling old snowboards into new. Check out the newly redesigned
  Hovercraft 2.0
  Snowboard.

Properly pampered pets

Image credit: Molly Mutt

We should use the same criteria for buying for our pets as for each other! Here
are just a few companies with thoughtful approaches to their products and
business:

• Finley’s Barkery makes pet treats from simple,
  whole ingredients. Their goal is to create paid employment opportunities for
  people with disabilities while dedicating 50 percent of net profits to
  initiatives providing employment training, accessibility, health & wellness
  and advocacy platforms for people with disabilities.

• Dog for Dog also makes wholesome foods and treats, including its famous
  “Dogsbutter”; every purchase donates meals to shelter dogs in need.

• Hoadin (Help Out a Dog in Need) founder Nancy
  Dietlin is dedicated to
  producing dog gear made from eco- and animal-friendly
  materials and fulfilling a
  mission to support our planet and dog rescue/adoption. With every purchase,
  Hoadin donates to a nonprofit
  partner supporting dogs in
  need.

• Upcycled dog treats from Calvin’s
  Craft and dog and cat
  treats from Shameless Pets give pets nutrition
  that would otherwise go to landfill; while
  Chippin’s food and treats are made from just-as-nutritious but less resource-intensive protein sources including carp and
  cricket protein.

• Molly Mutt’s
  Stuff-It-Yourself dog and
  cat duvet covers allow you to stuff your pet bed with old clothes, towels,
  linens or other materials you have lying around vs the nylon/polyester
  fillings in most pet beds – saving both your clothing (and that
  eventually-lumpy filling) from going to landfill.

• West Paw’s hyper-durable collection of dog toys made from
  Seaflex™ — a safe,
  dishwasher-friendly, 100% recyclable material made from 88% zero-waste
  Zogoflex, 12% reclaimed ocean-bound plastic, and 0% bad stuff (no latex,
  phthalates or BPA) — come in a range of designs for different sizes and
  chewers.

Books

Image credit: Annie Spratt

For book-buying in general, we always recommend buying new and used books from
local stores or sites such as Bookshop.org — which
pulls inventory from local bookshops around the US. Or buy from or donate to
organizations such as Better World
Books — which matches every purchase with
a book donation to someone in need and funds literacy initiatives worldwide; or
First Book — this year marks its fifth
annual holiday drive to donate a million new, high-quality books to children in
low-income communities.

The gift of experience

Image credit: Quang Nguyen Vinh

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 just get away from it all:

• Gift travel with more conscientious tour operators working to combat
  overtourism and benefit communities on the ground: Intrepid
  Travel specializes in small-group tours
  that prioritize “lower-carbon, human-powered travel” over
  flying;
  and directly support environmental or wildlife conservation, preserve
  Indigenous culture or support marginalized social groups. And G
  Adventures has a similar commitment to
  ensuring destination communities benefit from
  tourism
  — including developing a Ripple Score that lets travelers see how much of
  their trip fee was spent locally, and a robust reforestation initiative in
  destinations most affected by climate change.

• For entirely different perspectives on their UK cities, Invisible
  Cities and Unseen
  Tours are two tour operators who
  support vulnerably housed
  individuals
  to develop, curate and lead guided walks to different neighborhoods full of
  hidden stories and quirky facts you’d never find in a guidebook.

• And for loved ones who aren’t looking to roam anytime soon, help them
  rediscover local experiences with wine tastings, walking tours, ghost hunts,
  or even roam-from-home scavenger hunts from Let’s
  Roam; or give arts, crafts, language, fitness,
  music and cooking classes from
  Airbnb,
  Masterclass and Uncommon
  Goods.

Wrapping

Image credit: Wrapp’r

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.
Don’t add to the millions of tons of additional paper waste generated during the
holiday season — thankfully, Wrappily has a lovely selection of recyclable
and compostable gift
wrap;
it also comes off the press in folded sheets, eliminating the unnecessary
cardboard tube. And gift bags are another easily reusable option.

Or get a little creative with alternative
materials
(newspaper, magazines, maps, inside-out chip bags, stone
paper)
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.

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: Thistle
Farms, GoodSam
Foods, Garden for
Wildlife,
Vida
Bars,
Finley’s Barkery,
Nudnik,
Rebel Nell,
Wrappily,
Oeuf,
Sundree,
Doughp,
Nuttch,
Yellow Leaf
Hammocks,
Half Shell
Vodka