I try to live more sustainably and these eco-friendly gifts are on my holiday radar for Christmas

These gifts give a little back to Mother Nature

The White Company lifestyle shot of a Christmas living room beige
(Image credit: The White Company)

Searching for Christmas gift ideas is hard, or at least for me it is as I am forever trying to make a conscious effort to be more sustainable. Whether that's in the kitchen, through my skincare routine, or even when it comes to the holidays and birthdays. I always try to think: do I really need to buy this? Will it actually be used? How can it be disposed of?

Now, we all know that along with the Holidays comes a lot of waste, whether from your dinner or from opening presents and buying your own gifts; so giving an eco-friendly gift will really make a difference, in more ways than one. I am trying to make sure that this year I make a conscious effort to give everyone at least one eco-friendly item, without going over budget. Because we all know that anything with an eco spin tends to be quadruple the price tag... Which is probably why a lot of us end up impulse buying something cheaper that breaks or gets damaged after a couple of uses and then goes straight to landfill.

I've been doing some shopping at some of my go-to sustainable shops, and here's what I've found. I've listed these gift ideas by price, starting with gifts under $15.

If you are searching for more ways to be sustainable at home, you can make a start by browsing our favorite eco-friendly cleaning products.

21 eco-friendly gifts to give this Christmas

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Eco-friendly gifts under $20

Eco-friendly gifts under $50

Eco-friendly gifts under $100

Eco-friendly gifts $100+


Where to shop for eco-friendly gifts?

Here are just a few of our favorite places to shop online for eco-friendly gifts. We've included all of these retailers in our guide above but you can click through to shop more of what they each have to offer.

  • Earth Hero - shop eco-friendly gift ideas for everyone
  • Goldune - a sustainable marketplace for household essentials, decor, and outdoor goods
  • Getaway - give the gift of a getaway and let them choose when and where
  • Goodee - an eco-friendly marketplace for everything from furniture to decor
  • NA-KD - shop sustainable clothing plus pre-loved garments 
  • Our Place - cookware and dinnerware made from recyclable materials
  • Paravel - carbon-neutral luggage that's super stylish
  • Public Goods - personal care and household essential eco gifts
  • The Bouqs - sustainable flower delivery company that works to minimize waste, recycle water and protect worker's well-being
  • Uncommon Goods - a gifting marketplace that encourages makers to use eco-friendly materials
  • Virgin Experience - shop gift experiences for a zero-waste present idea
  • W&P- sustainable gifts for your kitchen and for foodies

Now for the eco-friendly wrapping...

There's no point in investing in an eco-friendly gift for someone if you're just going to wrap it in plastic paper. So, with this in mind, you'll want to buy some eco-friendly wrapping, too.

First of all, you can shop a huge range of eco-friendly wrapping paper at Amazon. Otherwise, kraft paper is a sustainable option that's recyclable and makes for pretty present wrapping. You can also buy some recyclable tape from Amazon, to avoid ones with plastic inside them

If you'd rather not wrap your presents in single-use paper and tape, then why not head to your local thrift store and pick up a secondhand scarf. You can spread your scarf on your side and pop your gift inside the middle, tie it up as you please and you've got yourself a reusable wrap!

Annie Collyer
Head Ecommerce Editor

Hi! I'm Annie, and I'm the Head Ecommerce Editor at Real Homes. I've been part of the Real Homes team since 2018, when I joined as Deals Editor. Along with covering major sales events — from Black Friday to Amazon Prime Day — I review home must-haves so that you can buy with peace of mind. Mostly focusing on home fragrance and sleep, as well as a few vacuum cleaners, I've tested pretty much every item you can think of that you need in your home. I live on the outskirts of the city in a two-bed apartment with my husband and my pug, Doug. So I am always searching for compact alternatives and ways to save floor space. What about when I am not typing away? Well, you'll find me enjoying an iced coffee (no matter the season) and trying out the latest brunch spots the city has to offer, or booking my next holiday. Where else can you find my words? Livingetc, Homes & Gardens, Ideal Home, Gardeningetc, and Woman & Home.

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