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Sustainable Holiday Gift Guide 2025: Low-Waste, Eco-Friendly Gifts Everyone Will Love
Kimberly Haidinger, a Farmington resident, is founder of The Carbon Emissions Project and author of A Kid's Guide to Climate Activism.
We’re coming up on one of the most challenging seasons for anyone trying to live even remotely sustainably - the holidays. As much as I love this time of year, I think we can all agree, between the endless parties, the travel, the mountains of wrapping paper, and the gifts (so many gifts!), our environmental footprint tends to swell… dramatically.
If you’ve ever tried to maintain a plant-based diet while staying with well-meaning in-laws who think vegetables are a side dish to the meat, you know exactly what I mean. Or maybe you’ve stood in a sea of balled-up wrapping paper being stuffed into giant black trash bags and thought, oh no… not this again. It can be painful. It can be discouraging. And sometimes it’s downright disheartening.
From a sustainability perspective, what’s your most horrifying holiday memory?
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Was it watching a perfectly good leftover turkey - stuffing, mashed potatoes, and all - get tossed straight into the garbage? Was it seeing truckloads of cut Christmas trees heading to landfills instead of being composted or mulched? Or maybe it’s the sheer, dizzying amount of unnecessary consumerism that explodes every Black Friday?
Believe me, I could go on, but I’m not here to be a holiday bummer. I’m here to offer solutions - thoughtful, joyful, environmentally friendly strategies that genuinely change how we experience this season. Because when we approach the holidays with intention, a bit of creativity, and a sustainable mindset, everything feels different. Lighter, more meaningful, and more aligned with the values we want to model for our families. And it all starts with small shifts.
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Navigating Plant-Based Eating During the Holidays
This is where planning ahead becomes your best friend. I always bring at least one hearty, satisfying dish that I know I’ll enjoy - and that gives everyone around the table a chance to see (and taste - but mostly they don't!) how delicious plant-based eating can be. During our early Thanksgiving celebration, I brought a brand-new vegan recipe, and it was not only fun to make but so comforting to eat.
For my neighborhood holiday brunch this year, I’m whipping up vegan fudge and a bright, gorgeous spinach and fruit salad. I know I’ll be happy with what’s on my plate, and I don’t need the menu to cater to me. Offering to bring a dish also takes pressure off the host - which is nice, because I do not want to add stress to anyone's holiday planning. And even though you may be the only one eating your food, a few curious guests will always ask for the recipe. That’s how plant-based eating spreads: one tasty looking dish at a time.
Rethinking Gifts: Homemade, Heartfelt, and Low-Waste
Wait - did I just see you wrinkle your nose? Stay with me! Homemade gifts can be absolutely wonderful. And unlike most store-bought items, handmade gifts are the ones people keep for years, even decades. Now that's sustainability.
I still have the sweet homemade clothes and toys my step-mother stitched when my daughter was little. I still treasure a crocheted baby blanket from a friend. And I think of a former coworker every single time I put on the knitted socks she made me long ago. Handmade gifts carry stories - they’re little pieces of love that last.
This year, I’m making ceramic ornaments (assuming they all survive the kiln - fingers crossed!) and using them as reusable gift tags that can hang on trees for years to come. I’m sewing a patriotic pennant banner for my sister who throws legendary July 4th parties, and I’m stitching a set of pretty cloth napkins for another sister who recently switched to a zero-paper household. Thoughtful, useful, and made with love - the best kind of gift (hopefully they agree!).
As I continue to move through life with a little more intention - a little more rethinking, reusing, and reimagining - I’ve realized something important: sustainable is not restrictive. It is creative, joyful, and fun. Once you start approaching the holidays with an eye toward what’s meaningful instead of what’s “expected,” you open the door to a whole new way of celebrating. And that’s where gift-giving becomes an opportunity - not for more stuff, but for better stuff: thoughtful, low-impact, beautifully made items that truly align with the season’s spirit.
So, with that in mind, here are some ideas …
The Carbon Emissions Project’s - Sustainable Holiday Gift Guide 2025
Thoughtful Gifts for the People (and Planet) You Love
Finding meaningful, low-waste gifts during the holidays can feel overwhelming - but it doesn’t have to be. Each item in this guide reduces waste, supports small or mission-driven businesses, and inspires everyday climate solutions. And I have ordered gifts from these companies before so I know I can count on them. When you are trying to curate your own list of sustainable providers consider looking for:
- Small locally owned businesses
- Mission-driven businesses
- Made in the USA, organic, plastic-free, and made from recycled materials
- B Certified Company
- 1% for the planet company
- Avoid excessive packaging, and single-use items
- Gifts that support a sustainable lifestyle.
Whether you’re shopping for nature lovers, homebodies, kids, yogis, activists, or the “hard to shop for” folks, these gifts make an impact far beyond the holiday season.
FOR THE MINDFUL MOVER
Botanicals Cork Yoga Mat — $104
Elevate any yoga, Pilates, or meditation practice with this stunning, eco-friendly cork mat made from sustainably harvested cork and natural rubber. Its sweat-activated grip means no slipping (and no need for a towel), and the non-toxic dyes protect both your body and the planet. Naturally antimicrobial, lightweight, and incredibly durable, this mat is a favorite for hot yoga and restorative flows alike.
Even better? Every mat sold donates 10 meals to children in need through Feeding Children Everywhere.
Details:
• 72" x 24", 4.5mm thickness
• Includes carrying strap (50% organic cotton)
• Self-sanitizing antimicrobial cork
• One-year warranty from Scoria
FOR THE NATURE LOVER
The Tree Hugger Gift Box - $55
This beautifully curated gift box delivers purpose in every detail. Handcrafted from reclaimed cloth, it includes:
• Organic cotton socks that help fund tree-planting efforts
• A Juniper + Pine candle hand-poured in the USA by individuals with barriers to employment
Each box is assembled by Goodwill Southern California, creating impact at every step. Climate Neutral and B Corp certified.
FOR THE OCEAN ADVOCATE
4ocean Bracelet - Starting at $24
A meaningful, mission-driven gift. For every bracelet purchased, 4ocean removes one pound of trash from oceans, rivers, or coastlines. Made from post-consumer recycled materials and backed by B Corp and 1% for the Planet certifications.
Perfect for teens, educators, activists, ocean lovers, or anyone working to protect our blue planet.
FOR THE GIVER WHO DOESN’T WANT “MORE STUFF”
Sierra Club Gift Membership - $15–$25+
Give a gift that protects wildlands, advances climate solutions, and strengthens grassroots environmental action.
Includes:
• Digital subscription to Sierra magazine
• Members-only eco-travel opportunities
• Local chapter membership
• Free Eco-Chic Bag Set (limited time)
A low-waste, high-impact gift for the environmentalist in your life.
FOR THE HOME COOK + WELLNESS SEEKER
NOURISH - By Terry Walters - $40
A stunning, seasonal, plant-based cookbook featuring 200 recipes, a full fermentation section, ingredient deep-dives, gut health guidance, and techniques that support a vibrant, sustainable kitchen. It lays flat and is perfect for beginners and seasoned home cooks alike.
FOR YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS (AND THE ADULTS WHO LOVE THEM)
A Kid’s Guide to Climate Activism - $19.95
https://www.thecarbonemissionsproject.com/a-kids-guide-to-climate-activism/
Hope-filled, empowering, and beautifully illustrated with recycled-material collage art, this middle-grade book helps kids understand climate change and take meaningful action. Written by Connecticut mom Kimberly Haidinger and illustrated by her daughter, Luna Hansen.
A perfect gift for classrooms, families, libraries, and young activists ready to make a difference.
FOR THE STYLE-CONSCIOUS ACTIVIST
STAY VOCAL Reuse Tees - $25+
Bold, expressive, and truly circular. STAY VOCAL rescues unwanted shirts and prints new designs on them, giving each garment a second life. A Green America certified reuse brand since 2003.
Fashion that makes a statement - and avoids landfill altogether.
FOR THE ZERO-WASTE GIFTER WHO PREFERS EXPERIENCES
Fred Astaire Dance Studios - Ballroom & Latin Dance Lessons
Starting at $39 | www.fredastaire.com
Give the gift of joyful movement. Whether it’s a surprise date-night experience, a bonding moment with a friend, or a fun personal challenge, ballroom and Latin dance lessons are unforgettable - and completely zero-waste.
With expert instructors, nationwide studios, and easy-to-purchase gift certificates, this is an experience that builds confidence, connection, and lifelong skills.
Give an experience. Create a memory. Let the music do the rest.
FOR THE LOCAVORE & FARM-TO-TABLE FOODIE
CSA Share or Farm Store Gift Card
Price varies by farm
One of the most meaningful, low-waste gifts you can give. A CSA share or farm store gift card supports local farmers, nourishes the recipient with seasonal food, and reduces packaging and transportation emissions.
Food that strengthens communities - and tastes better too.
If you’ve made it this far, then you - like me - are craving a holiday season that feels aligned with the world we want to build. Sustainable gifting isn’t about perfection. It’s about giving items (and experiences!) that are useful, loved, and low-impact. And it’s about remembering that every small shift - every reusable gift tag, every plant-based dish, every local purchase - sends a powerful message about the future we believe in.
This holiday season let’s celebrate with gifts that honor both the people we love and the planet we share. Here’s to a season filled with warmth, joy, and meaningful choices - one thoughtful gift at a time.
Visit www.thecarbonemissionsproject.... and share your favorite sustainable gift ideas!
About the Author: Kimberly Haidinger is the debut author of A Kid’s Guide to Climate Activism, the first book in The Climate Action Vocabulary Series, a nonfiction collection created to empower middle-grade readers with the language and tools to change the world. When she’s not writing or working on her next book, Kimberly shares ideas for climate-friendly living on her blog, The Carbon Emissions Project.
