Sustainable Holiday Gifts – 2024 Ethical, Eco-Friendly Gift Guide
If you’re anything like me, you might find yourself getting overwhelmed when seeking out gifts for people in your life. You want the gift to be thoughtful, useful, and joyful – and perhaps you’re one of the many folks out there that are also seeking out gifts that are gentler on the environment. So if you’re looking for sustainable holiday gifts this season, I’ve put together a pared down list of items for everyone on your list (family, friends, and pets, included)!
The items on this sustainable gift guide span healthy food items and meal delivery services, carbon-zero grocery memberships, plant-based pet food and treats, the cleanest and most delicious protein powder and supplements on the market, top of the line non-toxic and sustainable cookware, and veggie-forward cookbooks.
Let’s get into the list!
Note that there are affiliate links and sponsored content elements in this article that will enable you to get a discount while I’ll earn compensation or a commission. I only accept content sponsorships from brands I’ve personally tried and vetted, and all affiliate brands are ones I’ve also researched and vetted. These collaborations allow me to run this blog and keep my in-depth content free of charge for readers like you who want to learn more about vegan, sustainable living 🙂
PawCo Pet Food
If you’re looking for a gift for the pet lover in your life (or for your own fur baby) PawCo* is a plant-based dog food company that my own pup, Cookie, is a *huge* fan of. The brand was started by one of the original scientists behind Impossible Foods who dreamed up GreenMeat™, the vegan base of PawCo’s formula. Packed with the goodness of omega-3s for skin and coat health, DHA to support brain function, and superfoods like flaxseed, berries, and carrots for immune support, it’s a complete, balanced, and delicious way to help your dog thrive. And because it is free from animal products, this food is inherently more sustainable than traditional pet foods (animal agriculture is one of the top contributors to greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming), and PawCo’s containers are also made from recycled materials and their shipping/cooling packs are all recyclable.
PawCo has a few different products: LuxBites™ which is ideal for gut health and immunity, their standard formula called GreenBites (which has four flavors), InstaBites™ (the only fresh, shelf-stable plant-based product on the market), and Magic Toppers which are a healthy and tasty supplement you can add to your dog’s food. Bonus: PawCo is offering some amazing holiday deals: for Black Friday/Cyber Monday (11/28-12/2) they’re offering 65% off a starter box and a free dog toy, and for their Winter Sale (12/3-12/24) they’re offering 60% off a starter box and a free dog toy.
*Sponsored content
Caraway Non-Toxic Cookware
High-quality cookware is one of the best gifts to give and receive, because it’s something that the person can use regularly, and for many, many years to come. So if you have any cooking enthusiasts in your life, I highly recommend checking out Caraway’s incredible line. I personally cook with their ceramic non-stick cookware and enameled cast iron set, and have been incredibly impressed by the quality and efficacy of their products. They also look stunning on your stovetop, and they have an excellent selection of colors to choose from (I’m a cream gal, personally).
What’s better: Caraway’s cookware is completely non-toxic – that means no harmful forever chemicals that are often present with non-stick cookware. On the sustainability front, Caraway shared that that, “when produced, our home goods release less CO2 into the environment compared to traditional non-stick coatings.” They also opt for environmentally-friendly materials for their products, and their packaging is made from 100% recycled cardboard, low-impact print dyes, and contains zero single-use plastics. When it comes to high-quality, sustainable holiday gifts, Caraway‘s cookware is an incredible option that your friends and family will use for many years to come (and they’ll think of you every time they cook)! Use code VEGANANJ for 10% of your order!
Plant-Based Meal Delivery Services
I think one of the absolute best gifts you can get for a busy friend or family member is a meal delivery service. Just by gifting them a meal subscription for a couple of weeks, you’re saving them time, energy, all while providing them with nourishing, tasty meals delivered right to their door. Purple Carrot is a great company with an array of options including meal kits and pre-made meals that are bound to please any palette (and you can customize based upon dietary needs and preferences), and Sakara is a luxe, clean, and fully organic option that is also fantastic.
I have a round-up of several awesome plant-based meal delivery services that you can check out. And seriously, don’t sleep on this as a great gift (I did this for my parents one year, and they were thrilled). A lot of the companies on my plant-based meal delivery list have really admirable sustainability practices, and again, because we’re talking plant-based meals here, they’re going to be far more earth-friendly, by default.
Thrive Market: Healthy, Carbon-Zero Groceries
I’ve been a Thrive Market member for years, and I’ll never start raving about how wonderful this mission-driven company is. First and foremost, they’re climate-neutral certified and are aiming to be carbon negative in 2025. Their Thrive Market brand products are also plastic neutral certified, and all of their warehouses are certified for TRUE zero waste certified. They’ve a brand that’s really walking the walk on their sustainability efforts.
Thrive’s food is also fantastic, and often at a discounted prices (and they have great sales and free member gifts), and I use them for all of my pantry staples like flax and hemp seed, almond butter, gluten-free flours, rolled oats, veg broth, and many, many more items that I always keep stocked in my pantry. They carry amazing healthy food brands, excellent plant-based products, and their Thrive Market private label is amazing (I love their snacks)! Gifting a Thrive Membership is one of the most thoughtful and useful sustainable holiday gifts for virtually anyone in your life. Use this link for 30% off your purchase and a $60 FREE gift when you join Thrive Market
Plant-Based Cookbooks
A cookbook is such a lovely gift. For me, cookbooks inspire creativity and get me excited about getting into the kitchen, particularly if I’ve been in a cooking rut. There’s just something about tangible cookbooks – and the incredible heart that goes into them – that sparks tremendous joy. There are a handful of incredible plant-based cookbooks out there that make for a lovely holiday offering; a few of my favorites of late are Radhi Devlukia Shetty’s JoyFull that was published not long ago and has gorgeous Ayurvedic recipes, as well as Peaceful Kitchen by Catherine Perez (a.k.a. the Plant-Based R.D.) that has an array of latin, Asian, and other eclectic dishes (as well as comfort foods). Jeanine Donofrio’s Love and Lemons cookbooks aren’t fully vegan, but everything can be veganized and I’m constantly recommending her recipes and beautiful cookbooks to people (I’ve actually gifted a handful of people this cookbook because I love it THAT much). Her recipes are always so vibrant, fresh, and zesty – I can’t get enough!
Sprout Living Protein Powder & Supplements
If you’re shopping for the gym rat in your life, the wellness guru, or just a friend or family member that’s trying to dial-in their nutrition, gifting them a high-quality protein powder is an excellent choice. I’m always recommending Sprout Living’s plant-based protein powders and supplements because they really are the cleanest, highest-quality, and best-tasting protein powder on the market. They also offer an array of supplements and superfood snacks, which would make for great stocking stuffers. And, because Sprout Living doesn’t use animal products, they’re a great option when seeking out more sustainable holiday gifts. Get 20% off your Sprout Living order with code VEGANANJ20!
Did I miss any great sustainable holiday gifts?
I’m always on the lookout for stellar new sustainable brands, so if you know of any other great products out there that make for lovely holiday gifts, please let me know! And if you found this article helpful, I’d love to hear which items you purchased for any loved ones in your life.
Wishing you a lovely and safe holiday season!
Anj xx
