When it comes to the especially eco-minded, gift-giving can seem antithetical to the cause. Why add more stuff to the household of someone who strives for the smallest of footprints? How to stoke holiday cheer when the giftee sees only rising seas and temps? For those buy-nothing people whose mission is saving the planet, we’ve got your back. From the upcycled wrapping to carbon offsets, here are 10 gift ideas for every climate activist on your list.
Black & Cremé – Angie Hoops
Bling, but make it eco-friendly and pro-social. Angie Hoops are handmade in Louisiana from salvaged pecan wood, and every aspect of its packaging—from the tissue paper to the box—is upcycled and/or recyclable. They’re a featured product from Black & Cremé, a Black- and woman-owned company dedicated to promoting eco-conscious small businesses. As if that wasn’t enough, it also participates in One Percent for the Planet, an international organization whose members contribute at least 1% of annual revenue to protect the environment.
The Organic Skin Co. – Essentials Pack
New Zealand native Megan Douglas launched The Organic Skin Co. with a goal of making high-end skin care products that harmed neither humans nor the planet. With ingredients like pomegranate, calendula and honeysuckle, there’s nothing in these items that can’t return to the earth. Plus, the packaging is all the good stuff: glass, bamboo, eco-pulp and aluminum. Recycled, recyclable and biodegradable FTW. The Essentials Pack is sure to boost the skin of anyone worried about the world at large. It includes fruit acid cleanser, turmeric face oil and rosehip moisturizer. Soothing for skin and soul.
Climeworks – CO2 Removal
Taking on the globe’s biggest carbon emitters can hardly be accomplished in a single holiday gift. But removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere isn’t a bad start. Enter the Swiss company Climeworks, which developed a carbon air capture technology that literally captures CO2 and then buries it underground. While that may sound abstract, they’ve made their work into a solution that feels tangible through gifting options that offset 10-40 kg of CO2 in a giftee’s honor and even delivers a personalized PDF to commemorate the act.
COP 28 – Plane tickets to Dubai
Obtaining observer status at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) is a lengthy process that involves being an NGO, a member of the press, or a politician. But for garden-variety, ultra-impassioned climate activists with PTO to spare, there’s everything else outside the annual conference: protests, parties and informal gatherings offer plenty of opportunity to rub elbows (and potentially petition) the powers that be. Of course, the true activists would truly limit their carbon emissions and opt for a boat to Dubai. But for the rest of us, there are carbon offsets (see above, for the perfect stocking stuffer).
The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis
“Inspiring.” “A manifesto.” “Practical.” “A book that shepherds climate activism from changing mental states to changing the world.” These are just a few of the ways that luminaries of climate-change activism have described “The Future We Choose.” This 2021 book from two of the chief architects of the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change is both education and guide; it not only outlines the world as it will be if climate change is not stopped, but also what governments, corporations and individuals can do to slow its encroachment. In short: a must-read for the informed activist.
Coulibri Ridge, Dominica
Imagine a sun-drenched, tropical resort that protects the environment as much as it pampers its guests. A place where visitors can luxuriate body and soul, secure in the knowledge that their R&R isn’t at the expense of the planet. Welcome to Coulibri Ridge, a self-sustaining luxury hotel built into the hills of the Caribbean. The brainchild of a Canadian entrepreneur, Coulibri is powered entirely by solar panels; filtered rainwater provides all of its water; much of its produce grows on-site. And that’s just the start. Bookings are now open for this brand-new resort, which awaits the eco-committed with high-end taste.
Greenpeace – Recurring Donations
The original pro-planet organization is still the most recognized. What began as a mission to combat nuclear testing in a remote corner of Alaskan coast became the global juggernaut of eco-consciousness. Now, 50 years since its founding, Greenpeace continues to organize, educate, observe and galvanize action in the name of protecting wildlife, natural habitats and the impact of climate change on the world at large. Donations in a someone’s name are a powerful statement; a gift of true care beyond the Individual and for the planet as a whole.
Meli Wraps
Founded in 2016, Meli Wraps are the artful plastic-wrap alternative from Kaua’i resident Melia Foster. It began when she started finding more plastic waste on her beloved Hawaiian beaches. An ocean-lover and a mom, she decided to partner with local beekeepers to make alternative food storage from beeswax and has since grown beyond her local shores. As for her wraps (“Meli” is the Hawaiian word for honeybee), they’re the perfect gift for the climate activist who has everything—and wants nothing.
Dirty Hippie Bar Soap Set
Plant-based, vegan and palm-free, meet the ultimate cleanser set for, well, the dirty hippies on your list. This set comes with four types of soap, each with its own all-natural ingredients. Think Dead Sea salt with rosemary and lavender. Belgian beer with skin-scrubbing oats. And a stout bar with, yes, dark beer and purifying charcoal. Plus, the soaps are hand-made and zero-waste. In other words: activist-approved.
Wrappily
According to Wrappily’s website, nearly 227,000 miles worth of wrapping paper gets thrown away during the holiday season. That’s enough to wrap around the world nine times. That’s where this Hawai’i- based upcycled, reusable wrapping paper company comes in. With island-inspired patterns and a printing process that allows it to be recycled, Wrappily aims to please both people and the planet with products that make gift-giving joyful and sustainable.
