Greater Gift Guide: Top Picks for the 2022 Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us once again, a time for giving, expressing gratitude, and celebrating with loved ones. This year, we hope that the festivities bring us closer to a sense of ‘normalcy’ compared to the previous two years, allowing us to fully embrace the joy of the season.

With that spirit in mind, our gift guide encourages a thoughtful approach to choosing gifts by featuring products, services, and experiences that not only delight the recipient but also contribute positively to the environment and society. We prioritize options that minimize waste and create beneficial impacts for communities and producers, making our selections environmentally friendly and socially responsible.

Here’s our curated list of companies, platforms, and products that embody a mindful approach to production and consumption, reflecting our values of sustainability and ethical responsibility.

Embrace Conscientious and Sustainable Consumption

Image credit: Mocktail Club

Explore Beneficial Beverages with Purpose

• Organika Vodka — This organic Siberian vodka is committed to conservation, partnering with WWF to protect endangered species such as the Siberian tiger and the snow leopard. By choosing Organika, you support not only a premium spirit but also a vital conservation effort.

• Gray Whale Gin, based in California, is distilled using botanicals sourced along the migratory path of the California Gray Whale. With every bottle sold, Gray Whale Gin contributes to ocean conservation in partnership with Oceana, while collaborating with SeaTrees to plant mangrove forests in crucial whale habitats like Laguna San Ignacio, the last undeveloped breeding lagoon for the species.

• Bizzarro Aperitivo — This Carbon Neutral Certified canned cocktail line from Delinquente Wine Co. showcases sustainable practices through its production of small-batch, minimal intervention wines. Enjoy their new canned cocktails, Bizzarro Aperitivo Spritz and Mischief Brew Tonic, while supporting eco-friendly initiatives.

• Toast Ale, a UK-based brand, has upcycled nearly 3 million slices of surplus bread since its inception in 2016 by partnering with local bakeries and sandwich producers. Recently, Toast Ale has taken on the role of circularity advisor for Heineken, furthering its commitment to sustainability.

• For a delightful wine experience, explore offerings from wineries practicing regenerative viticulture, like Hope Well Wine from Oregon and Bonterra Organic Estates from Mendocino, along with Ridge Vineyards from Healdsburg and Robert Hall Winery in Paso Robles. These brands are leading the charge towards sustainable wine production.

• For those seeking sustainable spirits, consider distilleries like Rhum J.M, Sipsmith, and Tattersall, along with Maker’s Mark, the largest B Corp-certified distillery, and Mijenta, the first B Corp-certified tequila.

Diverse Non-Alcoholic Options for Everyone

• Mocktail Club offers a refreshing line of organic, non-alcoholic cocktails inspired by a diverse team of BIPOC women. Infused with herbs and spices like cardamom, chili peppers, and lemongrass, many drinks provide additional benefits such as prebiotics and antioxidants, making them both delicious and health-conscious.

• Monin Flavored Syrups — Since 2008, Monin has implemented a unique quality-control initiative by donating its recycled syrup to support apiaries. The Syrup-to-Bees program has significantly aided US bee farmers, contributing over 140,000 gallons of syrup this year alone, helping to sustain bee populations during nectar shortages.

• Atomo Beanless Coffee (10% discount code: BUYUP) is crafted using upcycled dates, seeds, and other ingredients, including caffeine derived from tea. This innovative beverage is roasted and brewed like traditional coffee but requires 93 percent less carbon emissions and 94 percent less water, making it an eco-friendly alternative for coffee enthusiasts, similar to the efforts of WNWN Labs in the chocolate sector.

Discover Nutritious Bites for a Healthier Lifestyle

Image credit: Capao

• Snack on products from GoodSam Foods, which supports regenerative smallholder farmers globally, ensuring that your indulgence contributes to sustainable agriculture.

• WellVine offers Vine to Bar upcycled superfood chocolates, enriched with Chardonnay Marc, a byproduct of winemaking that is rich in flavonoids, antioxidants, and oligosaccharides, promoting gut health by nourishing beneficial bacteria.

• CaPao produces Cacaofruit Bites using the nutritious pulp of the cacaofruit, which is often discarded during the chocolate-making process. By combining this pulp with nuts, seeds, and fruits, they create delicious snack bites that contribute to reducing food waste. Another innovative company, Supplant, tackles biodiversity and obesity by transforming agricultural side-streams into “Sugars from Fiber,” resulting in nutrient-rich chocolate bars that also help mitigate the environmental impact of destructive crops (20% discount code: BUYUP).

• ReGrained transforms spent beer grain into nutrient-rich baking mixes and even Leashless Lab Beer Grain Dog Treats, ensuring that no part of the brewing process goes to waste while providing sustenance for both humans and pets.

Elevate Your Culinary Skills with Conscientious Cookbooks

Enhance your cooking journey with insightful cookbooks like Decolonize Your Diet and the recently released The Cookbook in Support of the United Nations: For People and Planet. These works aim to educate home cooks about the historical significance and impact of various ingredients and cuisines, promoting a more mindful and informed approach to meal preparation.

Indulge in Sustainable Luxury Products

Image credit: Aether Diamonds

Move away from traditional mined diamonds, which carry significant social and environmental repercussions, and embrace the future of luxury with lab-grown diamonds. Brands like Aether Diamonds and Skydiamond offer exceptional carbon-captured gems created using renewable energy and collected rainwater, presenting a guilt-free option for those who cherish elegance and ethical responsibility.

Transform Your Space with Sustainable Décor

Image credit: Model No

If you’re looking to refresh your home or office space sustainably, consider these innovative options:

• Model No creates stunning furniture, lighting, and accessories through 3D printing, utilizing sustainable and waste materials. Their latest collection features collaborations with talented designers like PROWL Studio, fine artist Mike Han, and motion designer Natalie Liu, resulting in unique pieces crafted from salvaged ash trees and reclaimed sawdust.

• Explore Chairish, a marketplace for new, used, unique, and vintage home furnishings, emphasizing the mantra that resale is the new retail, allowing you to find distinct pieces while promoting sustainability.

• Xorel fabrics from Carnegie are made from 85 percent plant-based materials sourced from sugarcane. These C2C-certified, non-toxic wall coverings and outdoor fabrics are designed to be durable, weatherproof, and stain-resistant, providing a sustainable option for your interior design needs.

• Additionally, check out home textiles from re:loom, a nonprofit organization based in Decatur, Georgia, which empowers unhoused and low-income individuals by providing them with jobs weaving products from recycled materials. This initiative not only creates beautiful textiles but also uplifts communities through stable employment and healthcare coverage.

Inspiring Reads for All Ages

Image credit: Min An

Engaging Children’s Books That Educate

When it comes to inspiring young readers, consider these captivating titles that both entertain and educate about the importance of the natural world:

• Available in six languages, The Forest Girls series beautifully narrates the adventures of girls from around the globe as they befriend, climb, and plant trees, fostering a connection with nature.

• Jaimal Yogis’ Mop Rides series follows the journey of surfer kid Mop in Mop Rides the Waves of Life, promoting themes of tolerance and mindfulness. The latest installment, Mop Rides the Waves of Change, addresses the critical issue of plastic pollution in oceans, with all proceeds supporting Sustainable Surf’s SeaTrees initiative to protect coastal ecosystems.

• For slightly older readers, explore the middle-grade fantasy adventure The Tiltersmith by Amy Herrick, in which climate chaos intertwines with myths and monsters, sparking curiosity and critical thinking about environmental challenges.

When purchasing books, consider sourcing them from local bookstores or platforms like Bookshop.org, which supports independent bookshops across the US. Organizations like Better World Books match every purchase with a book donation to someone in need, while First Book is currently running a holiday drive to donate a million new books to children in low-income communities.

Eco-Friendly Baby Products for New Parents

• Century Baby has been a pioneer since 1961 with the introduction of the first baby carrier. Now, they’ve rebranded to focus on safe, affordable, and sustainable baby gear, including strollers, carriers, and cribs, ensuring peace of mind for new parents.

• GoodBuy Gear assists parents in selling gently used baby and kid items and has partnered with buybuy BABY to promote sustainability. The initiative encourages families to declutter responsibly by offering gift cards in exchange for traded-in items, extending the lifecycle of baby products.

• For nutritious baby food, consider Once Upon a Farm, co-founded by actress Jennifer Garner. This brand is dedicated to improving childhood nutrition by offering clean-label, organic meals free from pesticides and preservatives, ensuring that all families, including those eligible for WIC™, have access to healthy options.

Comfortable, Circular Clothing and Accessories

• UpKnit products from FTC Cashmere utilize a unique technique to connect residual yarns left over from the knitting process, creating one-of-a-kind hats, sweaters, and garments that celebrate sustainability while reducing waste.

• Pangaia’s Re-Color capsule collection features comfy basics like their signature 365 sweatshirts and sweatpants, dyed using Recycrom™, which transforms textile waste into vibrant dye materials, promoting a circular economy.

• Wildling’s Lotus slippers, although not yet fully circular, are designed with longevity in mind. Composed of only three main components—wool, thread, and sole—they can be easily separated for future recycling, thus contributing to a more sustainable footwear option.

As you shop, prioritize items built to last. Support brands committed to repairing, recycling, and reselling garments, such as Amour Vert, Barbour, Eileen Fisher, H&M, Levi Strauss, Madewell, New Balance, The North Face, Patagonia, Rapanui, and tonlé. For bags and luggage, consider durable options from Timbuk2 and Freitag.

eBay UK offers an Imperfects marketplace featuring clothing, shoes, and accessories from over 100 designers at significant discounts due to minor imperfections. Secondhand marketplaces like thredUP, Poshmark, Swap Society, and Vestiaire Collective are also excellent choices. For curated collections of sustainable apparel and home goods, check out Karma Wallet, Buy Verde, Dzukou, and Buy Me Once.

Innovative Beauty and Wellness Solutions

Image credit: Deon Libra

In the realm of fragrances, CK Everyone Eau de Parfum by Calvin Klein has achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold status, excelling in all five critical sustainability areas: material health, circularity, clean air, climate protection, and social fairness. It’s the first fragrance to earn this prestigious certification. Additionally, explore Henry Rose for safe and nontoxic fragrances, candles, and personal care products, which also support breast cancer research through contributions to advocacy groups.

On the giving back front, GLO Science offers a range of innovative oral care products that use gentle heat and light technology for effective whitening without sensitivity. Their GLO Good Foundation, in partnership with Lenny Kravitz‘s Let Love Rule Foundation, provides free dental care to underserved communities, demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility.

Revolutionary Waste-Free Personal Care Products

• SWAIR Showerless Shampoo is not your typical dry shampoo; it’s an aerosol-free spray that cleans hair without water. SWAIR allows users to wash their hair significantly less, conserving water—up to 312 gallons a year—while being vegan and free from harsh chemicals.

• Bite is transforming the oral care industry with toothpaste bits, mouthwash bits, and a range of body products that eliminate both product and packaging waste. Their innovative offerings include a soap made from carbon-capturing sea kelp, ensuring a fresh and eco-friendly clean.

• Grove Collaborative presents Peach (and Peach Kids), a plastic-free line of head-to-toe body and hair care bars made with safe ingredients, promoting a zero-waste lifestyle.

• The Make My Shave subscription service provides a reusable razor handle with recyclable blades and compostable packaging. Each purchase supports reforestation efforts as they plant a tree for every subscription.

• Deon Libra, a newly launched Black-owned wellness brand, specializes in adaptogenic products designed to enhance the body’s natural stress response and improve skin health. Their initial offerings include Unbothered, an adaptogenic powder, and Big Up, an all-over body oil serum, empowering users to manage stress effectively.

Thoughtful Gift Wrapping Ideas to Minimize Waste

Image credit: Hallmark

Once you’ve thoughtfully selected ethical gifts, it’s essential to wrap them in an environmentally friendly manner. Most conventional wrapping paper contributes to landfill waste and is often non-recyclable. Instead, consider using Hallmark’s recyclable gift wrap options to minimize your ecological footprint during the holiday season.

Get creative by utilizing alternative materials like newspaper, magazines, maps, or even upcycled chip bags. Embrace the Japanese tradition of furoshiki wrapping with beautiful cloth wraps available from Wrapp’r and Etsy, adding a personal touch to your gifts.

Explore More Thoughtful Gift Ideas in Our Previous Guides

Wishing You Joyful Holidays from the Sustainable Brands Team!