The holiday season is the busiest time of year for retailers and airlines alike. Whether you’re traveling to visit family, traveling with friends, or traveling home-Americans are estimated to spend over 700 BILLION DOLLARS this holiday on gifts, travel, and goodies for the holiday season. My Eco Friendly Gifts list is great for travelers and other sustainability supporters. Let’s help to minimize carbon footprints globally with these 15+ Unique Eco Friendly Gifts!
To save you the research (you’re welcome), I’ve put together this list of Unique Eco-Friendly travel essentials for environmentally conscious travelers, which I hope helps to improve the climate change crisis in some small way.
The Cost of Waste
The US spends 700 BILLION USD on holiday gifts. WHAT. That’s an INSANE amount of money. I find it slightly embarrassing that we can’t stop climate change when we have that type of cash at our disposal. AMERICA! That hurts my soul! Has our country become so materialistic and wasteful that we care more about filling our lives with meaningless “things”, then we do the generations that come after us?
Effects of Climate Change
As a traveler myself, I have seen first hand the affects climate change is having on our planet and those who suffer as a result. Rivers are drying up, communities with them. Cities are sinking, others are flooding. I ask myself, what can I do? How can I make a difference?
Take an active role by being a responsible consumer- buy “Eco-Friendly”. We have SO MUCH POWER as consumers… we decide what goods get produced based on our demand for that good. Don’t buy or “demand” products that are killing our planet! “Eco Friendly” means they are either made with sustainable or recycled materials, prevent waste, and do not harm the environment. By supporting companies and products that are working towards an eco-friendly future- you’re making a difference.
Reusable Toiletries Bottles
My favorite part about the travel bottles is that they eliminate the need for single use travel toiletries. Give the gift of green, and help travelers contribute to sustainable travel practices.
Recycling a stack of newspapers just 3 feet high saves one tree, how cool is that?
Eco Friendly Bamboo Toothbrush Kit
These sets can come with bamboo toothbrushes, dental floss, and even a bamboo toothbrush holder for safe and hygienic storage. This eco-friendly toothbrush is made from sustainably sourced bamboo wood, so you can opt out of using plastic toothbrushes! The set comes in recyclable packaging, and your purchase will help save the environment in several ways.
Soap Bar & Tin
Naked bar soap will keep thousands of plastic body wash bottles out of our oceans. They’re TSA friendly, and travel much better then leaking soap bottles. I use naked bars for all my shower needs, and there is nothing worse than trying to pack a soggy bar of soap. Grab a tin/soap container to pair with your bar soaps.
Hemp Body Scrubber
Reusable Water Bottle
Never spend money on plastic water bottles again. For the sake of all of us, in addition to the planet. In Michigan, Nestlé Waters has been pumping vast amounts of groundwater out of Michigan’s springs to feed growing consumer demand for freshwater in convenient plastic bottles.
That’s right, your Ice Mountain gets pumped for practically NOTHING out of Michigan’s rivers and lakes. It doesn’t come from a mountain… we have no mountains in Michigan. In 2018 Nestlé requested to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to increase pump amounts to 576,000 gallons of water EACH DAY. Draining fresh water fields from the White Pine Springs well in the Great Lakes Basin. Despite deep public opposition, with 80,945 against and 75 in favor – the request was approved by the agency.
Water Purification Tools
Unfortunately, plastic water bottles are especially popular in developing nations due to lack of clean drinking water. Travelers can bring portable water purification tools to ensure they are not contributing to the plastic takeover.
Reusable Coffee Mugs
Travel Utensil Kit
Another unique eco friendly gift is a travel utensil kit. Did you know over 500,000,000 plastic straws are used each day in the United States? Why are we generating extreme waste for minimal convenience? Buy a travel utensil kit made from natural materials. They’re free from BPA, phthalates and other cancer-causing toxins plus they don’t kill turtles when you’re done. Buy these for every person you know.
Adventure Savings Box
Gift the gift of experience, with an adventure fund box. The box is a symbol of any and all adventures pulling at your heart. Drop your spare change and fill it while you plan your best adventure yet!
Nomadik Adventure Subscription
Nomadik is a monthly adventure package full of best-in-class gear delivered right to your doorstep. The Nomadik subscription boxes come in multiple packages, making it a great gift opportunity over the holidays, special road trips, family outings, or weekend getaways! Subscriptions are tailored to explorers, campers, hikers and adventurers who appreciate time exploring.
Travel Photo Canvas
Create a travel photo canvas for wall art or travel adventure displays. Check out my Her Life Adventures Etsy Shop for gorgeous travel photography downloads.
Vacation Photo Book
Scratch Off Map
I have a scratch off map to keep track of all try adventures in a fun, creative way! Feeling crafty? You can frame the map in a recycled wood frame, and add a hook to make some wall art.
Reusable Tote Bag
There are 7.7 billion people on Earth. If we join together as a global community and each make small lifestyle changes towards being more eco-friendly and kindness focused – we can make a real and lasting difference. Reduce your plastic use AND carry your everyday essentials with this cute tote.
Airplane Mode Gear
There’s something about airplanes that just lulls me right to sleep. As soon as I step onto the plane my body is in airplane mode. Sleep masks, ear plugs, and comfortable clothing help me stay cozy & rested. Great for time change from overseas or long summer nights in Iceland where it doesn’t get dark at night. Check out my 8 Day itinerary to Iceland HERE!
Experience Gifts
- Movie tickets
- Theatre tickets
- Opera tickets
- AirBnb Experiences; one of a kind activities hosted by locals.
- The Nomadik monthly subscription boxes are a perfect gift for the adventurer in your life!
- Travel Vouchers from Groupon
- Build them a custom itinerary with Roadtrippers!
Don’t forget to PIN IT!
I always bring canvas bags with me and have recently started using shampoo and conditioner bars and tins – see a few more items I need to pick up!
Lots of great ideas here! Love the bamboo toothbrush idea and the box for saving money for travel. I often forget to tell restaurants that I don’t want the plasticware. I wish they would ask before throwing it in. Same with straws and piles of napkins. Thanks for sharing.
I was aware of many of these items, but not all. Thank you for sharing! Think I may be ordering some bamboo toothbrushes in the near future.
Great ideas! I’m always looking for ways to reduce single use and waste when traveling. Just asked for a cutlery set for my stocking!
With the damage plastic is doing to our environment it’s important to consider what impact our travels have on it, and to do our bit where we can. Last time I was island hopping in Cambodia I was happy to see that lots of the guest houses had a big fresh water container, and charged less, or gave away free water to anyone who had their own container. I was happy to give these places my custom because of the small part they’re trying to play in helping reduce plastic waste. Kudos to those business who are thinking of the big picture. We all have a part to play.
Experiences as gifts are the best. We don’t need much stuff, memories are forever.
We have decided this Christmas that we are only buying experiences or things needed to experience. I love these travel gift ideas for that reason! Thailand is on our list to visit.
what an awesome idea! we are doing the same thing in my family this year! Thailand is beautiful, affordable, and exciting, I cant wait to go back.
the topic of climate change is very dear to my heart and I find your post very inspirational. We need to talk about this more and take action.
These are really wonderful eco-friendly gifts. I would love to get Recycled Travel Bottles because I love to maker drinks on the go. And also, I love the international converter as I live in Japan and travel on and off.
I really love this list! Keeping things simple and eco friendly is the way to go when you want to inspire the people around you.
What great gifts! I love that they’re eco-friendly. I think it’s sad we cannot stop climate change. As the population just keeps growing the technology just keeps advancing, we ruin our environment, more and more 🙁
Wow, I’m happy I found this article. What an amazing list of gift ideas! My friend’s birthday is coming up and I think she’d love the reusable eco water bottle! ~ Ola @ WanderWithOla
Very beautiful gifts and precisely with an eye to nature. Which makes them double gifts: for the person to whom we give them and for the planet!
These are beautiful… Eco-friendly, all natural products ensure safety from all dangerous chemicals, and allows families to avoid risky additives that can cause any of these issues. Using eco-friendly products improves quality of life in terms of mortality, age, diseases, and illnesses. They ensure the safety of families and the planet.