13 Unique Eco Friendly Gifts

November 8, 2019November 16, 2019Chelsea Messina

15+ Unique Eco Friendly Gifts for Travelers. The best list of unique zero waste gifts for both experienced travelers and beginners. All will enjoy these amazing travel products and gift ideas. | Her Life Adventures | #travelgifts #travelgiftideas #forwomen #formen #whattoget #giftsfortravel #ecofriendlyproducts #ecofriendlygifts #holidaygifts #fortravel #ecofriendly #giftguide #travelgiftideas

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!

700 Billion USD?!? That’s an INSANE amount of money. I find it slightly embaressing 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?

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.

Unique Eco Friendly Gifts

To save you the research (you’re welcome), I’ve put together this list of 13 Unique Eco-Friendly Gifts for travelers, which I hope helps to improve the climate change crisis in some small way. Happy Holiday’s Friends!

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.

PS: 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.

Thats 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.

Reusable Coffee Mugs

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 Tote Bag

Reduce your plastic use AND carry your everyday essentials with this cute tote. Snag a reusable tote from Wholesome Culture | HerLifeAdventures | #travelbag #ecofriendly #giftideas #giftsfortravel #travelgifts #formen #forwomen

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

Concert tickets
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

For more gift ideas check out my post on 10 Gifts Every Traveler Needs for more great ideas!

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Wholesome Culture Travel Clothing

September 28, 2019November 19, 2019Chelsea Messina

Wholesome Culture the best women’s travel clothing is an eco friendly company committed to treating animals and the planet with kindness and compassion. Click here for a discount! | HerLifeAdventures.Blog | #travelclothesforwomen #wholesomeculture #travelclothes #travelclothing #discountcode #ethicalclothing #ethicaltravel #ethicaltravelproducts #ethicalfashionbrands #sustainablefashionlabels #sustainablebrand

We have but one planet, and it’s in trouble.

As a traveler I’ve seen first hand how climate change and pollution have affected different parts of our planet. Ethical travel wear and products are great ways to help make a difference. Wholesome Culture travel clothing is an eco friendly company committed to treating animals and the planet with kindness and compassion. Helping to keep our seas clean and plastic free, each piece of clothing at a time.

Check out these 13 Unique Eco Friendly Gifts for travel!

Affiliate Disclosure

This blog post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one of my affiliate links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission for referring you. This comes at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I have personally used + loved.

Plastic pollution is destroying our oceans and harming the animals who call them home. The food, beauty, and fashion industries contribute to the cruelty, suffering, and needless deaths of billions of animals… each year.

Animal agriculture is rapidly destroying habitats across the globe and is the leading cause of greenhouse gases. Logan and I made the transition to a vegetarian diet a year ago when we learned of the devastating affects eating meat has on our planet. North America’s factory farming is the main contributor.

Combined we’ve lost upwards of 90 lbs (40.8 kg) since the diet switch. If we didn’t eat eggs and cheese, our diet would be considered vegan. More people than ever suffer from health problems, and the numbers are rising. Fresh water is becoming polluted, poisoned, or disappearing.

Tough pill to swallow huh?

As a consumer, we have the choice of who and where we get our products & services from. Wholesome Culture is committed to treating animals and the planet with kindness and compassion, making it a priority that anyone who works for them is safe and ethically-treated. That includes where they manufacture and produce their clothing.

Wholesome Culture Stats:

I adore the Wholesome Culture travel clothing because not only are they adorable but they’re promoting eco friendly concepts to everyone that sees them. Plus the clothing is made in Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) certified factories.

Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) is a non-profit dedicated to promoting safe, lawful, humane, and ethical manufacturing around the world through certification and education.

Along my travels I started to pay attention to how big my carbon footprint was away from home. Shopping and the bags that came with it were unacceptable. Bringing a reusable shopping bag doesn’t take up space when traveling. You can use it at the airports for your snacks in-between flights. Or there is always the local markets, with food, treats, and other handmade products. It never hurts to bring one, you’ll never know when you need it.

Check out their website, and enjoy a discount code on me!

My Wholesome Culture Closet

A percentage of each purchase will be given back to non- profit, charitable organizations that share the same values.

BEE Kind Everyone!

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Dropps Zero Waste Cleaning Products

September 22, 2019May 26, 2020Chelsea Messina

Have you heard about Dropps?

Dropps is a green cleaning products company with a primary goal to reduce the use of single use plastic cleaning products. Dropps is just one of my many favorite sustainable product companies. I support companies that have the same values and goals as me, Dropps is one of them. Eliminate single use plastics to help keep our waters clean and non toxic.

Keep our waterways clean with Dropps. All their products, including laundry detergent, fabric softener, scent booster, oxi booster, odor defense spray, and dishwasher detergents are all vegan and do not contain animal byproduct ingredients. | herlifeadventures.blog | #dropps #laundry #cleaning #vegan #green #ecofriendly #sustainable #lavender #eucalyptus #dish #soap

All their products, including laundry detergent, fabric softener, scent booster, oxi booster, odor defense spray, and dishwasher detergents are all vegan and do not contain animal byproduct ingredients. Plus these dryer balls to help save on dryer sheets! I’ve tried all of Dropps products now, and made the switch to Dropps after I tried their Lavender Eucalyptus Laundry Bundles.

Plastic laundry bottles and dishwasher pouches continue to pollute our oceans and waterways. Dropps packaging is a 100% recyclable, compostable, and repulpable box that doubles as the shipping container. So they’ve thought of everything.

Dropps Company prides itself on offering green, effective, cleaning products that are made right here in the Midwest. Supporting local jobs, communities and small businesses + fair wages. The ingredients and packaging suppliers are sourced from companies that share their similar values.

Dropps has an entire ingredient list, so they can show consumers exactly what it is they’re getting in that small Dropp.

Use this $10 off Subscriptions coupon on your first order to give it a try, let me know if you love their products as much as I do!

Convenience with a conscience.

If everyone took one small simple step to replace everyday products with both eco-responsible + zero waste, can you imagine what a measurable impact on the planet that could be?

Recommended Read: 10 Eco Friendly Activities by: Nomads RTW

Our consumer decisions must be part of the solution to climate change. Dropps makes it easier to purchase sustainable cleaning products for everyone. Just look at their list of responsible + sustainable practices: plant-based ingredients, no animal testing, and recyclable and compostable cardboard packaging to eliminate single use plastic. We are all in this together world. Let’s all help save mother earth, one Dropp at a time.

For more questions on Dropps, see their website or check out these questions from fellow consumers;

What is Dropps doing to help reduce single use plastic?

Traditional liquid laundry detergents are usually packaged in high density polyethylene (HDPE plastic jugs). A shocking 68% of these bottles are not recycled, and contribute to the approximately 275 metric tons of plastic waste generated on land that goes into our oceans and waterways annually. By offering a recyclable, repulpable, and compostable box for our packaging, we are on our way towards this goal! Help us eliminate single use plastic.
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Are your palm oils sustainably sourced?

Yes! We use only RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil. The RSPO has adopted a set of Principles and Criteria that define sustainable palm oil growth and production. These principles and criteria, among many other things, ensure that rainforests are not being cleared to plant palm oil. In addition, the principles and criteria ensure that any land that is planted for palm oil is not encumbered by disputes of land rights and land ownership. The principles and criteria also regulate the health and safety conditions of plantation workers.
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Dropps are non toxic, vegan, green, zero waste cleaning products. Dropps are delivered to your door and made by a company whose primary goal is to reduce single use plastic cleaning products. Find out why I love them! | Her Life Adventures | #green #vegan #zerowaste #sustainable #cleaning #products #nontoxic #plasticfree #laundry #kitchen

Check out some of my other favorite sustainable products!

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Zero Waste Bathroom Products

June 20, 2019May 21, 2020Chelsea Messina

Did you know that 78% of the plastic waste we produce is NOT reclaimed or recycled? Every piece of plastic that has ever been made still exists. Think about that. Every – single – piece. You can see why zero waste bathroom products would be high on my priority list. Understand that globally, we produce 300 million tons of plastic waste every year, that’s a lot of plastic. Read about the best zero waste bathroom products I’ve tried + used + love.

Through my travels I have witnessed firsthand the consequences of our disposable lifestyle with plastic. Plastic has taken over beaches, our oceans, and our lands. After looking around my bathroom I realized how much plastic was in this one room. I started researching zero waste products. Looking to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Trying to do my part, and help preserve our planet for future generations. I write about sustainable travel, to help make it easier for others to do the same. I hope you enjoy these zero waste bathroom products as much as I have.

This Sleeping Bear Dunes itinerary covers the best of what to do on the National Lakeshore, how to get there and where to stay. Add this hidden gem to your summer bucket list. | Her Life Adventures | #camping #usdestinations #travelhacks #travelguide #adventuretravel #roadtrip #nationalpark #nationalparkroadtrip #michigantravel #greatlakes #ustravel #summer #bucketlist #sleepingbear #lakemichigan #sanddunes

One billion toothpaste tubes are thrown out each year.

The tubes are discarded every year and are packed full of ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate, triclosan, artificial dyes and preservatives: these are harmful to our health!

The first zero waste bathroom product I switched to was Bites Toothpaste. The fresh mint with activated charcoal is my favorite flavor. I get compliments about how white my teeth look, plus my breath stays minty fresh all day.

Bites Toothpaste zero waste bathroom product

Bites Toothpaste will change the way you think about toothpaste; you’ll never go back after you try them. Your first order will come with a full jar of the bites. When its empty, keep your jar! You will receive refills in a biodegradable package. The best part? They travel well, without the worry of an exploding toothpaste tube.

Deodorant waste? Didn’t think about that one…

Until I had to when I ran out during my zero waste journey. I had a mini panic attack. CRAP, deodorant is going to be tricky since I’ve always had issues with wetness more than the smell. It’s embarrassing… seriously, not even the strongest chemical laden deodorant on the planet could keep me from sweating. Then I remembered why I was doing this… to save our planet.

Recommended Read: “13 Unique Eco Friendly Products” by Her Life Adventures

What I love about this type of deodorant is that its TSA friendly like the bites toothpaste. Primal Life was the first zero waste deodorant I tried, and I still use it to this day. Not only are they zero waste, they’re FREE FROM ALL CHEMICALS, fragrances, aluminum, toxins and desodorantes without parabens and BPA! Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, they’re vegan, they WORK, and they smell good.

Fun Fact: Baking soda can change the pH of your pits and cause painful rashs (this happened to me)- there is no baking soda in primal deodorants. Instead they add magnesium, zinc oxide, bentonite clay and arrowroot powder which I’ve found to be MORE effective at fighting odor from released sweat and toxins!

The shampoo bottles thrown out each year in the U.S. could fill 1,164 football fields.

My next sustainable lifestyle switch was to Plaine Products, a zero waste bathroom product company that delivers! They and the people that use their products, are not adding more plastic bottles to the thousands of pounds of plastic already in our oceans.

Recommended Read: “Zero Waste Cleaning Products“ by Her Life Adventures

I use the citrus lavender shampoo & conditioner, they smell amazing, make my hair feel clean + healthy and because it’s all natural, my hair stays cleaner for longer (doesn’t get greasy). Which means less showers, less water waste. Because you don’t NEED to shower everyday, you’re wasting water.

Plaine Products shampoo conditioner zero waste bathroom product

The mission: Elimination of single use plastics. Two sisters developed a vegan, cruelty free, non-toxic, all-natural beauty product line. The best part? It gets delivered right to your door. When your product bottles get low, order a refill. Switch out your pump to the new bottle, rinse your old, and return the empty bottle with the return label. Plaine Products also distributes body wash, body lotion, and hand wash!

10–20 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year. A recent study estimated that 5.25 trillion plastic particles weighing a total of 268,940 tons are currently floating in the world’s oceans.

For face wash and body wash I buy naked bar soaps from Moon River Soap Company, a local shop near my house (they also deliver! Yeyy!). The naked bar soaps are zero waste, and all natural.

Moon River Soap Company zero waste bathroom product

Each hand poured bar of from Moon River Soap Compa ny is made with omega rich olive oil, nurturing botanicals, and certified 100% pure essential oils. Soap is non-GMO, free from petrochemicals + sulfates + synthetic fragrance or phthalates. The olive oil used in the soaps contains super antioxidants vitamin E + beta carotene that can stimulate cell regeneration.

Snag a hemp, all natural pouf or hemp soap bag to give your skin a healthy glow. The pouf is washable so it will last longer than the plastic ones, plus it feels better on your skin.

Don’t forget to get a Moon River soap to go with your hemp pouf.. They offer anti-inflammatory options that can replenish dry and sensitive skin, options to help balance troubled acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

Women may use as many as 14,000 tampons in a lifetime.

On average, women use between 11 and 30 tampons per cycle. Over a lifetime, that adds up to between 5,000 and 14,000 tampons per woman. The environmental impact of this is vast. It’s estimated that a woman averaging 20 tampons or pads per cycle burns through 250 to 300 pounds of products, applicators, and wrappers in a lifetime. I stopped using tampons about 3 years ago now. I made the switch to the DivaCup and never looked back. The DivaCup is zero waste, reusable,cost-effective and can be worn for up to 12 hours!

WEN (Women’s Environmental Network) states that climate change means “failures in food supplies, fuel shortages, decreased access to drinking water, and homes swallowed by the sea. It means forced mass migration and worsening resource conflict. It means more frequent and ferocious natural disasters”. These conditions affect both men and women. However women, primarily in developing nations, often do not have a voice in decision-making. So, climate change affects them differently.

Toilet tissue accounts for 15 percent of deforestation.

If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper (500 sheets) with 100 percent recycled ones, we could save 423,900 trees.

Who Gives a Crap bathroom toilet paper Zero Waste Bathroom Product

Who Gives A Crap delivers environmentally friendly made toilet paper right to your door. Click HERE to get $10 off your first order! Plus they donate 50% of profits to help build toilets for those in need. To date they’ve donated over $1,300,000 to charity and saved a thousands of trees, water and energy. Not bad for a toilet paper company!

Almost 270,000 trees are either flushed or dumped in landfills every day… 10 percent of that total is attributable to toilet paper.

For the more adventurous consumer, there’s the bidet. Almost 270,000 trees a day are either flushed or dumped into landfills. 10 percent of that total is attributable to toilet paper. Japan was my first international trip + first bidet experience.

Bidet Toilet zero waste bathroom product

Bidets are more popular outside of North America. I prefer using them over toilet paper, so I bought one to use at home. For $30 usd I’ve saved tons of money on toilet paper, and who knows how many trees (probably a lot!) I love how CLEAN I feel after using the bathroom.

Zero Waste Bathroom Product Dropps Laundry Soap

For those of us who have a choice as a consumer. It’s time to say no to single use plastic. For those of us with the freedom of speech, it’s time to speak up. The time to act is now, our planet is dying. The science is undeniable and we- the human inhabitants are the ones killing it.

Recommended Read: “How to Travel More Sustainably” by Lucy on Locale

Make small changes towards a zero waste bathroom + single use plastic free planet. This is no longer a matter of if we WANT to be “environmentally friendly”. Truthfully it’s not easy + if our nation and the politicians running it don’t take this environmental crisis seriously- we the people MUST. Consider others that are suffering at your expense. Think of the future generations that will be left to clean up your mess. Will they thank us for the condition we left the planet in 30 years from now?