The holiday season is all about the joy of giving. Giving love to one another, giving all your effort to make the best out of your business, and giving memorable gifts to your loved ones.
But all this time, the gifts we’ve given have been decided based on our budget and the receiver’s tastes and preferences. Have we ever given a thought to what our gifts mean for our planet?
All these years, sustainability and being eco-friendly never mattered, but now is the time for change. Pollution levels have skyrocketed, ecosystems are in turmoil, and natural resources are fast depleting!
But there’s still time and space for change. Of course, we aren’t being a grinch to steal your Christmas fun. A lot of brands have ventured into making apparel, beauty products and accessories from recycled and sustainable materials to reduce the impact on nature.
Let us take a look at some of these brands and how buying from them is a gift to both your loved ones and the environment this holiday season.
Apparel
Brand voice – Sustainability
“We’re in business to save our home planet,” informs their mission statement. Started as a small business that made equipment for climbers, this Yvon Chouinard led company soon made an impact in the apparel industry by making clothes out of recycled worn-out clothes.
Their polyester is made from plastic bottles taken from landfills. Their chemically-recycled nylon is taken from fishing-nets, carpets and pre-consumer waste like fabric scraps or yarn waste from mills and factories, which are created during the manufacturing process
Holiday gift recommendations – Color-coded jackets and other winter wear for your entire family to stay warm and show-off this Christmas.
Brand voice – Sustainability
Nau has reduced the burden of choosing between sustainability and performance by combining eco-friendly with high-tech.
They take pride in launching the first collections of waxed organic cotton and 100% recycled winter coats. They’ve have even invented their own textile treatment — PFC-free DWR (Durable Water Repellent).
Holiday gift recommendation – A trendy jacket on your stylish fleece would make you part of the creme de la creme this winter.
Brand voice – Sustainability, giving back
“Second hand clothes, first-hand fun” is their motto. Thredup has revolutionized the thrift industry, growing up to be the largest online consignment and thrift shop.
With their revolution, Thredup wants to break the trend of consumers rushing to grab limited edition clothes from leading fast-fashion stores and make them think secondhand first for the sake of their future and the planet.
Apart from resale using upcycling, you can also donate the clothes you no longer wear and get a little cash or shopping credit in return.
Holiday gift recommendation – Even if you’re not looking to buy used clothes this Holiday, celebrate the season of giving by donating your worn-out clothes for others who lack the luxury!
Brand voice – Sustainability, organic
Ziran uses a proprietary sustainable silk called Xiang Yun Sha (pronounced Shung Yoon Sha). Ziran’s buttery silk is anti-microbial, wrinkle-resistant, and durable enough for everyday wear.
In a world disillusioned with the fast-fashion mentality, Ziran is the leading business in the slow fashion and sustainable movement.
Holiday gift recommendation – Apart from the colorful shirts and long-sleeves which you can catch on their website, we’d recommend a smooth silk pillowcase for your bedroom.
Brand voice – Sustainability
Workout clothes made from plastic bottles lying around in excess and harmful to the environment. Why hasn’t anyone thought of it? Oh, wait.
Nimble has its own custom engineered fabrics, MoveLite and Compresslite™, which are made from post-consumer used recycled plastics. And it has recycled 806,031 bottles to date. Kudos.
Holiday gift recommendation – You can decide on shorts or tight pants based on your partner’s choice of workout wear.
Brand voice – Sustainability, ethical, fair trade, women empowerment
In the long list of things they do well, Madewell prioritizes the practice of fair trade. Their certified factories provide women with equal rights and pay and in general. A percentage of the revenue made from each product sold goes directly to a community development fund for the workers.
There are no harmful chemicals being used in their products. Apart from that, their denims are recycled, packed sustainably and they even ship your products through UPS’ Carbon Neutral shipping program.
Holiday gift recommendation – Check their website for cool guides on personalized gifts and gifts they recommend for the ones you love. Of course, everything goes well with denim.
Brand voice – Sustainability
Baythe, a swimwear-meets-activewear label, works in collaboration with Econyl®, a company that collects waste found in our oceans and regenerates it into yarn for use. Econyl® can be recycled, recreated, and remoulded again and again, so it’s infinitely recyclable.
Not just their material, which has numerous benefits such as protection from UV 50, having a 4-way stretch, and being quick dry, even their packaging is eco-friendly as their products come in bio-degradable zip pouches when you order them.
Holiday gift recommendation – If your female partner is deep-right into yoga or any other fitness regime, this one is to look out for.
Brand voice – Sustainability, ethical, fair trade
Kala set out to create intimates with an ethos of people and planet first. This led them to create products that last long. They use materials and practices that benefit the planet, and their products are made in sewing rooms with fair-working conditions.
Apart from the organic cotton and recycled polyester used in their produce, they also use a fiber called Lycoll, which is made from the wood pulp of Eucalyptus trees. Lycoll has the tendency of being smooth on the skin, naturally anti-bacterial, and biodegradable.
Holiday gift recommendation – Comfy sleepwear
Brand voice – Sustainability
There is a common stigma around hemp associating it with marijuana. in the battle between hemp and cotton though, hemp wins hands-down as it uses about 50% less water than cotton to create a single t-shirt and is stronger and more durable in nature.
One of Superego’s goals is to transform the need for cotton into a need for hemp. Apart from that, they also help hemp farmers by raising awareness and by promoting the benefits of hemp over cotton. They play their part in reducing our ecological footprint.
Holiday gift recommendation – A hemp t-shirt
Brand voice – Sustainability, ethical, fair trade
Onno was started in 2006 and has focused on making good t-shirts since then. And by good t-shirts, they mean great fibers. Their t-shirts come from three sets of fibers: organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo.
While the latter two materials are known for their durability and superiority over cotton, organic cotton as well is still better than conventional cotton, which requires pesticides that end up in our lakes and rivers.
Founder Jack Kenfield believes that good t-shirts cannot be made without good people, which led him to partner with two small factories in India and China that are both GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) certified.
Holiday gift recommendation – A silky-soft Bamboo t-shirt displayed in multiple colors
Brand voice – Sustainability
Osom is keen on not only establishing itself as a sustainable brand but in embracing the fact that “we are all one”.
All of Osom’s products are made by upcycling yarn from discarded garments, thereby reducing textile waste going to landfills and the need for virgin fibers.
With state-of-the-art technology and clean solar energy, no harsh chemicals, dye or even water are used in their upcycling process. How Osom is that?
Holiday gift recommendation – This Christmas season, Osom gives us one more reason to buy socks apart from hanging them on the tree. To wear, of course.
eCommerce Marketplaces
Brand voice – Sustainability, vegan, fair trade, handcrafted, ethical, women’s empowerment
Adding a valuable contribution to our list of brands comes this eCommerce marketplace, which is primarily for women.
Their website has all sorts of collections in apparel for women and men, shoes, bags, belts, other accessories, home decor, and furniture
Holiday gift recommendation – Gift collections for her, him, and the little ones
Brand voice – Sustainability, cruelty-free, organic, fair trade
While this eCommerce marketplace has a lot of brands dealing in apparel and accessories under its wing, we would like to focus on one particular section of their website named “The Responsible Shop”.
Verishop’s beauty products would make you replace all your existing ones with their non-toxic alternatives. In The Responsible Shop, you’ll discover thoughtful and ethical gifts for every person on your list, and all at varying price-points.
Holiday gift recommendation – Clothing, home-decor, and beauty products
Brand voice – Sustainability, fair trade, ethical, hand-crafted
There has been an age-old paradigm of making, wearing, and disposing off used clothes.
Buho aims to break the pattern by bringing together quality products and convenience. You can also donate clothes that you don’t need in their upcycling program and give yourself store credit in return to make it even easier for you to shop good.
Holiday gift recommendation – Anything you’re significant other would need for this holiday season, ranging from tops and bed sheets to wooden spoons
Brand voice – Sustainability, ethical
The Etica concept store is the first of its kind. It brings together small ethical brands that work together to make a difference for people and our planet.
The best thing about their website is the highlighting of all the brands under this collective with links redirecting to their own websites. What’s more fancy than a group of brands coming together for a great cause?
Holiday gift recommendation – They offer gift guides on their website for special occasions and persons by assorting products from each brand that might be perfect when put together.
Brand voice – Sustainability, cruelty-free, ethical, organic, fair trade
Petit Vour holds brands to the highest caliber to ensure that every discovery brought to the audience meets the gold standard of ethics, performance, and aesthetics.
They raise the cruelty-free bar to another scale by having a huge-list of restricted ingredients on their website.
Also, they don’t integrate with brands manufacturing in countries with lower worker standards than the USA unless the brand can provide clear proof of fair worker standards. Exceptional on so many different levels!
Holiday gift recommendation – A Cruelty-Free Kitty containing a primer, an oil cleanser, eyeliner, beauty oil, and a shower sheet? Looks like a great buy!
Bags & Accesories
Brand voice – Sustainability, vegan, ethical, handcrafted, give-back
Svala’s products are made with premium, innovative, animal-friendly PVC-free fabrics such as luxurious Italian PU (polyurethane), Pinatex® (made from pineapple leaf fiber), and cork.
Each Svala handbag is lined with fabric made with organic cotton and recycled polyester made with plastic bottles. Svala is a PETA-approved brand as well as a Fur-Free Retailer.
Holiday gift recommendation – All the guilt-free handbags available on their site are your pick but we’d recommend the matching floral handbag and pouch.
Brand voice – Sustainability, vegan
They’re the fellas who make bags and similar stuff from billboards which end up in landfills. Yes, you heard it right: billboards.
To date, they’ve made use of 570,224 lbs of billboards, and that is enough to cover the Empire State building twice. Billboards seem to be the ideal material for them, considering their peculiarity of being durable, waterproof, vegan, and eco-friendly.
Holiday gift recommendation – A colorful weekender duffle for a jolly trip with your family
Brand voice – Sustainability, vegan, cruelty-free, ethical, fair trade
When someone said “nobody cares about animals,” JW Pei decided the future of fashion must be ethical and sustainable.
They make their lining materials from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Also, they only work with factories that are certified by GRS (Global Recycling Standards) and the Oeko-Tex Standard.
Holiday gift recommendation – A classic Fiona bag as a lovely gift to your better half
Brand voice – Sustainability, vegan, organic
Launched in 2015, von Holzhausen is a Malibu-based collection of accessories with a focus on design, sustainability, and quality of life.
Their easy-wear bags are made from a custom-made material, Technik-leather, which is 100% animal-free and made with toxic-free solutions, and minimal dependency on natural resources. 99% of so vents used in processing Technik leather are recaptured and recycled.
Holiday gift recommendation – Check out their ethical travel set, an eco-friendly travel pack that might come in handy for your partner.
Brand voice – Sustainability
“Own less. Do more” is their motto. While fast fashion is the trend today, Nomadix wants its customers to purchase only one long-lasting, environmentally-friendly towel that they can use for yoga, the beach, and camping.
Holiday gift recommendation – Stars & Stripes and national-parks-themed towels.
Brand voice – Sustainability
“First BPA-free Tritan bottles in Canada” and “More than just drinkware, they’re a way of life” are the quotes one would see on their website.
While the brands we’ve seen so far have focused on recycling and upcycling, Asobu is unique in their own way, as they simply avoid using polycarbonates in their bottles.
Asobu comes with bottles both to keep your chilled beer from becoming lukewarm and travel cups to keep your coffee warm on the go.
Holiday gift recommendation – Wine mugs in multiple colors for your family. You can also get an on-the-go cup for your child’s Slurpee.
Brand voice – Sustainability
The nature-loving entrepreneurs, who started this company found out that phone cases, primarily made out of plastic were only used for a year but took decades to break down and that’s when they decided to come up with Pela case.
Pela uses starch-based elastomer, recycled materials, and Canadian flax shive fibers which are 100% compostable. The startup offers free shipping worldwide.
Holiday gift recommendation – Nature-themed phone cases with the engraved quotes of “be the change” and “lead the way” or designs in support of bees, turtles, coral reefs, etc. for your tree-hugger loved one
Brand voice – Sustainability
Contrary to their name, this brand that makes unisex sunglasses focuses on more than just people. They make responsible products for the planet as well.
The frame is bio-material, made from recycled softwood trees, and the lenses are made from sand and minerals that are 100% BPA-free.
As if that weren’t enough, their cases are made from Piñatex®, a natural and innovative leather alternative made from pineapple leaf fibers. The inner material is made from recycled fishing nets found in the ocean.
Even the cloth they use to repel dirt and dust is made from recycled water-bottles. They believe the environmentally responsible slow-fashion ideology is about making products that last a lifetime and not just a season.
Holiday gift recommendation – Modern aviators
Brand voice – Sustainability
In 2012, principal inventor Jason Alan Snyder and others at Mpowered created Luci, the first-ever inflatable solar light with the goal of making affordable clean energy products that people could use in any situation.
Since then, their vision hasn’t changed too much; creating sustainable, affordable, and thoughtfully designed products that suit the needs of many.
Holiday gift recommendation – These colorful inflatable solar lights will look great with your Christmas Decor. P.S they will look pretty on your tree.
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