Sustainable Vegan Gift Ideas

Dec 03, 2020

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
-Anne Frank

*Small disclaimer: Please don't feel obligated to buy presents this time of year just because that's what everyone expects you to do; if you don't want to give or receive gifts, then let people know why and provide them with resources for them to further research the issue. The purpose of this list is to help you make more sustainable, ethical choices if you choose to participate in gift-giving, as well as help you spread awareness of the absolute necessity of choosing sustainable and low-waste options, especially for superfluous products (like holiday and birthday presents).

Impact the World

These gift ideas are meant to do as little harm to the planet and to animals as possible, all while giving your loved ones something they will genuinely like. That being said, I've separated the presents into three categories: negative, no, and low impact. Negative impact gifts have less than no impact because you're giving back to the world instead of taking from it. No impact gifts have virtually no impact on the planet because they either focus on the joy of experiences or reusing/upcycling things you already have. Low impact gifts are generally new products and services you can buy that are sustainable and don't take a large toll on the environment like many generic presents.

Negative Impact

Donations

Donate Money: Choose to donate to a charity or nonprofit in honor of a loved one. Though you can donate to whatever organization they'd prefer, you can also ensure the money you give is going to a cause both you and your giftee can support. Some of my recommendations would be your favorite farmed animal sanctuary, Beagle Freedom Project, Agriculture Fairness Alliance, A Well-Fed World, and Support + Feed.

Donate Food: By donating plant-based foods to your local Salvation Army dropoff boxes or food banks, you will be giving a very necessary gift to those in need. Not only will this provide people in need of food the sustenance they require, you will be giving them more healthful foods than they may be able to afford themselves or they may receive from local soup kitchens and other donations.

Donate Gifts: Though toys and other presents aren't strictly necessary, they are incredibly meaningful to children (and can be important developmental tools), especially if their families can't afford to buy them gifts every birthday or holiday season. If you choose to donate gifts, choose more sustainable toys, refurbished/thrifted children's products, vegan children's books and novels, or even homemade goodies made from upcycled materials.

Donate Clothes: There's never a wrong time to clean out your closet and donate clothes you no longer wear, but now might be a good time to take a long look at your wardrobe and consider how much you really need when so many have so little. However, be aware that many donated clothes never find a new owner, ending up in landfills; there are simply too many articles produced and consumed for them to all find forever homes.

Volunteer

Volunteering at a local shelter or sanctuary is not only a wonderful gift for those institutions that rely on volunteers to keep operations functioning, but it can also be a great gift for a loved one to do this with them.

Outreach

Teaching others about veganism and helping others transition is one of the best presents you can give (even if the recipients of this gift may not realize it at first). We should all be outreaching online, especially considering the rampant consumerism, speciesism, and carnism this time of year, to aid in opening people's eyes to the benefits of showing compassion to all. If you're looking to do more, try hosting a workshop or giving a speech to teach people about veganism and animal rights. Or try hosting a movie screening for local residents or even do a vegan movie night at home; for this time of year, I'd recommend films like A Prayer for Compassion or Peaceable Kingdom.

No Impact

Regifting

Regifting gets a bad rap because it's viewed as cheap or lazy, but if you receive a gift that you don't want or need, it's better to give it to someone who may actually use it instead of throwing it out, letting it sit around for far too long and then throwing it out, or using it just because it's there. Of course, it would be preferable for everyone to only get people gifts they know they want, but if you end up with superfluous presents, try to regift when possible. If not, donate or sell them to people who will appreciate them.

Get Outdoors

Especially with COVID going around, it might be good to get outside, preferably away from other people, and spend your holiday in the great outdoors. Take the time to do some of your favorite activities: have a nice plant-based picnic at a local park, take your dog on a big hike, or go camping, sledding, or kayaking. This is also a great time to try new things with your loved ones: skiing, paddleboarding, mountain biking, hammocking, or renting a tiny house for a weekend retreat.

Homemade & DIYs

Homemade presents are far more meaningful than some mass-produced product you can find at almost any store. Determine what your giftees want, or something you believe will be useful for them to live more sustainably (like a homemade set of bottled cleaning supplies), and then try making something at home. Or, just use your DIY prowess to make your cat another homemade den or your dog a cute winter jacket; they'll always appreciate your hard work.

Low Impact

Needs & Wants

The most important thing to do if you're buying gifts is to make sure you're buying people things they actually need or want. There's nothing wrong with asking someone what they want instead of fretting over what kind of generic thing to buy them because you don't know them well enough to know what they like. And to prepare for that question being directed at you, start a list on your phone of items that you'd like to receive so you will (almost) always be getting sustainable, ethical gifts that you will actually use. (It may also be helpful to keep a list of things you definitely don't want.)

Sustainable Marketplaces

Plastic Free Vegan Shop: If you want to support a small vegan business, this is a great place to start looking for presents, for both yourself and others. They have many great household items that could be good "starter gifts" for a zero-waste newbie, like plant-based toothbrushes, laundry strips, and safety razors.

Made Trade: This is a sustainable online shop where you can find all sorts of products for yourself and your home made sustainably and ethically (generally). You can filter your search results by your values (veganism included), though beware that this isn't totally foolproof; always check the materials/ingredients before purchasing.

EarthHero: I do most of my shopping on EarthHero (when I can't find what I'm looking for at Plastic Free Vegan Shop) because, though they're certainly not a vegan company, it's more important to me to support a sustainable business that sells many vegan-friendly products than an unsustainable business that sells entirely vegan-friendly products. For more ideas on sustainable presents, check out EarthHero's Sustainable Holiday Gift Guide.

*A note of caution: Some products on EarthHero contain plastic, which should be avoided as much as possible. About 90 percent of plastic is never recycled (even if you put it in the recycling bin), ending up in landfills, waterways, or incinerators; because of lobbying and industry-backed legislation, many plastic products are stamped with the chasing arrows symbol, even though the products can't actually be recycled. (Check out Frontline's free documentary Plastic Wars to learn more.)

Packaging

Wrapping Paper: Check out EarthHero's gift wrap section. They have recycled wrapping paper, reusable fabric gift wrap, compostable ribbons, and hemp string. Very exciting!

Holiday Cards: Though it's always best to send e-cards instead of traditional cards, you can find an abundance of seasonal cards (and those for any time of year) made from recycled materials.

Secondhand Gifts

If you take the time to plan for a particular present, you will almost certainly be able to find it secondhand or refurbished. Before buying something brand new on Amazon, check local thrift stores, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, thredUP, Depop, Poshmark, and other online shops. You'll find good gifts at a fraction of the price than they'd be if purchased new, and you'll also be contributing to better planetary health.

As a bonus, take time this season to try selling some of your own things that people may be searching for to use as gifts. I am in the process of listing many things on eBay -- books, DVDs, pins, clothes, accessories, and other random stuff that's been cluttering up my life -- and it makes me feel good to know that these are (hopefully) going to people who will appreciate them more than I did. (Also, I get to make back some of the money I spent buying them!)

Recycled Goods

If I'm going to buy something new(-ish), I love buying things made from recycled materials. For instance, one of my favorite Etsy shops is crobinsondesign, and the owner handmakes animal rights jewelry from recycled metals. (Unfortunately, I love her shop a little too much because now I have several necklaces that I rarely wear. The good news is that I never need to buy a necklace ever again!)

Gift Cards

If you're going to give a non-vegan money to buy something themselves, you want to be sure that whatever they purchase would be vegan. That's why gift cards and certificates are a great option. Whether it's for a local plant-based restaurant or for an online vegan store, you know that your gift money is going to a better place than it could otherwise.

Food

Homemade Food: Everybody has to eat, and most people really love eating. For your holiday present, make your giftees a nice homemade meal and wow them with the amazingness of plant-based food! And you can really never go wrong with baking some delicious vegan cookies or brownies to give as gifts, though try packaging them in paper/fabric bags, metal tins, or glass jars instead of disposable plastic bags.

Cooking Class: Whether it's online or in-person, a plant-based cooking class is a great gift for yourself, for someone else, or for you to do together. You can make great food and pick up a few culinary tricks along the way!

Mixes: I absolutely adore those soup/cookie/hot cocoa mixes where the ingredients are all layered in a mason jar; they're so aesthetically pleasing. Plus, the great thing about giving a gift like this is that you know it will be put to use, even if it ends up getting regifted or donated; someone is going to eat it.

Additional Information

If you're looking for more specific items, please check out "The Best & Worst of Zero-Waste" series to learn more about what kinds of products are and aren't worth your money.

be conscious, be kind, be vegan