Zero Waste Gift Ideas

As someone who is trying to reduce her waste and live a minimal as much as possible, I am always concerned with the gifts that I am going to be given. I have family and friends who are always giving me gifts that I either do not have a need for. When it comes to receiving gifts I never forget to take into consideration that thought in which they put into picking out a gift for me, but I still struggle with the fact that I usually do not need anymore things. So for the sake of the upcoming holiday season, I thought I would comply a list of zero waste or minimal waste products.

Gift Cards

grocery store, movies, iTunes, thrift stores, Hulu, Spotify, Apple Music, Netflix, ThredUp

When it comes to giving gift cards make sure that it is to a store or place that the person receiving the gift card to is already a frequent customer. If you know that the person you are giving the gift card to has a favorite grocery store or a more expensive grocery store that they don't always like to go to, give them a reason to shop there. I recommend iTunes for anyone is a reader and like to purchase iBooks. For the movie you could also just write in the card that you are going to treat them to a movie.

If you are interested in ThredUp you should read my blog post Honest ThredUp Review. If the person receiving the gift has never purchased from ThredUp they can use the code in my blog post for a discount on their first purchase.

For more ideas on experience or entertainment gift card ideas check out my blog post An Environmental Studies Student's Response to No Toys For Christmas.

Zero Waste Products

If the person receiving the gift has some favorite or go to zero waste products that they always talk about, show them that you have been paying attention and purchase them another one. Two examples are David's Natural Toothpaste, Brush With Bamboo toothbrushes. If the person has just started working towards zero waste you could take a look at my blog post on Favorite Zero Waste Products For Beginners to get some ideas. Another idea that I didn't mention was a Silicone Baking Mat. This is a great reusable alternative to parchment paper.

Another great zero waste option that is not commonly talked about is some of the products sold by Lush. Some of these products are the soaps, shampoo bars, and conditioner bars. To make the whole gift zero waste I recommend also purchasing tin containers that Lush sells. I know for sure that the oval tin fits the conditioner bar.

If you are lucky enough to read this post before October 21, 2018 at 1:30 pm you can use the code REUSABLE to get free shipping and 20% off your purchase of sustainable products from Voguist.

Fruit or Vegetable Basket

I can't take all the credit for this idea. My aunt and uncle having been giving my grandparents a fruit basket for as long as I can remember. With this idea you can either do the persons favorite fruits or vegetables, whats currently in season, or all the fruits or vegetables needed to make a recipe. An idea for a recipe is a mix of squashes, potatoes, and onions to make roasted vegetables. Somethings else you can add in glass jars is nuts, seeds, or loose teas really anything purchased from the bulk section of a grocery store. My tips for making this gift zero waste is by repurposing a basket that you have or buying one from a thrift store and also don't forget to not use plastic bags when purchasing the produce and bulk items.

Zero Waste Wrapping

Last year I created a blog post with a number of different ideas for zero waste or recyclable wrapping options. The blog post where you can find these ideas is Limit Your Waste This Holiday Season With These Tips.

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