The holidays are in full swing! After stringing up the lights and decorating the tree, comes the inevitable task of gift shopping. To prevent the excess waste that comes with the holiday season, here are some plastic-free gifts to consider.

The best way to avoid waste is to buy gifts people actually want. I know this sounds obvious but don’t buy a gift out of obligation and more importantly think about what the other person actually likes. Too often, I’ve seen people give gifts that the giver would like but not the receiver. Just because you love it, doesn’t mean the receiver will.

Also, including a gift receipt still isn’t a foolproof way to prevent waste. In several different reports, it’s been shown that online returns are often thrown away. So, before choosing a gift, give it some thought!

Experiences

Experience gifts are some of the best gifts. The gift creates memories, there’s nothing cluttering up the receiver’s house and most of the time the gift certificate itself is paper or digital! With COVID, a lot of the traditional experience gifts aren’t available such as movie theater or concert tickets but here are some experience gifts to consider:

• dinner at a local restaurant
• online yoga or dance class
• create a hiking guide or give a local trail book
• tennis lessons
• surf lessons
• a round of golf

Consumables

Another easy option is to give consumables. I’m a fan of consumables because, again, no clutter! Plus, I will always happily accept a bottle of wine. Here are some ideas for plastic-free consumable gifts:

• bottle of wine
• holiday drink kit (alcohol & mixers)
• candles
• fresh fruits
• homemade holiday cookies

Health & Beauty

If you have a friend who is curious about shampoo and conditioner bars, this Ethique sample kit has a combination of different shampoo and conditioner bars.

For more about how shampoo bars work, check out Plastic-Free Showering.

For the makeup lover, Elate Cosmetics has beautiful palettes made of bamboo. What I love about these are the palettes is reusable! You simply pop out the tin of eye shadow when it’s used up and order a refill.

Or try a mascara cake from Besame Cosmetics.

To help sooth dry skin during the winter, I love these metal tins of hand salve from Burt’s Bees. You can find them at Target, Whole Foods and on Amazon.

Kids

When you walk down the aisles of toys at a big box store, you see lots of cheap plastic crap. Most of the time the toys break or are forgotten about within a year. One way to combat this waste is to buy toys that are wood, metal, or other degradable materials. Here are a bunch of options.

For the artist, these crayon rocks are a great alternative to the regular style and they come in a cardboard box.

My daughter loves playing dress up and while she’s accumulated many plastic crowns and tiaras from birthday parties and gifts, her favorite one is this metal and rhinestone tiara I bought her for her birthday last year. It was less than $10, came in a cute box with no plastic and has lasted for more than a year…which is incredible for destructive kids. 😛

Die-cast metal cars are always a favorite–especially the kind that when you pull back and release they speed away on their own!

My kids love mimicking me when I’m cooking. So, this wooden cutting set is great for kids who like to play cook.

For the musical kids, this exploratory set should be given cautiously–lest you want angry parents giving you an earful later. 😛

For the future engineer or mechanic, here’s a wooden tool set:

For the child who loves puzzles and brainteasers:

A Few of My Favorite Things

This year I switched from my Brita water filter to using a Kishu Charcoal Stick and I will never go back! It’s an easy way to filter water without plastic.

I use a Liter Carafe with the Kishu Charcoal and talk more about how they work in How I Filter Water Without Plastic.

Last year, I bought bought a pasta maker and it’s by far my favorite tool in the kitchen! I use it for both fresh pasta and Chinese egg noodles.

Last but not least, as a little stocking stuffer, I love these Smith’s Strawberry Lip Balm Tins. They smell like a Strawberry Starbust and keep your lips smooth during the dry winters.

For related and random post, check out:

• 3 Plastic-Free Gift Wrapping Options
• My Minimalist Kitchen