Best Eco-Friendly Gifts for 2022

Whether it’s an upcoming holiday, a birthday or another special event, there are more eco-friendly gifts available now than ever before. With so many new and useful products available, environmentally-conscious gifting has never been easier and more fun! 

And by purchasing these items, you’re sending an important message to the world that environmental protection is critically important. 

Here are some of our favorite eco-friendly gift ideas so far in 2022. Use this list as inspiration to shop more sustainably and to help lighten your own carbon footprint. 

And your journey into “climate aware” doesn’t have to stop here. Use your Atmos card to shop at many of these businesses to earn up to 5% cash back. Atmos is the world’s leading climate-positive banking platform, where every dollar deposited is used to reduce emissions. 

Top Eco-Friendly Ideas for Any Time of the Year

1. Personal Clean Energy, Energy Management Items, and Air-Quality Items
2. Gift certificates for sustainable restaurants, grocery or food delivery 
3. Events, Park Passes, and Other "Experiential" Gifts
4. Personal Care Products for Health and Well-Being
5. Help Build a Climate Library
6. Donations To Non-Profits
7. Locally-Made Items
8. Recycled and Reusable Products
9. Sustainable clothing or styling 

1. Personal Clean Energy, Energy Management Items, and Air-Quality Items

Are you looking for a gift for an energy-conscious, climate-positive person in your life? Personal clean energy, energy management, or air quality items are great ideas that any energy-fanatic will love. Here are a few ideas:

An electric bike (or normal bike for that matter!)

Electrified personal transportation is a great way to reduce individual contributions to carbon emissions, and an electric bike is a practical, fun way to commute or get around town on the weekends! There are lots of e-bike options. Plenty of manufacturers offer high-end e-bikes that will be fun no matter how they’re used. If those are out of reach (and believe me, we understand!) there are some great value options available now too. While we wouldn’t call them stocking stuffers, Rad Power Bikes offers a wide variety of electric bikes, as well as gear and accessories, that provide great bang-for-buck and won’t break the bank. 

A home EV charger or energy management system 

Are you or a loved one shopping for an electric vehicle owner this year? Or perhaps you just want to be better informed of your energy consumption. There are a few products that you’ll want to explore before making this leap. 

An in-home management system like the Tesla Powerwall can be a great tool to analyze power consumption and reduce your overall home operating cost and carbon footprint. If you don’t need all the bells and whistles that come with the energy management software, consider a home EV charging set-up from Chargepoint. These Level 2 home charging stations are ENERGY STAR certified and can add up to 25 miles of range per hour to EVs. 

Air quality sensor and/or air purifier systems

Fire season in the American West has become increasingly devastating. With poor air quality an every year reality, an air quality device combined with an air purifier is a great gift for those conscious about the air they breathe. There are a growing number of products out there, but IQAir offers some of our favorite integrated systems. 

2. Gift Certificates for sustainable restaurants, grocery, or food delivery

Restaurants in towns around the country are leaning into sustainability. A gift certificate to any Zero Foodprint restaurants would make a spectacular gift for the sustainably-minded foodie in your life. Not only are these eateries actively reducing waste and serving up sustainably-sourced dishes, they are committing a portion of their profits to sequestering carbon through enhanced regenerative practices. 

If you want your gift to extend beyond a single evening, consider a membership or gift certificate to any number of online grocery businesses that take sustainability very seriously. 

A gift certificate to Zero Grocery 

For those living in the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles, Zero Grocery is one of our favorite plastic-free, on-demand grocery delivery services. This sustainability-focused grocer only works with suppliers who don’t use single-use plastic in their food packaging, and instead use 100% reusable or compostable packaging. Not sure how much this helps the environment? Give Zero a try and witness how much less trash you generate. Gift certificates available. 

And if you don’t live near these areas, there are plenty of amazing options near you too! Search for a local co-op. Many co-ops source local, organic produce and healthier alternatives that are easy for anyone to appreciate. 

A Good Juice Club membership

For the wine lover on your gift list, a membership to the Good Juice Club could make their day (or year). Members receive six bottles of curated, certified organic wines to their doorstep each month. You can choose different combinations of reds and whites, depending on your loved one’s personal wine preferences.

A subscription to Progeny Coffee 

For the coffee-lover in your household, Progeny Coffee offers a new spin on an old industry. This company works directly with farmers from premiere coffee regions around the world to honor their trade so that no matter where you live, they can deliver the world’s finest seed-to-cup coffee blends. Progeny offers a wide variety of brew gear and beans to enhance this morning ritual for anyone.

3. Events, Park Passes, and Other "Experiential" Gifts

There are all kinds of eco-friendly experiences out there that would make a perfect gift for a sustainably-minded friend or family member. And for those that like to ‘buy less, do more’, a fun experience may be the way to go.

A gift like this necessarily starts with thinking about what they like to do or what they’re passionate about. Here are a couple ideas:

A ticket to a science-focused museum

If you’re shopping for someone who lives in or nearby Monterey, California, a ticket to the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a great experience-based gift. Even if they’ve been to the aquarium before, the MBA features a variety of jaw-dropping marine animals — they even have penguins! — that never ceases to amaze or inspire. California Academy of Sciences is equally wonderful for those in or visiting San Francisco, CA. The Cal Academy has a number of exhibits that transport the visitor to different natural ecosystems that will sure to impress anyone. Each of these museums have annual membership options that make regular visitations free throughout the year. 

For those living outside the California area, there are equally wonderful options around the country. Search for science and conservation museums near you!  

Plan a hike or biking trip 

Whether you want to pair it with a picnic or a trip to a museum, a planned day outside biking or hiking on your nearby trails is an exciting adventure for anyone. Pack a lunch and get outside! The outdoors are always open. 

An afternoon thrifting 

No matter where you live, sifting through the racks and shelves at a local thrift or consignment store is always a fun way to pass a couple hours. And without fail, there are always items that will bring anyone pleasure. You might not know that they wanted that softly used jean jacket from the 90s. They might not have known it either! An afternoon uncovering previously owned gems is both fun, inspiring and very eco-conscious. Make this experience into a gift by making your own gift certificate (since most thrift stores don’t offer their own!) and pairing it with a prepaid card or cash. 

4. Personal Care Products for Health and Well-Being

Ned

CBD is all the rage, and our friends at Ned are offering the industry’s most intriguing products. Born from the desire to create deeper connections to the natural world, Ned offers a variety of organic, full-spectrum CBD products that are a great gift for anyone in your life. The benefits of CBD are well documented and have helped millions of people grapple with a variety of conditions or ailments. For those having difficulty getting a full night’s sleep, we highly recommend their Sleep Blend.

Weleda

The Weleda brand was founded over 100 years ago on the teachings of Rudoph Steiner. NATRUE certified face, baby, body, hair and oral care products are produced using environmentally friendly practices and sustainable and biodynamic production processes that follow the rhythms of nature and the earth.

EcoRoots

EcoRoots is a Colorado-based company manufacturing plastic-free, zero-waste home goods and personal care products. They offer a wide variety of earth-friendly items from bamboo floss and toothbrushes to shampoo and conditioner. You could easily put together nice eco-friendly personal care kits for all your friends and family just by shopping at EcoRoots!

A camp blanket from Cotopaxi

You might not think of a blanket as a personal care, but think about how well and relaxed you feel after curling up under a blanket and grabbing your favorite book! A cozy blanket helps reduce reliance on heating systems to stay warm on those cold winter nights. Cotopaxi is an eco-friendly clothing and outdoor gear manufacturer that offers a variety of camp blankets suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

5. Help Build a Climate Library

Talking about climate change is an essential step to addressing this issue. Help build a strong foundation of knowledge and solutions by giving the gift of a book discussing climate change facts and solutions. Make your gift even more environmentally friendly by purchasing your copy from your local bookstore.  

6. Donations to Non-Profits

Another great eco-friendly gift idea that your climate-positive loved ones are sure to appreciate is a donation to a non-profit organization in their name.

Atmos has almost 50 environmentally-friendly non-profits that you can choose from!

If you’re not sure what non-profit someone would like you to donate to, you can always ask, but here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

7. Locally-Made Items

Depending on where you live, locally sourced products might mean something different. When you support small, local businesses, you are helping the backbone of your local economy and supporting the artisans that call it home. 

Of course, there is also a significant carbon bump for shopping locally. Within our global economy, many products source raw ingredients from one country, get manufactured in another, and finally get listed for sale in a third. Add all the carbon emissions from the ships, planes and trucks it takes to get that gift to your door, and the carbon footprint of that single item can be astounding. 

8. Recycled and Reusable Products

Our final idea for sustainable gifts is sustainable, reusable products that help reduce the person’s use of single-use disposable items. 

Anything that helps the person you’re giving the gift to be more plastic free and reduce waste is something they’re sure to appreciate! Here are a few ideas:

A reusable water bottle from 4Ocean

Each reusable water bottle from 4Ocean eliminates waste from approximately 345 single-use plastic bottles. These insulated stainless steel reusable water bottles can be used for both hot and cold beverages, so they also help cut down on use of things like single-use styrofoam and paper coffee cups. This is a great gift idea for someone you know who’s always on the go!

A bamboo toothbrush from Burt’s Bees

You might be familiar with Burt’s Bees chapstick and lip care products, but they also offer tons more eco-friendly goods that would make great gifts for your eco-conscious friends and family. Like their sustainable bamboo toothbrush with charcoal-infused bristles, for example! Bamboo toothbrushes help reduce the number of plastic toothbrushes that end up in landfills and nature.

A metal straw from Package Free

Stainless steel straws are another great tool for reducing waste and getting rid of single-use plastic. Package Free offers stylish metal straws in a range of cool colors, including bronze, gold, and rose gold. If everyone started using reusable straws to sip their beverages, we could eliminate so much plastic in landfills!

Just about anything from Bite

Whether it’s mindlessly tossing out an empty toothpaste tube or glossing over the ingredients list, small daily actions can shape the future of our planet. Bite helps uncover how we can all be better to ourselves and to the earth.

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9. Sustainable Clothing or Wardrobe Advice

There are lots of options if you’re in the market for sustainable garments these days. A comprehensive resource and directory we love can be found at Eco-Stylist. 

Get Cash Back When You Buy Eco-Friendly Gifts with Your Atmos Account

We hope you found the above list of eco-friendly gift ideas helpful and are feeling inspired to go out there and get creative with your sustainable gift purchases!

Remember that you can earn up to 5% cash back when you purchase items from selected climate-positive brands using your Atmos cash-back checking account.