When you embark on a low waste, clutter-free, or other lifestyle journey, one area that can be tricky to navigate is the holidays and gifts. You may wonder where to shop, what gifts to buy (or ask for), and in general, what to do.

The topic in general may become quickly overwhelming and you end up making last minute purchases that don’t align with your eco-friendly, conscious consumerism, and low clutter values.

Obviously not speaking from direct experience here. (Insert sarcasm.)

When it comes to eco-friendly, ethical, sustainable, and fair trade gift giving (that is also minimalist friendly), luckily, there are a lot of guides out there with specific ideas. There are even some guides with a list of places to shop. But most that I have seen only have a handful of ideas. And while that totally works, and I’m definitely not slamming anyone who has put one of these together (believe – I know they take a long time), when I was looking, I was looking for VARIETY.

Related post: 30 places to find eco-friendly Christmas and holiday cards

That’s what I created with this post. I’ve researched and compiled 37 different resources for you to shop for eco-friendly, ethical, sustainable, and fair trade gifts (and let’s be honest, even for yourself.) I scoured websites, read dozens and dozens of ‘About’ pages. Looked up reviews, and verified certifications on sites in order to bring you ones that seemed as legit as possible.

This is the post I wish existed when I was first starting out, and even now. Even during the duration of me putting this post together, I’ve used this list to look for items.

In addition to sharing the website, I write a little bit about the shop, what makes it unique, and also share the types of things they sell to help you find what you’re looking for a little easier.

37 places to shop for eco-friendly, sustainable, & ethical gifts

4Elements

Named after the four elements of the earth, this green certified company offers eco-friendly bath and body products all made by artisans. They have everything from soaps to hair care to men’s products. The bath soaks look particularly tempting for me! They even have a subscription box if you just can’t choose! Finally, they do not test on animals, nor do they buy raw materials from companies that do. 

What they sell: eco-friendly and cruelty free bath and body items (including men’s items). They also have a subscription box option. 

Accompany 

This B Certified Corporation company puts ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability at the forefront of all their products. They also value offering unique and one of a kind items that reflect the culture they come from. Additionally, they encourage and utilize Indigenous skills to ensure that they don’t get lost through the generations. Safe working environments, money staying in local communities, giving back to local charities, and protecting the environment are also key components of Accompany’s mission and values. 

What they sell: A wide variety of items such as apparel, handbags, jewelry, accessories, decor, and entertaining products 

BLK + GRN

This site is a compilation of Black artists that sell all-natural products, and man, they have a long list of artisans! All brands and products are reviewed by health experts to ensure that items sold are met to certain green standards and also doesn’t contain any items on their “never list”. And not all products from every company are selected. Certain items are highlighted from each company to ensure high quality items. You can search via category or skin issues!

What they sell: Bath + body, skincare, beauty, grocery, hair, home, menstrual care, and mom + baby

Blessed Design Co

If you’re looking for affordable, upcycled jewelry or clothes, this site is for you. Black and woman owned, Blessed Design Co offers super cute sustainable fashion items and zero waste jewelry. With clothes made out of bamboo and hemp, and jewelry made out of leftover fabric scraps. The earrings and bags especially caught my eye as they are super cute, fun, and colorful. And best of all, eco-friendly!

What they sell: Upcycled and eco-friendly apparel, jewelry, and accessories

Boon Supply

If you like supporting eco-friendly companies that also give back, this site is for you. Not only can you get sustainable items, but 40% (!!!) of your purchase goes to a fundraiser of your choice. You can pick one that Boon Supply works with, or create your own so your money will go to a specific organization. 

What they sell: Items for waste free living, bags & accessories, kitchen & food, building character at home, holiday gifts, and organizational items. 

Buy From a Black Woman

This website contains a massive directory of Black & woman owned companies to shop from. While not all shops sell eco-friendly, sustainable, or ethical items, many do. The directory is nicely laid out by category, making it easy to find a shop for what you are looking for. You can also search by keyword or business name. Additionally, each shop has its own page, with a business description and option for business rating. 

What they sell: Categories include – accessories, art, beauty, books & paper goods, candles, decor, & furniture, children, clothing, drink & food, events, fitness, hair, health & wellness, personal services, professional services, skincare, travel, & other. 

Buy From BIPOC 

With a focus on slow, ethical, and sustainable fashion and vintage shops, Buy From BIPOC is a directory of small businesses that are BIPOC owned and operated. Search for items by categories or maker & brand directory, and you’re sure to find a shop with items that fit what you’re looking for. 

What they sell: This particular site doesn’t sell anything specifically, but acts as a directory to shops who do sell items. Search by shop category which include: vintage shop, clothing, footwear, jewelry, and accessories.

Related post: 8 Zero Waste Gift Wrap Ideas

Conscient Kind

If being a conscious consumer is of interest to you, this is a great place to shop. Sustainable, ethical, compostable, and vegan items? Check, check, check, and check. They also strive to only sell products that are completely plastic free, or contain very minimal plastic. One thing that really attracted me to Conscient Kind is that they use items for their packaging that they upcycle from family, friends, and neighbors. Junk mail, cardboard, old magazines, and more are just some of the items used! 

What they sell: Bath & body products, menstrual products, teeth care, hair care 

Crate Joy

Subscription boxes can be a great gift item – assuming you can find one that fits your giftee. Luckily, a site like Crate Joy exists to help you do just that. You can find honestly probably any type of subscription box on the site to give as a gift or order for yourself – just be sure to search for eco-friendly ones to fit your values.

 I know there is some controversy with gift boxes, but honestly, I love gifting them. I’ve given my husband two different ones related to his hobbies, and he’s loved both of them and used every item. I also love that they introduce you to new small businesses you may not otherwise know about. 

Crate Joy has categories where you can search through and find a box, or you can search by keyword. 

What they sell: Subscription boxes! Categories include: gifts, women, men, kids, self care & wellness, beauty, books, food, geek & gaming, fitness, arts & culture, pets, home & living, and novelty. 

DoneGood

Want a quick and easy way to vote with your dollars and support eco-friendly, sustainable, and ethical companies? DoneGood is your answer. With over 200+ brands that are doing good for the planet represented, you’re bound to find an item/gift you’re looking for. 

They also list specific qualities for each item such as if the item is eco-friendly, woman owned, BIPOC owned, if the company gives back, etc. 

What they sell: A wide range of items such as clothes, bedding, teas, handbags, stationary and more. Categories include: Women, men, kids, home, food & drink, self care, accessories, gifts, electronics, office & stationery, outdoor & travel, and pets. 

Earth Easy

For those who have followed the blog for a while (or follow me on social media), you know I’m a huge advocate for gardening, and providing accessible materials for anyone who wants to be able to grow their own food to do so. Earth Easy is a great resource for gardening (they even have an entire section on how to start a school garden and get kids involved.) 

And while this may seem like a weird inclusion on this list, as someone who is asking for a rain barrel for Christmas this year, I beg to differ. 

One thing that drew me to this company was their commitment to sustainability. They offset all carbon emissions for every part of their business through terrapass.com. They purchase as many materials as they can from US/Canadian made companies, and the items they do have to purchase overseas, they ensure they are fair trade. Additionally, they plant a tree with each order! Finally, they are an EPA WaterSense Partner, which helps to promote water conservation. 

What they sell: Categories – green home, yard & garden, off-grid & outdoors (including camping!) lifestyle (including baby & kids, zero waste, pets, health & wellness), & gifts. 

Earth Hero 

Dubbed as the eco-friendly Amazon, Earth Hero has tons of items that are all eco-friendly, sustainable, and ethical. Plus, they help support and highlight small businesses!

In addition to the above, they are a Certified B Corp, a member of 1% for the planet, and a 2019 carbon free partner. 

No matter what you’re searching for (even if it is just an alternative to Amazon for your day-to-day shopping (as much as you can), this site is definitely worth checking out. 

What they sell: Categories – zero waste, clothing & accessories, baby & kids, travel, home, outdoors, audio & tech, pets, beauty & care, gifts 

Coupon Code: Bonus! Get 10% off using code: LAURAD10 [not case sensitive, can’t be used on sale items, can’t be paired with other coupons, can’t be used on Gift Cards, TerraCycle boxes, Zeal Optics, or Naturepedic products]

Etsy (with a sustainable item search that I’ve already done for you via the link!)

Etsy likely needs no introduction, but I wanted to include it on the list because it can be a great way to find eco-friendly, sustainable, and ethical gifts. You can do keyword searches to find items within the above categories. Plus, because you are buying from a small business owner, you can add a note in the comments of your order asking for limited plastic packaging (for example.) I do this every time I order on Etsy and have never had a shop owner come back and say no!

What they sell: Tons of different homemade or vintage items. 

Fair Trade Winds

If you’re really interested in items that are fair trade, this site is a member of the Fair Trade Federation, which means that all items are not only fair trade but also handmade. The items on this site are also sustainable in the sense that they promote reuse, reclaimed and recycled materials. Additionally, empowering women, protecting children, and fighting human trafficking is an important part of the mission and values of Fair Trade Winds. 

What they sell: Categories – Clothing, bags & accessories, jewelry, home, and journals & cards

Gifts Revisioned 

Inviting you to start gifting differently, this sustainable gift shop offers eco-friendly and fair trade items. One thing that sets this site apart is that you can search by social cause (including options such as American made, cancer care & research, the environment, handcrafted goods, people with disabilities, sex trafficking, and women empowerments), or certifications such as fair trade and organic. 

What they sell: Gifts! Categories include – accessories, apparel, housewares, garden, kids & baby

Goldune

If you’re looking for gifts that were manufactured with water conservation in mind, recycled, plastic free, and biodegradable, Goldune is for you! Additionally, the site looks to bring eco-friendly items to you that are colorful, joyful, appealing, and brilliantly designed under one roof. 

What they sell: Categories – Gifts, plastic free, home, lifestyle, and personal care

GreaterGood

GreaterGood’s mission is to empower people around the world to affect positive change by making ordinary online actions extraordinary. 

GreaterGood is set up a little differently than other sites. There are 12 GreaterGood stores, each focusing on a different issue to support (a portion of proceeds of each item purchased supports these causes.) These stores include: the animal rescue store, breast cancer store, veterans store, rainforest store, hunger store, literacy store, autism store, diabetes store, Alzheimer’s store, earth store, 12 tomatoes, and Creative Kidstuff. 

If you don’t want to search via a specific store, you can just search by a category based on what you’re looking for. You’ll still make a difference by supporting one of the stores depending on what item it comes from. 

Not all of the items are eco-friendly or sustainable, but they do all support a particular cause. However, there are MANY items that do fall under those two categories, as well as ethical. 

What they sell: Clothing, footwear, home, jewelry, bags, kids toys & games.

Related post: A Minimalist and Zero Waste Advent Calendar (with 58 Kindness, Traditions, and Activity-Based, Non-Candy Ideas)

Life Without Plastic

Ethically sourced, non-toxic, plastic free, and eco-friendly are all things to describe the items in the Life Without Plastic store. They are based in Canada, but have a warehouse in New York for US customers. They even have an European store. 

Finally, they have a subscription box option if you just can’t choose! 

What they sell: Categories – plastic free essentials, home & zero waste living, eat & drink, bath & body, and kids & babies. 

Light & Love

No sustainable, eco-friendly, and ethical shop list of mine would be without some type of plant site! And Light & Love is just that. 

Sustainably sourced plants that will ship around the US, this business is great for your own houseplant needs or to give as a gift! They even have a really helpful care guide for the different types of plants they sell. Black and woman owned. 

What they sell: House plants! 

Made Trade

Want to be ‘ethically elevated’? According to Made Trade, that means shopping artistry above efficiency. And that’s the type of items you’ll find in their store. They believe in transparency, and work to ensure that each item is sustainably and ethically made. Additionally, they focus on preserving the heritage of knowledge that goes into making some of the items they offer, so they don’t get lost throughout the generations. 

Want even more? Ok. They believe in highlighting BIPOC and women owned businesses, and even have an entire section so you can easily find these items. The products they offer are also vegan! 

What they sell: What don’t they sell? There are dozens and dozens of subcategories, but the main ones are – home & furniture, clothing, shoes & accessories, and gifts. 

Mahogany Soul

Looking for items that are fair trade, culturally rich, handcrafted, ethically made, and sustainable? Mahogany Soul is a great spot to check out. They also believe in charitable giving – with 10% of all sales going to the organization thruguidance.org which is an organization that helps break the cycle of oppression domestically and abroad through faith, arts, and ethical entrepreneurship. Black and woman owned. 

What they sell: Jewelry, bags, accessories 

MightyNest

You may have heard of MightyNest as they are a fairly big sustainable and eco-friendly organization. However, if you haven’t they sell all sorts of, well, eco-friendly and sustainable items. All items they consider must be non-toxic, safe, reusable, high quality, and plastic-free as much as possible. Additionally, they interview each maker to check their production materials and conditions. 

They also have a membership option which consists of receiving one hand-picked eco-friendly product a month called ‘The Mighty Fix’, or an option similar to Amazon Subscribe and Save. 

What they sell: Categories – Kitchen, on the go, cleaning, body, wellness, kids, pets, gifts 

Coupon codes (all related to ‘The Mighty Fix’ membership option – could also do as a gift): 

• TIDYSET3 – get your first month of The Mighty Fix for only $3 and get a set of Tidy Dish Cloths as your first item
  
  
• PRODUCEBAGS3 – get your first month of The Mighty Fix for only $3 and get five produce bags as your first item
  
  
• BEESFIX3 – get your first month of The Mighty Fix for only $3 and get two beeswax wraps as your first item
  
  
• DRYERBALL3 – get your first month of The Mighty Fix for only $3 and get three dryer balls as your first item
  
  
• MIGHTYNOW – get your first month of The Mighty Fix for only $3 and get a surprise item
  
  

Our Green House

If you’re looking for a gift, but either don’t know what to get or don’t have time to put something together, Our Green House may be a great option for you. While they do have individual eco-friendly items, the piece that makes this site truly unique is that they offer pre-made gift baskets in a variety of categories. Want to give a gift basket but curate it yourself? They offer that option too. 

Additionally, a portion of the purchase of each gift basket goes back to one of their partnered organizations. 

What they sell: Eco-friendly products as well as gift baskets. Categories include: baby gift baskets, gift baskets for anyone, gifts that give back, make your own gift basket, organic baby, toys & kids, him/her, and pets. 

Society B

If you’re looking for a gift that gives back, Society B is a great option. Every item gives back, and on top of that, Society B gives 10% to charity! Oh, and that 10%? You get to pick what charity they donate it to at checkout. 

You can shop by cause, brand, impact, or category. 

What they sell: Fair trade products. Categories – women, men, kids, home, body, and bags. 

Ten Thousand Villages

A member of the Fair Trade Federation, and part of the World Fair Trade Organization, Ten Thousand Villages the reassurance that items sold are made ethically, that artists are paid a fair wage, and work in safe environments (they’re also super transparent about their fair trade practices and how they work.) Additionally, each item has a focus on sustainability through utilizing local items, reusing and repurposing, and promoting energy efficiency. If you need even more, Ten Thousand Villages also works with women, people with disabilities, and others who are typically excluded from the global economy. They also celebrate craft and culture – working to preserve culturally rich practices as they pass down from generation to generation. 

What they sell: In case you haven’t guessed, they sell eco-friendly, sustainable, ethical, and fair trade items. Categories include – accessories, home, kitchen, outdoor, spa & wellness, gifts, and holiday. 

Related post: Zero Waste & Minimalist Gift Giving 101

The Little Market

Focusing on ethical and sustainable items, The Little Market is another great option for fair trade products. 

What sets them apart of that they specifically look for artisans within communities such as refugees and resettled individuals, people with disabilities, young mothers, survivors of sex trafficking, and individuals living in extreme poverty. 

You can shop by causes, which include: U.S. based initiatives, the environment, HIV/AIDS, young mothers, homelessness, reentry programs, refugees & IDPS, human trafficking, domestic violence, children, traditional techniques, skill development, and Indigenous populations.

What they sell: Eco-friendly, sustainable, ethical, and fair trade items. Categories include – shop by cause, candles, spa, totes, home, dining, accessories, kids, and gifts.  

The Ultimate Green Store

If you’re looking for a site that has a ton of eco-friendly items for gifts or yourself, the Ultimate Green Store is it. Additionally, if you’re looking for items that are shipped carbon neutral, are non-toxic, made in the USA, GMO-free, save water, certified organic, fair trade, and made with recycled materials…you guessed it. The Ultimate Green Store is a good fit for you!

What they sell: Eco-friendly and fair trade items. Categories include: home & garden, bath & body, clothing & bags, yoga & fitness, baby, kids, teen/dorm, and gifts. 

ThredUP 

ThredUP is another site that probably doesn’t need any introduction, but just in case, it is an online second hand store for women and kids clothing, shoes, and accessories. I personally LOVE ThredUP for my own clothing. They offer name brands, so it is easy to find a brand you know and love, and be able to feel confident you’re getting the right size (assuming you’ve purchased items from that brand before.) It takes the guesswork out of sizing in secondhand clothes. 

What they sell: High quality, brand name, second hand clothes for women and kids. 

Coupon code: Click here to get $20 to shop on your first order

Tiny Yellow Bungalow

If you’re looking for zero waste staples mixed in with some fun items, Tiny Yellow Bungalow is for you. If I’m not shopping at my local zero waste store (yes, I’m very lucky to have one nearby), I’m ordering from this shop. Jessie, the owner, is amazing and tries every single item in her shop before selling them. She also is incredibly open to new items to carry if you have a suggestion. There is even a vintage section with fun and unique items, and she even has her own vegan cookbook. There are tons of options perfect for gifts (especially stocking stuffers.)

What they sell: Plastic free, eco-friendly, vegan items. Categories include: bath & body, kitchen & dining, cleaning, on the go, kid & baby, handmade, and vintage.

Toy Cycle

Toycycle is a second hand kids toys & gear website. There are hundreds and hundreds of items to choose from so you’re bound to find what you’re looking for. Each item goes through a rigorous quality control process to ensure that it is good quality. Even with that, the site offers a satisfaction guarantee on every item! If you’re not happy with it, they’ll give you a full refund. 

I love that you can search by brand name, kids age, keyword, or category. Each item also contains an ‘item condition’ status so you can get a better idea of what you’re getting. 

What they sell: Second hand infant, toddler, pre-school, and school-aged kids items. Categories include: toys, gear, & clothing – with many subcategories within each one. 

Coupon code: Use code ‘ReduceRenew’ at checkout for 20% of all regularly priced merchandise. (One coupon per customer. Cannot be used in conjunction with other coupons)

Uncommon Goods

If there is any store on this list that could cause me to go broke (with a few exceptions) it would be this store. I LOVE Uncommon Goods so much. They have fun, unique, high quality, and beautiful items for you or to give as gifts. I’ve purchased a lot of gifts from this site in the past – especially for those who are hard to buy for. 

Even better? They are a marketplace of small businesses/crafters and artists. And, a ton of their items are eco-friendly and ethically made. The items they offer are really high quality, so perfect for minimalists too, because they’ll last a while. 

Finally, $1 of every purchase goes back to a charity you choose at checkout, and, at the time of this post going live, they have a spotlight series on BIPOC artists/creators. You can search for shops or items specifically made by BIPOC. 

What they sell: Unique, fun, and eco-friendly gifts. Categories include: fun, home, kitchen & bar, jewelry, women, men, and kids.

Verishop – Responsible Store

Want to shop from a site that plants a tree for each order? Verishop – Responsible Store may be for you! This shop has a wide variety of items, and they offer a bunch of different ways to search for what you want. Their motto is quick, easy, and fast ordering and shipping. 

You can search for items by category, shipping speed, brand, shop, cause (which includes: clean beauty, clean home, cruelty free, fair trade, organic, philanthropic, responsible, sustainable, upcycled, and vegan), color, and price. 

Note: In order to ensure you’re getting eco-friendly and ethical gifts, check to make sure you’re shopping from the Responsible Store versus their regular store. 

What they sell: a wide variety of everyday items and gifts. Categories include: best sellers, men, women, plus (women’s plus size clothing), home, beauty & wellness, and kids.  

Zaric Fair Trade

Zaric Fair Trade’s motto is to honor artisans and enrich their lives by shopping unique and ethically produced products from around the world. This site has BEAUTIFUL fair trade items that would be perfect as gifts or just for you! 

Not only do they offer fair trade items, but they make a point to support sustainability and social justice. They think it is important that artists get paid a fair wage, and also in protecting the traditional art forms passed along within cultures from generation to generation. 

What they sell: A wide variety of items including apparel, handbags, home goods, jewelry, crystals, and more. 

Other options

Gift guide

Looking for specific items or ideas? I’ve got a few gift guides that you can check out. 

For general ideas mixed with specific ideas/recommendations: The Ultimate Zero Waste, Eco-Friendly, Minimalist Friendly, and Mindful Gift Guide (with over 100 gift ideas!)

More gift guides coming soon!

Eco-friendly gifts for him

Eco-friendly stocking stuffers

Eco-friendly gifts for 2020 (over 100 ideas)

Make your own (ex. Beeswax wraps)

Making your own gifts can be a great option – especially if you’re on a budget. One thing I made last year was beeswax wraps! I’ve got an entire tutorial on the blog on how to do it. Not only do they make great gifts, they are a perfect winter activity that the kids can help with! 

Need some inspiration? Pinterest is another great option!

Your local thrift store, Buy Nothing Group, Freecycle, Facebook Marketplace

Don’t underestimate your local resources! Buying second hand is a great way to keep your gift giving eco-friendly. Plus it’s high time we stop putting a stigma on gifting second hand items, in my humble opinion. 

One note with these resources: The earlier the better to start searching, especially if you’re looking for something specific. 

No gifts

Of course, there is always the possibility of not exchanging gifts in the traditional sense, which doesn’t mean you can’t exchange them in other ways! I’ve got an entire guide on how to tell someone ‘no gifts, please’ graciously, and with actual examples. That doesn’t mean you just skip the holiday entirely. It just means that it may look a little different than you’re used to!

Are any of these on the list ones you shop regularly? Which ones are you going to try? What are some of your favorites that I missed?

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