Sustainable Gift Giving Guide by SustainableUF

Tis’ the season of gift giving and spending time with your loved ones. This holiday season is a great opportunity to help reduce waste, support local businesses and your community! We have compiled a list of ideas to help inspire a more sustainable holiday season.

Gift Ideas

1. For the bookworm

• DIY bookmarks from materials around you or draw something and cut it out. Every time they pick up their book they’ll think of you!
• Giving away books you’ve read you think they’ll enjoy or send them an audiobook! 

2. For the plant parent

• Purchase plants from local nurseries or plant shops, in Gainesville checkout Garden Gate Nursery and GROW Hub.
• Create a DIY plant project by using plant cuttings from your garden 
• Pick up some seeds from a local seed library.

3. For the foodie

• Gift local foods from the farmers market like honey, jams and sauces.
• Gift an experience with a virtual cooking class or a gift card to their favorite local restaurant.
• Bake their favorite dessert or cook their favorite dish!

4. For the adventurer 

• Experiences instead of material gifts, check out Airbnb Experience for local ideas.
• Memberships to places like museums, botanical gardens or a national park pass.

Community gifts 

5. Support your local community

• Virtual gift card from a local business in your area.
• Visit a local farmer’s market and create themed baskets filled with local products (ie. jars of honey, coffee, etc)
• Make a donation in someone’s name to a local organization.

6. Be conscious with your gift giving

• Before buying from a service like Amazon or department store, look for the items locally to support local makers and find a unique gift.
• Research the company before purchasing to learn more about their sustainability initiatives.
• Purchase gifts that give back. Many organizations donate a portion of profits to causes and foundations.

7. Make a donation in someone’s name

• Find a cause they care about and make donation in their name.
• Find local nonprofits to support a cause close to home.
• Consider national organizations for far-reaching impact.

8. Support diverse, women-owned and BIPOC-owned vendors

• Check if your city has a resource for finding diverse vendors near you, like this resource for Gainesville minority-owned businesses.
• Use resources like WeBuyBlack to find black-owned vendors.
• Search engines are your friend! Look for women/black/POC/Indigenous vendors for specific items or gift ideas.

Sustainable Gifts

9. Sustainable Gift Wrapping

• Wrap your presents in newspaper, cloth, reused paper grocery bags, or reusable durable bags.
• Wrap your gift in a gift! Decorating gifts with practical items such as scarves, scrunchies, etc. are an extra gift for the recipient.
• Reuse containers/jars to make gift boxes for a homemade holiday treat.

10. Thrifty Gifts 

• Visit antique shops to find unique items with a story.
• Shop secondhand for creative clothes and gifts at places like the Repurpose Project.
• Look for gifts with repurposed/upcycled materials such as Redefined Goods or check out @ThriftClubUF for more ideas.

11. D.I.Y. Gifts

• Create self-care items like candles, soap and scrubs.
• Upcycle materials for creative gifts. 
• Check out the Pinterest board in our bio for more D.I.Y. ideas!

Virtual Gifts

12. Virtual Gifts

• Create a home video message for your loved ones.
• Curate a personalized playlist.
• Check out e-card options like Kudoboard.

Inspired by one of these ideas for sustainable gift-giving or have an idea to add? Reach out to us on social media @SustainableUF (Twitter/FB/IG) and let us know! Happy sustainable gift-giving!