Wondering how to stick to your ethical principles and buy sustainable gifts whilst also enjoying the convenience (and sometimes necessity) of online shopping? Then you’re in the right place.
Even before the global pandemic had us all locked-down inside our homes, and physical stores closed for weeks and months on end, online shopping was already on an astronomical rise. Then Covid-19 came along and forced behaviour change onto even the most stubborn late adopters – also prompting most of us to start buying things we never thought we would over the Internet.
But whilst ordering gifts online is convenient, it isn’t the kindest for the planet, due to the excess waste packaging and higher greenhouse emissions from shipping.
If this has stopped you from shopping online up until now, don’t worry.
Awareness of the eco-crisis is growing and with it also is the market for staying conscious whilst also staying at home, resulting in many online stores innovating to help make your online shopping experience for sustainable gifts more eco-friendly.
It’s now more important than ever to be mindful of where we shop and make sure our money supports good causes, small businesses, artisans and the underprivileged.
We’ve highlighted 15 North American online stores for you to shop for sustainable gifts where we’re sure you’ll find something for everyone, whether it be Holiday season, birthdays, Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or any other occasion.
NB: If you’re looking for our European sustainable holiday shopping guide, read this.
1. WeWood
A nice watch is a great choice when choosing a gift for that special someone, regardless of age and gender.
WeWood is a brand that makes beautiful wooden watches, but also plants a tree for every purchase. They’ve planted over 600,000 trees since 2011 and their mission is to restore nature. You can also get the watches engraved to make the gift extra special. Add a thoughtful message on the back of the watch and be confident that you’ve chosen a timeless gift option.
Wewood ship across the US.
2. MiaDonna
Are you thinking of popping the question? If so, congratulations!
If you’re ring hunting, check out MiaDonna who offer ethical, lab-made diamonds with really stunning designs. They give 10% of each purchase to programs that help restore the lives and land in sub-Saharan Africa.
Check out their selection of timeless, cruelty-free diamonds.
3. Lush
One of the most well-known and popular options for sustainable gifts is Lush.
And we’ve yet to meet a lady who doesn’t have her head-turned whilst walking past one of their high street stores.
Choose from their 100% vegan selection for the perfect gift for the ethically-conscious self-care lover in your life.
4. Green Heart Shop
If you’re looking for a one-stop online shop to do all your festive shopping come Holiday season, Green Heart Shop is a perfect choice.
They offer a broad variety of sustainable, fair trade and local gifts.
5. The Little Market
A well-curated online store, The Little Market offers a fair trade gift option for almost everyone in your life.
A really cool feature they offer is ‘shop by cause’ – they source from social enterprises around the globe ensuring these individuals have access to meaningful employment and a stable income.
Choosing to do your gift shopping on The Little Market means you’ll know exactly where your cash is going.
6. Ethical Villages
This online store offers support to artisans in 30 developing countries and is a versatile option where you can find unique gifts to wow even the most hard-to-please people on your list.
They focus on fair wages and sustainability, while working with women, people with disabilities and others often excluded from the global economy.
7. Fair Trade Winds
Another great option with a wide variety of products if you’re looking to do all your shopping at once is Fair Trade Winds.
You can buy things ranging from kitchen, dining and decor to jewellery, all while supporting fair wages for artisans.
8. Earth Hero
As an eco-friendly online marketplace, EarthHero offers products that are sourced, manufactured, and shipped in a mindful and responsible way.
9. Package Free Shop
This multi-brand store prides itself on making sustainable shopping easier and more accessible for everyone, as well as providing affordable plastic-free options.
A well-curated haven for zero waste versions of everyday essentials, this website provides responsible shipping as well. They practice a package-free shipping policy, where all the orders are sent 100% plastic free in an upcycled or 100% post-consumer box, with paper wrapping, paper tape and fully recyclable and compostable shipping materials.
Head to Package Free Shop to help them keep tonnes of waste from landfills and choose the perfect gift for the people in your life.
10. Zero Waste Goods
Another great option if you’re trying to minimise the waste surrounding gift buying is Zero Waste Goods.
Your female friends will love their delicately composed gift boxes, which are all made from recyclable cardboard. So, you’ll manage to have a zero-waste gift look the part without having to think of packaging! Win win!
The gift boxes contain a mix of sustainable brands from various parts of the USA.
11. The Vegan Gift Shop
Everything The Vegan Gift Shop sells is cruelty-free and eco-friendly. They offer free shipping, but haven’t stated on their website how they deal with plastic and waste surrounding the shipping itself.
The Vegan Gift Shop also offers gift boxes, including this box of naturally occurring crystals. We could all do with some healing right now, so a positively-charged box of crystals can’t be a bad idea! It contains amethyst quartz, tiger eye, rose and white quartz and fluorite to balance vibes whilst we wait out the pandemic.
12. Etsy
Supporting small businesses is more important than ever given these challenging economic times, making Etsy an obvious choice.
Etsy is the World’s largest peer-to-peer marketplace and has become a favorite go-to option for good reason.
Some of the stores you’ll love on Etsy are MeMotherEarth and JungleCulture.
Check out CleanFacedCosmetics if you’re looking to gift makeup. This brand offers incredibly cool makeup palettes for zero wasters – they would make any women in your life smile!
Their palettes are also vegan and cruelty-free, of course.
13. The Wild Minimalist
A very chic online store, also recommended by Goop, The Wild Minimalist is a place where you can find beautiful and very purposeful gifts, like these zero waste kits. They’re also committed to using plastic-free packaging, to make the shipping process more sustainable.
14. TisBest
Every Christmas we all end up with some presents we never use. That fact in itself is not sustainable, so maybe it’s time we take a step back from hoarding presents and give back?
TisBest is a really cool concept where you buy a giftcard, but the money actually goes to charity.
It may be wise to first check with your friends if that sort of gift is something they’d be interested in, though!
But, if you have that one friend or colleague that’s really devoted to a cause, getting them a gift card to support their charity of choice could be the perfect holiday gift. You get to customise the card and the recipient picks a charity to donate money to.
Whatever you’re looking for and whoever it’s for – good luck with your gifting!
Looking for Conscious or ethical fashion ideas, or further inspiration for conscious living, visit our Conscious Shopping archive.
Read more tips on how to have a more sustainable Christmas or Holiday season.
