20 sustainable gift ideas for travellers
The best gift you can give a traveller? Sustainability, of course!
Here are some great sustainable gift ideas where you can find the perfect ethical gifts for the traveller in your life.
Read next: The ultimate guide to eco travel
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Things to consider before buying sustainable gifts
Before you start jotting down these sustainable gift ideas and running out to pick up some organic gifts or eco-friendly gifts for your friends, there are a few things to consider and to keep in mind when shopping. After all, ‘green gifts’ can mean a lot of things, from how the gift is farmed or made, the ethics behind the company that makes them, as well as their practices, and even down to how much the thing costs.
Also, sometimes organic gifts and Earth friendly products can be cheaper than the alternatives, and sometimes not. These are just a few things to consider before you start browsing your sustainable gift ideas.
20 sustainable gift ideas for travellers
#1.
Reusable metal straw
The scourge of the single-use plastic straw is a hot topic right now, and rightly so. While some people with certain disabilities rely on them, for most of us a metal straw is one of the best gifts for environmentally conscious people that money can buy! Keep it in your bag when travelling and it’s super easy to clean.
#2
Stainless steel travel mug
Another of the best gifts for environmentalists is a travel mug that avoids the wasteful use of paper cups from coffee shops. It’s a tough, solid, long-lasting mug that you’ll have for years to come and saves an incredible amount of paper, making it one of the very best eco-friendly gifts around.
#3
Bamboo cutlery
Bamboo grows miraculously quickly. It’s strong, sturdy, and long-lasting. If you really want some great green gift ideas for travel-loving friends, bamboo cutlery is a something they’ll appreciate immensely, trust me!
#4
Ethique Shampoo Bar
It’s vegan, it’s plastic free, it’s entirely without waste! This fantastic shampoo bar is one of the most satisfying green gift ideas around. Shampoo bottles are a painful waste. And another upside is that you can’t take large liquids on a plane, but you can take a solid bar of shampoo!
#5
Handmade Natural Bamboo Brush And Comb
As I’ve said, bamboo products make great gifts for environmentally conscious people, and for your friends who travel often, a bamboo brush and comb set is one of the finest sustainable gift ideas around, and is especially one of the best green gifts for her.
#6
Bamboo Charcoal Toothbrush
The amazing low price of these toothbrushes is proof that the future is bamboo. Not only that, but these specific eco gifts come in recycled packaging so there’s no waste whatsoever.
#7
Vegan And Fluoride Free Teeth Whitening
A lot of teeth whitening products aren’t vegan, nor have they been produced ethically. But this one has, making for one of the most creative green gifts for her.
#8
Organic Toothpaste
Here is an organic toothpaste that is 100% vegan, making it entirely ethical and therefore one of the best gifts for environmentalists. Being vegan is a noble commitment, so help the vegan travellers in your life by buying them something they can comfortably use on the road.
#9
Organic Reusable Makeup Remover Pads
Makeup removal pads are used on a daily basis by so many of us, and having to buy more of them on the road just isn’t practical all the time. These pads make for one of the most practical and useful sustainable gift ideas on this list.
#10
All Natural Deodorant
Deodorant is made from often synthetic chemicals that can lead to some real health issues for a lot of us. And so natural deodorant isn’t just one of the best environmentally friendly gifts but also something that keeps you healthy.
#11
Hydroflask Reusable Water Bottle
Speaking of environmentally friendly gifts, the amount of pasted wasted when we buy water is alarming, so buy your friends a reusable water bottle for the road!
#12
Manduka Recycled Cross Strap Bra
This cross-strap bra is not only more comfortable than most other bras you’ll ever wear; it’s also one of the best recycled gifts you can buy your travelling friends.
#13
prAna Recycled Leggings
Another of the best recycled gifts is a matching pair of leggings! These pieces of recycled blend clothing are as comfortable and practical for the travelling environmentalist.
#14
Sustainable Yoga Mat
If you have friends eager to keep in shape on the road, get them a portable yoga mat. Even better, one that’s made from cork, making it one of the best green gift ideas.
#15
Portable Solar Powered Charger
Solar power is part of the solution to the world’s energy crisis, so encourage your travelling friends to do their part with a solar-powered charger! The biggest bonus being you no longer have to rely on finding an outlet and carrying a plug adapter. Let the sun be your charger!
#16
Weekend Bag
One of the coolest things about this, one of the best eco-friendly gifts, is that for every product sold, United By Blue removes one pound of trash from our world’s oceans and waterways.
#17
Recycled Backpack
This sturdy and strong, waterproof backpack is made from recycled plastic bottles.
#18
Plant Based And DEET FREE Insect Repellent
Insect repellent is an absolute essential in many parts of the world, but it can be dangerous if it isn’t entirely organic. This plant-based insect repellent is totally natural and safe, and it works perfectly!
#19
Reef-Safe Sun Screen
Sunscreen is another necessary thing to have for travel, but the toxins in it can damage the ocean. You can avoid this completely by buying for your friends some reef-safe sunscreen that does no damage to the environment and still works to keep you protected from those damaging UV rays.
#20
Kindle
Ah, the Kindle. Now, this is one of the more complicated eco-friendly gifts out there. This is because most of us simply prefer physical books. But printing books does mean relying on fresh paper, which makes the Kindle (which can fit a library inside it) one of the best Earth friendly products around and the ultimate gift for readers who feel guilty about all that paper being used.
I like the love finding ways to make travel more eco friendly. However, a kindle, while convenient, is absolutely jot good for the environment. Very little to no material in these types of device are recyclable or really reusable. In fact, most electronics have hazardous metals on the circuit boards. Paper may not be preferable but they do biodegrade. The best thing to do is just rent from the library.
True. That would be the most sustainable thing to do.
So many great sustainable gift ideas! I want to buy some for myself!
Go go go. You absolutely should 🙂
Hi Miriam, I just bought bamboo brushes for my wife and her friends. She is going to Bali. I hope they like it. I will share their feedback with you.