If the holidays are all about spreading love, let’s start by loving our planet: This year, consider shopping for a gift that gives back to the earth. For foodies, this could mean a new pair of ultra-soft oven mitts made out of recycled materials – or perhaps a refillable olive oil set. Whatever your loved one’s preferences, there’s bound to be a sustainable gift out there that they’ll love – and we’re here to help you find it.
Essentials Starter Kit,
The Bare Home
Certified B Corp The Bare Home has designed a line of refillable cleaning products that they estimate has saved 191,000 plastic bottles from landfills. This starter set includes everything a sustainable kitchen needs to stay sparkling: hand soap, dish soap, an all-purpose cleaner and a scrub brush.
$52
Oven Mitts,
Caraway
We love Caraway’s eco-friendly cookware line, but they also make what they call “the cleanest of clean kitchen linens” with recycled materials, organic cotton and low-impact dyes. This oh-so-soft pair of oven mitts is made with double-layer stain-resistant stitching to ensure safe handling of h0t pans.
$35
Engraved Neem Wood Kitchen Utensils,
Danica
Neem is a sustainable wood due to its fast growing cycle and minimal water needs, which is why Canadian brand Danica chose it as the material for their holiday-themed kitchen utensil set. The set includes two spoons and two spatulas engraved with winter greenery.
$45
Ocean Bottle Original,
Ocean Bottle
For every recycled stainless-steel Ocean Bottle sold, the brand collects 1000 plastic bottles from waterways – with the goal of collecting 7 billion by 2025. Contribute to the cause by gifting one of their double-insulated (and dishwasher-safe!) water bottles in the colour of your choice. Add on a custom engraving for $20.
$54
24 Days of Candy,
Squish
Squish’s gummies are made with sustainably-sourced palm oil – part of the secret to their plant-based formula. This opulent advent calendar comes with an assortment of their best-selling bonbons, including classics like Cola Bottles as well as their more inventive varieties, like Matcha Alligators.
$50
Wine Tote,
SoYoung
If you’re gifting a bottle, consider snagging one of Canadian brand SoYoung’s stylish reusable wine totes. Available in four colours (Black, Muted Clay, ‘Kraft’ yellow and Ink Splatter), they feature an insulated interior that’s compatible with an ice pack add-on, ensuring your gift stays perfectly chilled if need be.
$20
Plantable Pencils Kitchen Edition Pack,
SproutWorld
These innovative pencils contain a cellulose capsule and seeds at the base – when the pencil is down to the nub, it can be planted to grow fresh flowers, herbs and veggies. This kitchen-themed pack comes with five ‘plantable pencils’: parsley, cucumber, rucola, eggplant and melon.
€13.95
Holiday 6 Peace Box Assorted,
Peace By Chocolate
Nova-Scotia-based Peace By Chocolate uses sustainably-sourced cocoa for their chocolates, which come in an assortment of decadent flavours inspired by the founders’ Syrian heritage. These 6-piece boxes contain a mix and make a perfect stocking stuffer or small gift for coworkers.
$6.75
Satini Recycled Copper Martini Cup,
Sertodo Copper
Elegant and eco-friendly: these stylish and unique martini glasses are made with 100% recycled copper and hand-hammered into the final shape. Perfect for cocktails as well as sorbets, parfaits and more. Grab some matching bar spoons to elevate the gift even further.
$69
Swedish Sponge Cloths,
Ecologie Danica
An essential product in any zero-waste kitchen, Swedish sponge cloths replace traditional paper towels and plastic sponges with a washable, super-absorbent cloth. Vancouver-based Ecologie Danica has released a lineup of charming holiday-themed towels perfect for gifting.
$6
Hulken Foldable Tote Bag,
Hulken
Say hello to the Hulken: this new foldable tote bag boasts an extra-roomy space for groceries and anything else you pick up on your travels. Unlike other rolling shopping carts, this one folds up when not in use for easy storage – and comes in five sleek, stylish colours.
$170
Leopard Butter Dish,
Anna + Nina
This cheeky butter dish, made by eco-friendly Amsterdam-based studio Anna + Nina, brings the personality. Hand-painted by artisans in Portugal, the dish is made with ethically-sourced ceramics and sports a flashy leopard-print design. Pass the bread, please.
€100
Good Food, Healthy Planet,
Puneeta Chhitwal-Varma
Sustainability expert, food writer and recipe developer Puneeta Chhitwal-Varma makes low-impact cooking accessible and irresistible in her new book, Good Food, Healthy Planet. Give the gift of a clean conscience in the kitchen with this wrapping-ready handbook.
$45
Matcha Essentials Bundle,
Genuine Tea Co.
Genuine Tea sources the leaves for their blends from small-scale farmers around the world who are dedicated to protecting soil health, conserving water and the like. Their deep, earthy ‘Summer Harvest’ matcha comes from a family farm in Kyoto, and can be purchased in a gifting-ready starter set.
$59
Calistoga Wooden Rotating Kitchen Caddy by Gaby Dalkin,
Crate & Barrel
Beloved food blogger Gaby Dalkin recently teamed up with Crate & Barrel to release a line of stylish and sustainably-made kitchenware. This rotating table caddy – inspired by an antique Dalkin once found in a Northern California flea market – is made with mango wood from responsibly-managed forests.
$75
Bauhaus Enamel Colander,
Darling Spring
You might not think of a colander as an investment item, but these gorgeous, environmentally-friendly pieces are sure to change your mind. Crafted in Turkey out of 100% recycled materials, the durable enamelled strainers are both functional and decorative.
$130
“Sizzle” & “Drizzle” Extra Virgin Olive Oil Duo,
Graza
Just about every kitchen relies on this staple, but between production, packaging and transportation, olive oil can have a significant carbon footprint. Graza is combating this by offering their extra-virgin olive oils – one for cooking and one for drizzling – in refillable bottles.
$57
