Green Monday: The best sustainable gifts of 2022

It’s easier than ever to shop for sustainable holiday gifts. Holiday shopping usually means festive gift bags, masses of sparkly ribbon and loads of plastic packaging that winds up in a landfill. But it doesn’t have to. It’s 2022! The best holiday gifts can also help save the planet. 

We’ve found a bunch of sustainable gift ideas for everybody, including Christmas and Hanukkah gift must-haves from popular brands such as Fig.1, Thousand Fell, Paravel, Summersalt and more.

We’ve selected gifts that are made with recycled materials, come in refillable bottles and are packed in biodegradable wrapping. Some of these eco-friendly purchases even give back to the community. Want to give gifts that help protect the Earth? Keep reading to discover more sustainable gift ideas.

Fig.1

The skincare fan who learns all their tricks from TikTok will thank you for this skin cycling set from Fig.1. The brand is offering a bundle of everything you need for your perfect skin cycling rotation, including a Glycolic Glow Treatment for exfoliating night, Retinol Night Cream No. 1 for retinol night, and the Fig.1 ceramide moisturizer for recovery night. 

Senior writer Lily Rose loves that the brand’s airless packaging system both protects the potency of the skincare actives and is refillable. Once you use up the product, order a refillable cartridge. Keep the original glass bottle, pump and cap and then pop the new cartridge inside. “I love not having to order a whole new bottle of product,” said Rose. “Keeping the original container helps reduce waste. Plus, I love having the option of traveling with my skincare without worrying about damaging any glass packaging.” 

Fig.1 skin cycling set, $99 ($118 value)

Thousand Fell

Gift the perfect white sneaker. Thousand Fell’s shoes are made with materials that can either be biodegraded, recycled to make new shoes, or upcycled into materials for new projects. While we’re a huge fan of the plain white design, Thousand Fell offers a bunch of cool designs and colors. 

The brand is currently offering 20% off all sneaker orders, plus a free, limited-edition hat.

Plus, as of Oct. 28, you can now donate ANY textile (from shirts to sneakers) and earn $5 in credit for every item you send in (up to $30) to be used towards a new pair of Thousand Fell sneakers.

Thousand Fell Women’s Court, $124 (regularly $155)

Paravel carbon-neutral luggage set

Paravel creates sustainably made travel accessories. Its carbon-neutral luggage set is made with materials that help offset carbon emissions from manufacture and shipping. The luggage set features a recycled polycarbonate exterior, recycled zippers and vegan leather details. The luggage lining is a made from recycled plastic water bottles. The Paravel luggage set comes in five colors and includes a suitcase and carry-on.

Paravel carbon-neutral luggage set, $775

Summersalt

Summersalt makes excellent swim and sleepwear. These gift-worthy silky pajamas are made with 100% recycled polyester material. They come in more than ten festive and fun prints, four of which are part of Summersalt’s limited-edition Rifle Paper Co. and Summersalt sleepwear collection.

Summersalt The Cloud 9 silky PJ set, $95

DedCool

This Los Angeles-based beauty business offers a sample set of six 100% biodegradable and plant-based unisex fragrances. Better yet, the entire sample set is 100% recyclable, including the aluminum tin it comes in. 

If you’ve fallen in love with a scent and want to buy one, full-size scents come in recyclable glass bottles and are printed with biodegradable ink. 

DedCool fragrance sample pack, $30

Avocado

Give your friends and family a super-soft alpaca wool throw this holiday. Avocado makes mattresses, sheets, blankets and more. This cozy present is ethically sourced from a high-elevation meadow in the Peruvian Andes and is made with 100% natural alpaca.

Choose from six colors.

Avocado alpaca wool throw, $157 (regularly $174)

Kada sweater dress

This chic-looking sweater dress is made of recycled viscose yarns.

Choose from two colors. Dress runs up to an XL.

Kada sweater dress, $248

Leaf Shave

Give the gift of smooth skin while combating plastic waste. Leaf Shave’s Super Bundle includes the Leaf razor, 10-blades, the Leaf stand, 50x single edge blade pack, a recycling tin, a Leaf case, Leaf Shave soap bar, Leaf grip sleeve. 

According to the brand, more than 100,000 Leaf Shave users will keep 2.5 million disposable plastic razors out of landfills this year. The company also packages and ships products without plastic. 

Leaf Super Bundle, $139 (regularly $163)

Pact thermal waffle crewneck

Pact’s thermal waffle crewneck is made with organic cotton in a fair-trade-certified factory. The crewneck is available in four colors and runs up to a size XL. 

Pact thermal waffle crewneck, $58

Levity Scandinavian lounge chair

Looking for an ultra-cool Scandinavian lounge chair that you can actually eat and drink on without worrying about stains? Check out Levity.

Levity’s chairs feature machine-washable, interchangeable covers with a water-resistant base. These covers can withstand oil, wine, coffee and even pet accidents.

Levity Scandinavian lounge chair, $499

Girlfriend Collective

These eco-friendly compression pocket leggings are one of Oprah’s favorite things of 2022. The lifestyle guru loves these “sweat-wicking, high-compression and high-waisted,” leggings from size-inclusive brand Girlfriend Collective. The comfy athleisure wear is made out of recycled plastic bottles. 

Available in sizes XS to 6XL.

Girlfriend Collective compression pocket leggings, $70 (reduced from $88)

Holiday gift guides

As always, check back to CBS Essentials for holiday gift guides for every special someone in your life. Check back for more throughout the season.