I love finding travel goods that promote sustainable travel, whether through minimizing our carbon footprint or supporting local communities. The same goes when buying presents for my loved ones: I look for thoughtful travel gifts that give back instead of kitschy mass-produced souvenirs, and often this makes the recipient appreciate my gift even more.
THE GUIDE: SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL GIFTS
This page contains some affiliate links. We earn a commission, at no additional cost to you, when you make purchases through these links. Learn more here
Repurposed materials and upcycled items
1. Bracelets made from discarded fishing nets
Bracenet bracelet
Bracenet‘s accessories are just my style: sleek and minimalist even with their eye-catching color and texture. What’s impressive is they’re made from recovered “ghost nets”: fishing nets that were discarded in the ocean as garbage, potentially trapping marine life and polluting the water with microplastics.
To reduce this ocean waste, Bracenet partnered with registered charities and salvage companies to reincarnate ghost nets into stylish, travel-friendly bracelets. Proceeds are also donated back to the charities to fund more ocean cleanups. In addition to the different designs (some with options for different colored clasps), Bracenet also sells rings, keychains, and even a dog leash!
2. Accessories made from reclaimed fire hose
Fire & Hide wallets by Elvis & Kresse
Elvis & Kresse was founded in London in 2005, with the mission to save the city’s decommissioned fire hoses from ending up in landfill. They’ve been so successful at it that today, Elvis & Kresse makes not just wallets and purses but bags, travel cases, and homeware too. The company also sources leather offcuts for products like the Fire & Hide wallets, made in multiple colors and styles – making them the ideal sustainable travel gifts for anyone in your life.
3. A toiletry bag made from truck inner tubes
Elliot Dopp Travel Kit by Alchemy Goods
Alchemy Goods is another innovative company creating upcycled items from industrial materials – in this case, from the inner tubes of truck tires. This makes it perfect for travel items that are ideally water resistant, like this dopp kit. Their website only offers Canada/US shipping, so if you’re shopping internationally, shop their products on Amazon instead.
4. A handy bum bag made from recycled plastic
Hip Bag by GOT BAG
Plastic recycling is a notoriously messy endeavor, but GOT BAG is tackling the challenge head-on. Not only is the company making travel backpacks and accessories out of recycled plastic, but it’s also directly involved in sourcing “raw material” – plastic trash from the waters off Indonesia – for cleaning and processing into fabric. The bags you order are also shipped using low-emission methods.
Sustainability aside, you’ll love that GOT BAG’s bags come in dozens of colors – I had a hard time selecting my favorite! I recommend the Hip Bag as it can easily fit in your existing backpack as an accessory pouch, and you can easily pull it out for standalone use with all your essentials within.
Eco-friendly travel gifts
Note: While these eco-friendly travel gifts can be useful for travelers, try to make sure the recipient of your gift doesn’t already own a similar item. The most important of the 3 ‘R’s is to Reduce – which is why we don’t recommend replacing travel gear that already works just fine with more “sustainable” items. Reducing unnecessary consumption means less waste that needs to be reused or recycled.
5. A water filtration system for adventurers
Sawyer Squeeze water filter
Bottled water is one of the greatest pollutants and capitalist scams on the planet…but ordinary reusable water bottles can’t help with questionable water sources. If you know a traveler who enjoys heading into the wilderness, get them a trusty water filter!
Although water filtering bottles like the GRAYL are popular on social media, they’re bulky and prone to breaking. I recommend the Sawyer Squeeze because it’s extremely small and packable while reliably filtering out viruses, bacteria, particulates. It comes with squeeze pouches so you can filter water from taps or rivers into your own preferred style of water bottle, but also screws onto any standard PET-style water bottle opening.
Another great option is the Lifestraw Peak: the company has literally saved lives by making safe drinking water accessible for underdeveloped regions around the world. Even when I was volunteering in Kenya, my host family used a Lifestraw to filter rainwater for drinking.
6. A cozy, multipurpose merino wool buff
BUFF midweight merino neck gaiter
Not only are merino wool items natural and biodegradable, but they’re also highly effective at keeping you warm while wicking moisture and make excellent base layers. I like BUFF‘s 100% merino wool buff because it’s long, comes in a range of colors, and is wonderfully versatile: you can wear it as a beanie, balaclava, head covering, and more! I prefer the midweight (250gsm) as I’m sensitive to cold, but there’s also a lightweight version (125gsm wool).
Oh, and BUFF is a certified B Corp that manufactures its products in-house using 90% renewable energy.
Local and handmade gifts
What makes a gift one-of-a-kind? For most people, it boils down to how exclusive and how meaningful it is. That’s why local and handmade items are so special – and by choosing them over mass-produced items, you can actually support social and economic sustainability for creatives and artisans. Here are our favorites from around the world:
8. Handwoven and hand-dyed shawls from Laos
Scarves & Shawls by Ock Pop Tok
A shawl is an essential item on any packing list. Ock Pop Tok’s are handwoven and hand-dyed by Lao artisans in Luang Prabang, and your purchase helps keep ethnic textile crafts alive.
Looking for more practical products and gear to gift to a traveler in your life? Check out our travel gear guides.
Leave a Reply