By Jenn Wint
As the holiday season approaches for many, so does the urge to shop, gift and spend money. PWC’s Holiday Outlook for 2023 found that while more than 75% of consumers are on the hunt for deals this holiday, almost 40% of consumers will spend more overall than they did last year. We understand the desire to get that perfect gift for your loved one and celebrate the season with a carefully chosen present.
This year, we encourage you this season to shop thoughtfully. Where we spend our dollars and what companies we support, matters. As consumers we hold a lot of power to keep small businesses operating another year or divert control to the retail giants. Here are some suggestions for sustainable, ethical and responsible gifts your friends and family will love.
Anne Mulaire Design
Anne Mulaire is an Indigenous fashion brand which exists to inspire and find regenerative solutions for people and the planet. Designs honor Canada’s French, Indigenous, and Métis character. The brand produces quality, small batch, zero-waste women’s clothing through its circular and just-in-time manufacturing model. Sizes from 6X to XXS available.
ace&jig offer custom-designed, woven textile scraps to mend and patch well-worn clothing, encouraging consumers to celebrate loved, lived-in, and lasting clothing. Use assorted bundles of scrap textiles from ace&jig’s collections to patch a hole or tear, reinforce a well-loved and well-worn piece, or reinvent an existing style and give it a second life.
RebelStork is working to reduce the environmental and financial impact of parenting. They rescue and re-sell premium baby gear, some of which has never been used and would ultimately end up in landfills.Their reduce, reuse, resell model has earned them B-Corp status while supporting new parents with essential gear like car seats and strollers.
Soap and Smudge Spray from Sisters Sage
Sister Sage hand-crafts wellness and self-care products inspired by their Indigenous culture and traditions. All products are vegan or vegetarian, and cruelty free, without palm oil. Soaps are based from a special blend of Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Sunflower oil. Smudges are a smokeless blend of Sweetgrass and Tobacco leaf fragrance offering a modern twist to a traditional practice.
Red Belly Honey
Red Belly Honey is a single ingredient, raw hemp honey infused by California honeybees. The result is an all-natural sweet honey, nutrient-rich with CBD and antioxidants. Because the bees are in charge of all the mixing and infusing through their belly enzymes, the honey is naturally water-soluble and allows for optimal absorption. It’s also delicious.
tawâw Progressive Indigenous Cuisine Cookbook
Give the gift of an incredible recipe. tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine, traces author Shane M. Chartrand’s culinary journey from his childhood, where he learned to raise livestock, hunt, and fish on his family’s acreage, to his current position as an executive chef. tawâw is part cookbook, part exploration of ingredients and techniques, and part chef’s personal journal.
Men's Boots and Chukkas from Nisolo
Nisolo offers timeless boots that are comfortable, functional, and made responsibly. This range of stylish, quality men’s boots are perfect for everyday wear. Every Nisolo product comes with a Sustainability Facts Label where products have been scored across 200 sustainability metrics to help clarify their social and environmental impact.
Recycled Glass Dinnerware Collection from VivaTerra
VivaTerra operates with heart and a vision for both globally-inspired modern design and goods created with sustainability and integrity in mind. The recycled glass dinnerware collection is handcrafted in Spain from a thin recycled glass that's durable enough for daily use. This contemporary dinnerware collection adds style and sustainability to your everyday dining or entertaining.
Peppermint Pain Relief Stick from Birch + Fog
For achy muscles, this Peppermint stick provides a deep cooling sensation and fast-acting relief. Reduce inflammation, back pain, arthritis, muscular aches and spasms, sprains and rheumatism or apply to the chest/throat area to help relieve congestion. Each CBD and THC roll-on combines 150mg of each with wintergreen and peppermint oils to relieve muscle and joint pain.
Gift Card to a Zero-Waste General Store like The Eco Flamingo
Giving a gift card offers the gift of choice as well as exposing your loved one to a new way of grocery shopping. The Eco Flamingo works with local and regional makers and suppliers in Chicago who employ sustainable practices from product to packaging. Customers shop with their own refillable containers reducing packaging waste. Zero waste stores are popping up all over North America. Find one in your neighborhood!
Blankets and Throws from Goodee
Cuddle up with a cozy throw, hand-crafted with care in Spain’s Rioja region using traditional looming methods and the highest quality fibers. With products artfully designed and manufactured by hand, Goodee are a team of socially-conscious design enthusiasts who put caring for people, and the planet, at the center of everything. The result is experienced craftsmanship and a beautiful, soft blanket to keep you warm this winter.
Through a commitment to ethical practices and expressive styles, WorldFinds creates products that transform the lives of their artisan partners and those who wear their designs. These beautifully designed products have created work for over 1,000 artisans in communities across the globe. Choose from handcrafted bracelets, earrings, necklaces and more in a variety of styles.
Indulge in ethical, clean beauty through a variety of hand and body creams from Plantd. Each fresh cream is made from vegan, organic fair-trade ingredients without the need for harsh chemicals or synthetic fragrance. Plantd creates positive impacts on skin, and positive impacts on communities and people.
Donation through GiveWell
Making a donation in the name of a loved one to a cause they care about means a lot. GiveWell is an independent nonprofit focused on helping people do as much good as possible with their financial donations. They recommend an annual list of top charities doing good work around the world. They share their research for free, making it available to the public.
For insight into how and where to donate check out our recent interview with Tracey Lundell, Senior Investment Advisor at Sea Glass Wealth. We’ve also shared a list of organizations the ROC team supports.
Happy holiday shopping!
