Giving reusable Christmas gifts is a great way to encourage friends and family to embark on a zero waste journey—and tick an eco box for the conscious consumer in your life.
Built to last, the best reusable gifts are the antithesis of their single-use counterparts.
By giving someone one of these plastic free gifts, you are actively preventing many more plastic bottles, pieces of plastic wrap, single use makeup wipes, and so much more from clogging up landfills and polluting our seas.
So, what do you get an eco warrior for Christmas?
This list of awesome gift ideas should give you some low-waste inspiration.
Our Curated List Of The Best Reusable Gifts For A Zero Waste Christmas
1. Reusable Water Bottles
Price Range | $20–$125 | Shop Hydro Flask or Ohelo
If you’re looking for a useful and practical everyday essential, a plastic-free water bottle is one of the best reusable Christmas gifts.
For an on-the-go ethical hydration sidekick, say hello to Ohelo. Their triple-insulated vacuum bottles keep drinks hot for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours.
These 500ml bottles are tough, dishwasher safe, and made from sturdy 100% lead-free stainless steel.
Each one comes with a nifty carry handle, and you can choose between colors and laser-etched designs to complement your loved one’s personality.
For more hydration capacity, a personal favorite brand of ours, Hydro Flask, has reusable bottles that go up to a gallon for more hydration capacity. A good starting point is their 621ml standard mouth bottle with a leakproof and flexible straw cap for easy drinking.
They’re designed to accompany all your outdoor adventures, and their double-walled vacuum insulation keeps drinks at the optimum temperature for longer.
We love the easy-to-hold handle and the wide choice of colors. Complete the set with matching reusable coffee cups and food jars. We can personally recommend the durability of their coffee flasks/bottles as we’ve had ours for well over 5 years and it’s still leakproof and keeps our lattes hot.
2. Guppyfriend Washing Bag
Price Range | $40 | Shop Guppyfriend
Made from 100% fully recyclable polyamide, the Guppyfriend Washing Bag is a simple way to help any zero waste beginner prevent ocean pollution when washing synthetic clothes.
We all own at least a few items of synthetic clothing, and according to Greenpeace, “One piece of clothing can release 700,000 fibers in a single wash.”
These fibers take centuries to decompose. They are devastating for marine life and our already fragile ecosystem.
When you wash your clothes inside the Guppyfriend Washing Bag, their fibers undergo less friction, so they don’t shed as much.
Any fibers that do come off clothing are collected in the washing bag corners rather than high-tailing it down the train into our water system. That way, they can be disposed of properly.
Not only does a Guppyfriend make washing clothes better for the environment, but the lifespan of your clothing increases too, as they remain intact for longer.
The washing bag has been tested to be effective at catching microfibers for 50 clothes washes (but should last long beyond that if used correctly). Once it reaches the end of its lifecycle, it can also be recycled.
3. Beeswax Wraps
Price Range | $6–$100 | Shop Bee’s Wrap or SuperBee
Plastic wrap is the go-to for so many people when storing food. Tell them with love that it’s time to ditch single-use plastic wrap for a zero waste, reusable version instead—beeswax wraps.
5.3 million Americans used 10 or more rolls of plastic wrap in 2020 alone. This plastic wrap takes hundreds of years to degrade and often leaches chemicals into our groundwater.
SuperBee makes switching to eco-friendly food storage easy and fun with their “Beeginner” set of beeswax wraps in three sizes.
These reusable Christmas gifts are made from sustainably harvested pesticide-free beeswax and GOTS-certified organic cotton. They’re food-safe, easy to wash, and plastic-free
Bee’s Wrap offers a sustainable beeswax alternative for vegans with their set of wraps in three sizes made from candelilla wax, organic cotton, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin.
If your loved one is wondering how to use them, the heat of their hands will help mold the wrap around the bowl or food they want to cover. The wrap will hold its shape once it cools, creating a seal.
After use, they should wash the wraps in cold water with a gentle dish soap and then air dry.
4. Reusable Razors
Price Range | $23–$143 | Shop Leaf Shave or Jungle Culture
Reusable gifts for Christmas can be as simple as the smoothest shave with a zero waste razor. It’s one of the easiest ways to eliminate plastic from your loved one’s bathroom cabinet.
Jungle Culture has a range of reusable safety razors with smart-looking bamboo handles that will turn shaving from a chore into a special event for folks, guys, and gals.
Their razors are engineered with balanced weight and precision for a shave that leaves skin luxuriously soft. Add a bamboo stand to help them proudly show off their new shaving tool. Heads up, razor blades are sold separately.
For legs, heads, and bikini lines, the Leaf Kit by Leaf Shave is an all-metal triple-blade razor that follows all your contours with its unique pivoting head that cushion as it shaves and—take it from us, we own one!—provides the closest, smoothest shave we’ve ever found.
It’s designed to shave like five-blade cartridges but without all the plastic waste.
The kit includes a pack of 50 single-edge blades, a recycle tin, and a razor stand. It looks pretty swish, too, in our opinion.
5. Reusable Paper Product Substitutes
Price Range | $18–$54 | Shop ZeroWasteStore.com or Papaya Reusables
Disposable paper products—think: toilet paper and paper towels—are a huge source of daily waste.
Help your loved one on their quest to have a low waste kitchen with reusable paper towels.
The packs of 12 or 24 reusable paper towels from ZeroWasteStore.com are easy and budget-friendly zero waste gift ideas.
Made with GOTS-certified cotton, these one-ply paper towels are absorbent and durable. Once used, simply pop them in a regular laundry wash, and they become even more absorbent. At the end of their lifecycle, they can be composted at home.
For a cleaning all-rounder that adds a little cheer to your loved one’s cleaning routine, Papaya’s reusable Swedish dish cloths replace sponges, kitchen towels, and dish towels.
Made from 70% cellulose and 30% cotton, these reusable Christmas gift ideas are plastic-free, non-toxic, and naturally antibacterial.
They come in fun prints too, like their Fruit Salad pack, and each set includes sticky hooks so they can be hung in convenient places around the home.
Papaya’s reusable towels come in four sets, each lasting around nine months, depending on usage.
6. Reusable Food Storage
Price Range | $10–$305 | Shop ECOlunchbox or Caraway
Leftovers and packed lunches are much more delicious when stored properly—and they prevent food waste, which makes them one of the most essential reusable gift ideas in our book.
Give your loved one a plastic-free upgrade with a Blue Water Bento Insulated Canister from ECOlunchbox.
This lunchbox is made from 8/8 grade 304 stainless steel and bamboo, and keeps food hot or cold for up to eight hours. They’re leakproof too, so they can even handle cozy soup lunches at work.
The lunchbox features a wide opening for easy sipping and eating. Its silicone pull tab prevents suction on opening.
You can store up to 12 oz of food split between three separate compartments. So, soup, bread and cheese or yogurt, fruit, and toppings are just some of the meal ideas for this.
Say goodbye to funky-smelling plastic tubs, Caraway has got food storage down to a science.
Their ceramic-coated 6.6-cup containers are built with Air Release technology to keep food fresh for longer. They’re microwave, oven, and freezer-safe for easy meal prep and storing.
Travel-ready straps also make them transportable for added on-the-go leak-proof security. Add a set of BPA-free container inserts to create a bento-box-style lunch box.
7. Stainless Steel Straws
Price Range | $4–$16 | Shop Jungle Culture or ZeroWasteStore.com
Have a loved one who loves slurping their drinks with plastic straws?
If you’re in the UK, Jungle Culture’s Stainless Steel Reusable Straw Set is a reusable gift for Christmas that will become a zero waste, everyday essential.
These aren’t just your standard reusable straw gifts.
The pack of eight straws has been jazzed up with colorways inspired by the sea. Choose from ocean blue or coral pink colors with a cool dip-dye effect they’ll love.
Each set has a combination of straight and bent stainless steel straws, a straw-cleaning brush, and a natural jute pouch to keep them safe when on the go.
They are non-toxic, BPA free, and have no metallic taste. They are dishwasher-safe and last a lifetime, too.
For something totally compostable but still reusable, they also have bamboo straws, which are our personal favorites.
For an added silicone tip to protect teeth (we all know that person who just can’t help chewing their straws!), ZeroWasteStore.com offers bent stainless steel straws with a non-toxic food-grade silicone topper.
8. No-Waste Period Products
Price Range | $20–$132 | Shop WUKA or TomboyX
In the United States, approximately 7 billion tampons and 12 billion pads are thrown away each year. A simple way to help turn the (red) tide on this plastic waste is to adopt reusable period products as part of a zero waste lifestyle.
WUKA’s Ultimate™️ Midi Brief Heavy Flow is designed to be a complete tampon and pad replacement. It’s made with super-soft TENCEL fabric, which is absorbent and contains a moisture barrier to make it leak-proof.
This period underwear can hold up to four tampons or three pads daily. They also replace up to 200 tampons in their lifetime. For extra brownie points, throw in a WUKA wet bag so they can easily change and store their undies when traveling.
Queer-founded TomboyX makes period underwear for all people, no matter where they sit on the size or gender spectrum.
Choose from bikini cuts, boy shorts, trunks, or boxer briefs, all with period and leak-proof support. They can be worn with a menstrual cup or reusable pad for extra coverage.
Their sizes range from 3XS to 6XL and are made using OEKO-TEX-certified cotton.
9. Upcycled Hand Warmers
Price Range | $5+ | Shop TS Design or Upcyclosets
Do you have a friend who always seems to have icy-cold fingers? We have an eco-friendly solution for that. Etsy seller Upcyclosets makes reusable hand warmer gifts out of upcycled cotton fabrics and rice.
These sweet, affordable stocking stuffers are pocket-sized, so your cold-fingered loved one can stash them in their coat pockets on chilly days.
Simply activate them by popping them in the microwave at 15-second intervals until the desired temperature is reached.
On hot days, they can be placed in the freezer to turn them into ice packs.
Michigan-based Etsy seller TS Design makes earth-friendly hand warmers filled with rice, which can be popped in pockets or mittens.
Each one can be personalized with your loved one’s favorite color and pattern.
You can also add to your gift recipient’s eco-friendly kit with TS Design’s reusable paper towels, mop pad refills, sandwich, and snack bags, washable toilet paper cloths, and refillable water balloons that go splat instead of pop.
Everything here is reusable and zero waste.
10. Reusable Facial Wipes & Rounds
Price Range | $13–$18 | Shop Life Vista or Rainbow Waters
One of the easiest reusable no waste gifts for people who love their skincare routine is helping them swap out disposable face wipes and cotton pads for long lasting versions instead.
California-based Etsy seller Rainbow Waters offers handmade reusable cloth wipes made out of unbleached organic cotton and bamboo.
These six-pack wipes are super-soft with a plushy organic cotton fleece on one side and organic cotton velour on the other. They have rounded corners for easy use and a choice of pretty, colors with marbling effects.
If your loved one isn’t ready to let go of cotton rounds, Life Vista has reusable, washable versions made from three layers of organic and chemical-free bamboo fabric.
They have a luxuriously soft, velvety feel on the skin while still being able to give pores a thorough cleaning.
Each set of 16 comes in a mesh wash bag for easy storage and cleaning.
11. Plastic-Free Shopping Bags
Price Range | $16–$50 | Shop Green is Wise or Suzy Dreams
Wondering, “What are the best gifts that reduce plastic waste?”
You can’t go wrong with plastic-free and reusable bags for gifts. But we’re not just talking about your average tote.
Green is Wise specializes in handcrafted waxed cotton bags, including a reusable grocery tote.
This extra-strong shopper is designed to replace those “bags for life” with a plastic-free alternative that can carry everything you can fit in it—or approximately 60 pounds.
It features comfy woven handles to sling it over a shoulder and an exterior pocket for a shopping list or car keys. These plastic-free gifts are perfect for wandering around farmers’ markets or doing the weekly shop.
For something a little more simple and affordable but less sturdy, UK Etsy seller Suzy Dreams sells organic cotton mesh shopping bags with hand-embroidered detailing to add a little personality.
Choose from a range of colors and designs for a shopper that reflects your loved one’s fun side. We love the bird and the bee designs.
These beautiful reusable produce bags are spacious and feature sturdy yet comfortable handles, making them strong and easy to carry when loaded.
12. Reusable Baby Diapers
Price Range | $13–$75 | Shop MamaBear BabyWear or Gina’s Soft Cloth Shop
It’s understandable if you think that diapers are an odd choice of Christmas gift, but hear us out.
Reusable diapers help prevent around 20 billion pieces of used diapers from ending up in landfills every year.
These reusable baby gifts can save not only all that waste, but can also save parents $70 per month on disposable diapers—what parent wouldn’t be THRILLED to get those kinds of savings in their stocking?
And yes, they’re hygienic if washed properly.
MamaBear BabyWear creates handmade reusable diapers from unbleached organic cotton and bamboo. You can choose the diaper closure that best suits your needs.
The diaper has soft, serged edges to prevent leaks. The one-size-fits-all style can be adjusted as the baby grows, saving parents even more money.
It has up to eight layers of absorbency with a sewn-in, fold-out soaker for easy cleaning and drying. It can be worn on its own or paired with a reusable diaper cover.
Don’t forget to pair them with some reusable organic cotton baby wipes, like those from Gina’s Soft Cloth Shop.
13. Eco-Friendly Travel Essentials
Price Range | $13 | Shop Willow Earth or Esta Bordoni
Got a travel lover in your life? Help them give their packing list a makeover with zero waste and reusable gift items for travel.
The cosmetic bag by Willow Earth is made out of washable kraft paper, a vegan alternative to leather. It features a YKK zipper, and is big enough to stash makeup and other toiletries on the go.
Don’t worry about spills, as the material is waterproof and won’t tear or turn to mush in their bag.
Speaking of mush, if your loved one travels with shampoo or soap bars, an eco-friendly soap dish by Esta Bordoni would make the perfect reusable stocking stuffer.
The simple soap dish is made from cornstarch instead of plastic, and it’s fully biodegradable at the end of its lifecycle. It features a bamboo draining rack to dry the bars and keep them mush-free wherever they go.
The set comes with a cotton drawstring bag to make it easy to transport.
Final Thoughts On Reusable Christmas Gifts
What is an eco-friendly gift for the conscious consumer?
In our opinion, anything that can be reused time and time again.
We especially appreciate items that are both made of recycled materials and reusable (like the upcycled hand warmers) as they also keep valuable resources in circulation for longer.
The next best option are reusable gifts made from eco-friendly and plastic-free materials that provides a zero waste solution to single-use everyday essentials. It’s much easier to integrate them into a sustainable lifestyle.
Whether you are already an eco-warrior or a zero waste beginner, your loved ones will thank you. Reusable everyday essentials will save them money as they won’t have to keep buying the single-use versions.
So, why not have a cleaner, more sustainable Christmas this year with these zero waste, reusable gifts? Pair them with zero waste gift wrapping or your own DIY wrapping paper.
We’ve also created guides to enable a lower waste, more conscious Christmas including DIY wreaths, sustainable Christmas decorations, eco-friendly advent calendars, eco crackers, DIY Christmas cards, sustainable Christmas trees and of course, eco-friendly Christmas gifts.
Don’t think the giving spirit is limited to the gifts on this list. You can also give these reusable gift ideas a share to encourage others to adopt more conscious gifting habits.
