23 best eco gifts and sustainable tech for Christmas 2023
Sustainable Christmas shopping? These gifts are greener than the Grinch
You don’t need a Muppets medley to know it’s not always easy being green. Sure, you can bring your own bags and refill your own bottle, but one disposable purchase can offset all your offsetting. Keen to channel your inner Kermit this Christmas? Take a hop in the right direction with this selection of the best eco gifts.
From recycled earbuds to circular smartphones, the gadgets below are all built to be greener. Many use renewable or plant-based materials to tread lighter on the planet, while several also support environmental schemes – from planting trees to cleaning the seas.
Wrap some of our suggestions in recycled paper and you’ll be closer to a frog-friendly festive season. Plus you’ll get sustainable bragging rights at your Boxing Day beach clean-up.
Our pick of the best eco gifts and sustainable tech for Christmas 2023
Technivorm Moccamaster KBG Select
Moccamaster’s KBG Select is one of the most alluring coffee machines you’re likely to come across, thanks to its artful blend of classic retro design, and huge selection of bold, bright colours. Handmade in the Netherlands since 1968 (with a five-year guarantee backing up its quality craftsmanship), it’s forged from a sustainable aluminium body that’ll last a lifetime, with recyclable materials and boiling elements forged from antibacterial copper for additional peace of mind. Beautifully designed, beautifully built, and built to last, it’ll happily brew up to 10 cups of glorious caffeine juice in as little as five minutes.
House of Marley Stir it Up Lux
The Stir It Up Lux’s solid, sustainable bamboo plinth effectively absorbs motor and bearing noise while minimising external vibrations, while a heavy glass platter ensures a consistent rotation speed. The latter is also sustainable, as is the aluminium, cork slipmat, and Regrind silicone. The Audio-Technica AT-95E elliptical stylus, paired with the option of Bluetooth connectivity, makes this a smart, accessible choice for one’s first foray into the world of vinyl.
EcoFlow Wave 2 Portable Air Conditioner
Running fans and aircon units are beyond necessary for a good night’s sleep in hot sticky conditions, but they can be costly. Enter the Wave 2 – a clever little air conditioner that can have its removable battery hooked up to a solar panel for clean energy cooling. The same battery bestows it with portable powers too, letting you use it everywhere from a bedroom to a mountain-bound tent.
Allbirds x Zipeng Zhu Tree Flyer 2
The Zipeng Zhu-designed edition of the Tree Flyer 2 is a marvellous sight to behold, with funky colours and geometric patterns going a long way to break the classic running shoe mould. Looks and performance aside, there are plenty of sustainable materials on offer, including an upper made from certified eucalyptus tree fibre, a natural rubber outsole, shoe laces made from recycled plastic bottles, merino wool heel lining, and more.
Columbia Coral Ridge OutDry Extreme Rain Jacket
The shell of the ODX is made from 100% recycled fabric with a soft interior for added comfort. Ideal for those looking to keep bone dry in extreme weather, its eco-friendly OutDry Extreme Membrane is impenetrable to water, while remaining sustainable and breathable in the process.
Bluetti Solar Generator AC180
Bluetti’s portable power station/solar panel combo has everything you need to dip into the off-grid life. A powerful 1800W output and nine output ports make powering multiple devices a doddle, and it can be recharged in all manner of ways if the sun happens to be shy. Reaching 80% charge in a blistering 45 minutes, this is a quiet, cost-effective way to get clean power both at home and away.
Samsung Less Microfiber Filter
We’ll admit that a washing machine accessory is far from a traditional gift. But anyone serious about sustainability should be delighted with the results of Samsung’s clever little gizmo, which is designed to capture up to 98% of harmful microplastics from washing. It easily hooks up to existing machines, and only needs to be emptied after every 30 washes.
Merrell Speed Eco Waterproof
Merrell’s eco-friendly sustainable shoe is its most recycled to date, featuring everything from a recycled upper and lining, to an EVA footbed, and recycled rubber outsole. With a waterproof build and grippy sole, it should help keep keen hikers on their feet in the dreariest of mucky conditions.
Gomi Recycled Plastic Bluetooth Speaker
Designed and handmade in the UK, the Gomi speaker’s casing is made from 100% waste plastics. Beneath its uniquely trippy shell, you’ll find a full-range driver and bass radiator for doing tunes justice, while a 32-hour battery life makes for impressive longevity.
Passenger Perouse Recycled Deep-Pile Sherpa Fleece
This cozy easy-wearing fleece is made from 100% recycled polyester sherpa fleece to help fend off the bitter chill on frosty winter days. Zipped contrast front pockets make for impromptu hand warmers, while the Aztec print makes for a visually appealing finish.
Allday Goods Santoku Knife
A quality santoku knife will be the pride and joy of any chef’s kitchen, and this offering from Allday Goods wins bonus points for its sustainable handle. Made from 100% recycled waste plastic, it’s available in a variety of funky colours, while offering added durability compared to traditional wooden options. The blade itself is beautifully sharp, forged from quality SF-100 High Carbon Stainless Steel, and should slice through anything but bone with impressive ease.
Fairphone 5
There’s a lot to love about the Fairphone 5. The company’s most sustainable phone yet, it’s made with more than 70% fair focus or recycled materials, with each model directly supporting the people who made it. Designed to be opened with ease, its parts are easily replaceable to help extend its lifespan, while a five-year warranty offers extra peace of mind. Can’t get fairer than that.
Much Better Adventures Gift Card
Much Better Adventures specialises in travel experiences where more money reaches the local people and communities. With around $78 out of $100 going into the local economy (versus the paltry regular amount of $5), visitors can rest assured their money is reaching the right places. A total of 5% of revenue also goes into conservation and re-forestation projects, helping offset the carbon footprint of various trips.
House of Marley Get Together 2 Mini
Nothing says sustainability like recycling last year’s Christmas playlist. Need an eco speaker for your salvaged beats? This compact party-starter bangs the gong for greener gear. Fronted by renewable bamboo, its fabric wrap is woven from reclaimed materials, while the silicone shell upcycles post-consumer waste. Bass Boost lets you deck the halls with extra oomph, while IP67 water-resistance means it’ll survive if someone goes wild with the organic Buck’s Fizz.
Big Ocean Bottle
Refill instead of buying and you’ll save the world from one more plastic bottle. Buy this 1L flask and you’ll stop 1000 more from entering the ocean. Entirely recyclable, its recycled stainless steel cylinder is vacuum insulated to keep tipples temperate. A little lid allows easy sipping, while the big top serves as a cup for supping. Each one sold funds programs which reward communities worldwide for collecting plastic waste.
Nokia X30 & Circular subscription
Nokia’s no stranger to spherical phones: the 3650 featured a round keypad all the way back in 2002. But the X30 is a different sort of circular. Flagship of Nokia’s new subscription service, it’s here to show that a phone is for years, not just for Christmas. Buy it outright and you’ll bag an eco blower with a more sustainable shell. But get it on the Circular plan and Nokia will reward you for not upgrading, crediting Seeds to your account which can be donated to support good causes. And when it does conk out, Nokia will sort the recycling.
Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse
Poorly sorted rubbish can attract rodents. Take this wireless mouse from Microsoft: instead of sniffing out cheese, the eco clicker tackles the issue of floating trash. A fifth of its shell is made using plastic waste recovered from oceans and waterways. Washed and squashed into pellets, the recycled detritus is blended with virgin materials to make a more sustainable scroller. It also ships in packaging crafted from wood and sugarcane.
Urbanears Boo Tip
Listening to trash won’t help the planet. Sticking it in your ears just might. These wireless earbuds are made using 91% recycled plastic, sourced from bottles, air conditioners and other discarded detritus. Besides a smaller footprint, they also sit light on your lugs at just 3.95g apiece, with a rounded fit for comfortable listening. And thanks to 10mm drivers inside, they’ll only sound rubbish if you pick a junk playlist.
Kobo Clara 2E
It’s not easy being a sustainable bookworm. You could stick to tomes printed on recycled paper. Or you could turn over to this eco e-reader. Most of its shell is made from recycled plastic, including 10% that’s ocean-bound. Kobo hopes to stop 200,000 bottles reaching the waves each year. And because it’s waterproof, you’ll be able to enjoy cleaner seas while devouring the next paperless bestseller on its 6in display.
Native Union (Re)Classic
What feels like cowskin and sounds like a Kanye album? YATAY: a plant-based material that’s hand-crafted in Italy. More durable than PU alternatives, it uses less water and produces lower carbon emissions than genuine leather. And it’s what coats this iPhone case from Native Union. Together with a recycled frame and microfibre lining, the cross-hatched wrap proves that premium protection doesn’t have to hurt the planet. Or its bovine inhabitants.
Osprey Talon Earth 22
Jute might be renewable, but gunny sacks aren’t the easiest to hike with. For an eco tote that’s slightly more technical, try this Osprey pack. Perfect for alpine commuters, it features a laptop sleeve, ice axe attachment and a a bike helmet hook. Comfortable to carry at 1.1kg, it also weighs lighter on the planet: from recycled fabrics to ocean plastic webbing, it’s made with a checklist of sustainable materials.
Adidas RPT-02 SOL
Clean energy can be hard to find before a workout. These Adidas cans mete out green motivation, no protein necessary. Powerfoyle material on the band recharges the battery from light alone, fuelling fastest when you run under the Sun. Limitless in daylight and good for 80 hours after dark, your legs will conk out long before they do. And for a bonus eco boost, 87% of the plastic is recycled.
Dualit EcoPress Aluminium Capsule Recycler
Coffee capsules might be made of metal, but their soggy contents often prevent used ones from being recycled. You could switch to a compostable equivalent. Or to make your existing brew more eco, drop and pop your pods using Dualit’s EcoPress. Compatible with most mainstream containers, a firm push on the top turns aluminium capsules inside out, emptying their contents into the base to leave behind a husk you can chuck into your home recycling.
Anker 543 USB-C to USB-C Cable (Bio-Based)
Many mobile makers now ship their handsets without wires. Which is great for keeping the world free from excess cables, but what if you actually want one? This cord tries to be more eco. Available with Lighting and USB-C connectors, 40% of its exterior is made from plant-based materials. It’s also been tested by Anker to withstand 20,000 bends. So while it’s not waste free, it should cut your footprint.
Esat Dedezade
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