Still haven’t found the perfect present for Father’s Day? We’ve found seven eco-friendly gifts for all kinds of tastes at all kinds of budgets.
For the Athlete
Adidas Ultraboost 21 running shoes
Dad can make an eco-statement without sacrificing the technical benefits of a top-quality running shoe with the Ultraboost Parley by Adidas. Adidas began its collaboration with Parley for the Oceans a few years ago with a limited run of 7,000 pairs of stylish runners created with the environment in mind. Since then, their Parley and Primeblue sportswear collections have expanded to include more shoe styles as well as shirts, shorts, and jackets all made with recycled plastic waste intercepted from beaches and coastal communities before it reached the ocean.
Price: $180
For the Beer Lover
GrowlerWerks uKeg 128 Pressurized Growler for Craft Beer
If your dad is a craft beer lover, the odds are good that he already uses refillable growlers from his favorite local brewery. But beer in glass growlers only stays fresh for about two days. That can encourage, um, overconsumption — or waste, neither of which is very green. Enter the uKeg, a vacuum insulated 8/18 stainless steel growler that keeps beer cold all day and carbonated for up to 2 weeks. It even has a tap handle that can be switched out for one from Dad’s favorite brewery.
Price: $200
For the Techie
Dad loves his gadgets, but you don’t want to contribute to the box of obsolete gear in the garage. Give him the Sense Home Energy Monitor. Like a Fitbit for the home, the monitor installs in the electrical panel and detects unique electronic signatures from each plugged-in device, identifying the ones that suck up the most energy. It sends data on both real-time usage and long-term trends to a smartphone app. Knowledge is power that Dad can use to eliminate wasted energy and lower the power bill. Bonus: Offer to recycle the old, inefficient electronics in Dad’s box of discards.
Price: $300
For the Outdoorsman
Everybody knows the rule: Pack it in, pack it out. But it’s easier said than done. If your dad has ever had to pick a campsite clean after a snagged garbage bag dumped all the trash, he’ll appreciate these reusable, washable pop-up trash cans. They may not be stylish, but two of these 30-gallon cans (green for garbage, blue for recycling) will keep a family campsite tidy all weekend. At only $15 each, you can still afford the campsite fees for a weekend in the woods with your old man.
Price: $15
For the Traveler
FlashFish Portable Power Station
If Dad’s on the road a lot but needs to keep his devices charged, this may be just what he needs. Compact and weighing just over 4 pounds, it will power his smartphone, tablet, laptop, camera, and more. Rechargeable via solar panel (not included), AC wall adapter, and car charger, this compact power station is also handy for camping and power outages.
Price: $140
For the Coffee Drinker
Dad loves his cup of joe, but his cupboard is overflowing with reusable mugs received as a gift. Help your dad green his coffee habit with a coffee filter that could outlast his coffee maker. Single-use paper filters are usually chlorine-bleached and end up in the landfill, where they seep trace amounts of dioxin. Besides, most coffee aficionados agree that stainless steel-filtered coffee tastes better than paper-filtered. Just make sure you buy a filter that fits the coffee maker your dad uses. Pair it with a pound of his favorite organic coffee ground a little coarser than you’d use for paper filtration.
Price: $20
Note: This article was updated in May 2021.