The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and giving. Foodies and cooking enthusiasts can enjoy dining with gifts that minimize their environmental impact. Selecting the perfect gift that aligns with their values can be a delightful yet challenging task. To make your gift-hunting easier, here’s a set of sustainable holiday gifts to surprise and delight your loved ones.
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Eco-Friendly Food Storage Solutions
Silicone Food Storage Bags
Stasher Reusable Silicone Storage Bags are BPA-free, microwave- and dishwasher-safe, and perfect for storing leftovers, marinating foods, or packing snacks. These great alternatives to single-use plastic bags can stand in for plastic sandwich bags. Washing is easy; just soap, rinse and stand the bag upside down on the drying rack.
Silicone is not widely recycled, but Stasher has partnered with TerraCycle to provide free mail-in recycling of damaged and worn-out bags.
Beeswax Food Wraps
Abeego Beeswax Food Storage Wraps are an excellent substitute for plastic wrap and aluminum foil made from organic cotton coated with beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin. They are washable and compostable, making them an Earth-responsible way to keep food fresh. Abeego bags come in sizes from 7×7″ to 13×24″. They are available in several combinations — surprise the holiday cook with a convenient, reusable way to store their leftovers.
Reusable Produce Bags
Purifyou Reusable Produce Bags are a must-have for every eco-conscious shopper who frequents the produce aisle or farmers’ markets. Made by a family-owned business from durable materials, these see-through bags are perfect for carrying and storing fresh produce in the refrigerator. They are machine-washable polyester that will last for hundreds of uses. The starter set includes five large, two extra-large, and two small bags, perfect for the conscious foodie who wants to avoid peeling another single-use produce bag at the store.
Sustainable Kitchen Tools and Accessories
Compostable Dish Sponges
Most kitchen sponges are made from polyurethane and are not recyclable because they are heavily contaminated during use. Give your favorite cook Grey Twig’s collection of compostable sponges and bamboo bristle brushes to make kitchen clean-ups easy and more sustainable. Made from natural materials, including hemp and loofah, these sponges are an eco-friendly alternative to the synthetic standard, and they are biodegradable and perfect for everyday kitchen cleaning.
Natural Dish Soap Bar
Dishwashing soap packaging is a blight and the new wave of detergent pods are adding to microplastic pollution. Gift your beloved cook with SIMPLUT Zero Waste Dish Soap Bars, a vegan solution for dishwashing made from natural ingredients that comes in plastic-free, compostable paper packaging. These effective, long-lasting soar bars tear through grease while being gentle on the hands. Want to make a year-round contribution to the kitchen? Consider giving a subscription to SIMPLUT dishwashing soap.
Educational and Inspirational Reads
Sustainable Kitchen Cookbook
The Sustainable Kitchen is the guide every cook can use to blend delicious recipes with sustainable cooking practices. Written by dietician Heather Wolfe and beautifully illustrated by Jaynie McCloskey, this is an ideal gift for those looking to explore low-impact culinary techniques with recipes while reducing their kitchen’s environmental footprint.
Getting to Zero-Waste
If you have a friend or loved one already on the path to a sustainable culinary life, give them The Zero-Waste Chef: Plant-Forward Recipes for a Sustainable Kitchen and Planet. This title goes beyond the basics to help make use of leftovers and aging ingredients even after they’re past perfection. Written to help people change at their own pace, Ann-Marie Bonneau’s guide (and blog) can help anyone eliminate food waste and progress toward a no-impact diet.
Innovative Kitchen Gadget
Lomi Composter
We continue to love our Lomi countertop electric composter that turns food scraps into nutrient-rich soil. Check out our review of the Lomi, which provides at least 50% carbon emissions reductions regardless of whether your electricity is renewable or generated by burning fossil fuels. We’ve also found it a great alternative to tossing some bio-plastics not accepted by municipal composting programs. Lomi is an excellent tool for reducing food waste and is ideal for urban dwellers without access to composting services.
It’s the Season for Giving Back to the Planet
By choosing environmentally responsible kitchen gifts, you’re not only bringing joy to your loved ones but also making a positive impact on the environment. This holiday season, let’s celebrate with gifts that keep on giving — to our loved ones and our planet.