Unwrapping the best sustainable brands you should shop from this holiday season
I am excited to share with you my first ever gift guide, kinda/sorta:)
I know your email inbox is likely slammed right now with Black Friday offers and I never want to promote overcomsumption. However, I do feel that if you are going to be making purchases- it would be great to have some environmentally friendly ideas on hand! These companies are making a difference for the planet and people. As always, let’s vote with our dollar for the kind of world we want. One day sustainable brands that love on people and our planet will be the norm, but until then.. I’ll help you find some great ones:)
Below each brand you may see a discount code! Copy these codes in the ‘discount code’ section to save you money this holiday season!
Personal Care
Leaf Shave
Why I love Leaf:
- Plastic free shaving is the simplest swap you can make to reduce your waste!
- Leaf’s razors shave just as easy as a plastic one- the Leaf has a pivoting head getting into those hard to reach places (knees, ankles) and the single edge razors are great for hard to reach places (perfect for men shaving around their nose!)
- With other safety razors there is a learning curve, but not with leaf. No need for bandaids here!
- Rust resistant shaver meant to last forever with recyclable metal blades
- Ships plastic free
- Climate Neutral Certified
Launne’s Picks: Leaf and Twig/Thorn Razors
Use code: DOMOREGOOD10 for 10% off your order!
Ovry
Are you thinking about trying to conceive in the new year? Then I couldn’t think of a better stocking stuffer than low waste pregnancy, ovulation and male fertility tests!
Why I love Ovry:
- Canadian, women-owned and operated company
- Less waste – only provide you with what you need. No big plastic handles, batteries or digital readers headed to the landfill.
- Much more affordable than your typical tests from drugstores
- Participates in the 1% for the Planet initiative
- Give a strip program – you can send in unused tests and they are redistributed to people where cost is a barrier!
- A portion of every sale gives back to four charities: Earth Justice, Girls Who Code, Canadian Women’s Foundation and the Canadian Anti-Racism Network
Use code: DOMOREGOOD10 for 10% off your order!
Not!ce Hair Co.
Why I love Not!ce Hair Co.
- Plastic free hair and body care at it’s finest! Each bar prevents 3+ plastic bottles from heading to the landfill
- Each product sold collects 10 ocean bound plastic bottles in a partnership with Plastic Bank
- All products are vegan and cruelty free
- I tried for a very long time to find a shampoo bar option that didn’t leave my hair greasy and a conditioner bar that actually worked. These bars work incredible!
- They have an online quiz to help you pick bars based on your hair type
- Plastic free shipping and women-owned!
Launne’s Picks: The Hydrator set, the Stimulator set, bath mitt, For Tangles set (great for kids tangles!), #brunchgoals body bar, black bar tray
Use code: DOMOREGOOD15 for 15% off (until January 8th)
Outdoors
Aurora Heat
Why I love Aurora Heat:
- They make the most incredible hand and foot warmers! No need for battery packs or the disposable plastic warmers. These last forever. I was constantly battling cold hands and toes for not only myself but for my kids. That was until I tried these- they are so soft and work wonders in our cold winters.
- They are made with sustainably harvest beaver fur, and no part of the beaver is wasted.
- Ship plastic free and will last a very long time.
- Biodegradable and hypoallergenic.
- Indigenous, Canadian and woman-owned
- $1 from every product sold is contributed to on the land initiatives for children and youth, educators and Indigenous knowledge holders
- Honestly, I think this is one of the best gifts you can buy for anyone who wants to go outside in the winter- adults or children! There will be no coming inside after five minutes due to cold hands and toes!
Launne’s picks: adult hand and foot warmers, thumb warmers and childrens hand & foot warmers.
Use code: DOMOREGOOD for 10% off
West Coast Seeds
Why I love West Coast Seeds:
- Canadian, family-owned company selling organic, non-gmo, chemical free seeds as well as so many fun extras for growing your own flowers and vegetables.
- Often run give back initiatives throughout the year
- Not only sell seeds, but also offer a lot of advice for how to grow them, which is good for a rookie gardener like myself!
- Growing your own food is important now more than ever and this is why I love shopping seeds and growing them in our garden. I even started seeds last year and I can’t wait to do it again this winter!
Launne’s picks: Seeds (they make excellent low cost stocking stuffers..hint hint!), seed starting kits, build your own birdhouse, gardening gloves for yourself and your children, reliable garden tools…you name it! I could spend a lot of money here.
Beauty and Fashion
Poppy Barley
Why I love Poppy Barley:
- Canadian, women-owned B-Corp company
- They make footwear, clothing, bags and accessories ethically and responsibly
- Ethically made in family owned, regularly audited companies
- Use Leather Working Group Certified Leather, vegan alternatives such as cactus based leather, recycled textiles, and organic cotton.
- Committed to raising $100,000 by 2025 to empower and build confidence in girls and non-binary youth
- I have always searched for footwear that looks great, is all day comfortable to wear and is ethical. This is it!
Launne’s picks: Too many to name here too. I am dying to get some heels though so if I had to pick: The Meghan Pump, The Grace Pump and the Esther Heeled Sandal. I also think the passport and jewelry holders are genius for travelling!
Elate
Why I love Elate:
- Elate sells vegan and cruelty free makeup, in low waste containers
- A Canadian, B-Corp company
- 2% of sales donated to charity
- Every Elate order plants one tree!
- Packaging comes in sustainable seed paper
- Has a recycling program that takes back your containers when they are empty
- I love that the packaging is very low waste and you can refill palettes like the ones pictured above. The makeup is in a metal holder and it sticks to a magnet inside the bamboo palette. No more plastic palettes and containers thrown in the landfill.
Launne’s picks: I love all of their items that can be placed into palettes, so I think a great gift idea would be a palette with a couple makeup items inside!
Use code: DOMOREGOOD for 10%
Q for Quinn
Why I love Q for Quinn:
- Canadian company selling high quality socks, underwear, clothing and more for babies to adults
- Women-owned and operated
- Each pair of socks is made from GOTS Certified Organic Cotton , repsonsibly sourced merino wool, and produced in OEKO-Tex-100 facilities to ensure the products are made without harmful toxins and chemicals. Premiums are also paid to the people that make their products which benefit factory workers, farmers and their families.
- For every pair of socks purchased, one school meal goes to a child in need to fight hunger
- These are the comfiest socks! I have some for being cozy and for hiking. Our kids also love them too!
Launne’s picks: Underwear for my daughters (as we embark on potty training with my toddler!), and cute socks for the whole family! They even have babie ones which are so cute.
For The Home
Nature Bee
Why I love Nature Bee:
- Provide beautiful, sustainable and reusable household options including zero waste cleaning products, swedish dishcloths, cellulose sponges and beeswax wraps
- Canadian, women-owned and operated
- Their products are absolutely STUNNING!…I mean look at those whale beeswax wraps!
- This company is always partnering to give back to charities and organizations with proceeds from the sales of their products. They are creating positive change with their products and donations!
Launne’s picks: Swedish dishcloths, beeswax wraps and the cellulose kitchen sponge for those that like sponges! I am also eager to try the Powder to Gel Kitchen Dishsoap (currently in my cart!)
Use Code: DOMOREGOOD for 10% off
Nellie’s
Why I love Nellie’s:
- Provides safe, non-toxic and hypoallergenic cleaning products for your home
- Canadian, family-owned company
- Gives back by helping organizations start fundraisers through their products
- I have been a Nellie’s user for YEARS. I swear by the laundry soda and dishwasher powder. I have recently tried the solid dish block soap and love it. If you’re willing to give solid block soap a try, this one cuts grease and lathers well.
Launne’s picks: I’d love to try all their products! The dish washing bundle pictured above is a great starter set for anyone wishing to switch to solid soap. I would just recommend keeping the soap on a soap dish so it drys thoroughly between uses. I think their products are great, some good gift ideas are the Wow mop (heard nothing but great things), the pet bundle (they have a pet dry shampoo!) and the fruit and veggie wash.
Blueland
Why I love Blueland:
- They are the OG creators of the formula for tablet + water = greatness, even winning the sharks over on Shark Tank!
- One of their mottos is ‘Refill is the New Recycle’ and this I love!
- They are B-Corp, Climate Neutral Certified, Cradle to Cradle Certified and have carbon neutral shipping.
- Blueland has helped eliminate over 1 billion single-use plastic bottles from landfills and oceans since 2019!
- Items are shipped without plastic. Their due dilligence includes paper based tape, compostable refill packaging and water based inks.
Launne’s picks: I’d try out any of the starter sets from cleaning sprays to toilet bowl cleaners to body wash! I’d love to try the body wash out myself and see how much it suds!
Special Gift Ideas
Sticks & Doodles
Why I love Sticks & Doodles:
- Local to Regina, family-owned company creating beautiful keepsakes and truly special gifts for the ones you love
- I love supporting small business! They are always giving back and I truly believe that everything on their website is such a thoughtful gift!
Launne’s picks: Honestly, everything! For ornaments I am in love with the Saskatchewan ones, the lakes, the elevator and personalized options like baby’s first Christmas, wedding, engagement and pet loss. Their options besides ornaments are so great too- from wall signs, to baby announcments to a sign to help with your elf on the shelf woes.
Use code: DOMOREGOOD for 15% off
Everly
Why I love Everly:
- Founded by a Canadian mother-daughter duo on a mission to clean up the candle industry
- They make refillable candle kits so you can make a candle in any vessel you want!
- Latinx & women owned
- Candles are made with non-toxic oils, phthalate & paraben free, coconut wax and are carbon neutral!
- They donate to 1% for the Planet
- Packaging is 60% home compostable (they explain how to do it on their website) or you can send it back for them to compost properly!
- Making refillable candles cuts down on so much glass ‘candle jar’ waste. Making their candles are easy, fun and I am constantly thrifting things I’d like to turn into candles.
Launne’s picks: I love the bestseller bundle (3 candle kits of their bestselling scents). I love their palo santo + sage, and they also have a scent free option as well. I’d recommend throwing in some extra candle wicks on your order in case you find something you want to make into a double wicked candle!
Use code: DOMOREGOOD15 for 15% off your order!
Scoria
Why I love Scoria:
- An eco-friendly, ethical yoga mats and accessories company that gives back
- Canadian, women owned and operated
- Yoga mats and accessories are made with natural tree rubber, sustainably harvested cork and non-toxic water based inks.They are completely no toxic and plastic free!
- Portion of procees support the Right To Play organization, that supports life skills and education for Indigenous youth.
Launne’s picks: Any of their beautiful cork mats! Look at that mushroom one picture above- gorgeous! They have kids mats if your kids are little yogis, and I’d love the cork balls for massaging those tired muscles too. I have an extra thick mat version to help ease my old wrists while doing yoga.
And for some beautiful gift wrap..
Wrappr
Why I love Wrappr:
- It’s beautiful, reusable & no-waste furoshiki gift wrap
- Canadian, women-owned and operated
- Cutting down on waste by using beautiful furoshiki wraps as part of your gift!
- Artists of the beautiful designs get a commission on every sale!
- Plastic free shipping
Launne’s picks: Any of the bundles or wraps would be a beautiful addition to gift wrap those special gifts to the people you love. Then they can pass it along as gift wrap next year and cut down on so much paper waste!
Use code: DOMOREGOOD for 20% off your order
And there you have it!
This is my first ever ‘gift guide’ type post. Maybe next year I will link you actual products as I have tried more, however I do stand behind these brands and think they are all doing great things. Most are Canadian small businesses and all of them are doing their part for the planet and it’s people.
I never want people to overconsume, and it is so hard at Christmas time- even for me! Putting out a gift guide was a bit of a struggle for me as I don’t want to push products on you, however I think if you are shopping – then you should be voting with your dollar on the kind of world you want. I want to be a resource for you in your sustainability journey, and show you new companies that you might not have heard of that you can support!
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you are able to check out some of these awesome companies doing their part!
Keep DOing more good,
Launne
This was not a paid partnership and all opinions are my own. These links are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission.
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