Zero waste gift ideas

Zero waste is a movement created to reduce unnecessary consumption of a variety of things. The goal of this lifestyle is to use less – ditch plastic, use reusable and sustainable options instead, think more of the planet and the surroundings.

Even though I personally am not living a hundred percent zero waste, this is a movement I greatly support. Especially when it comes to choosing gifts for my loved ones. It’s so fun to create something useful instead of buying.

So in this article I will show you a few ideas on DIY zero waste gifts. 

Let’s begin!

A homemade body scrub

Zero waste gift ideas

Who would’ve thought, but one of your favorite hot beverages – coffee – can also be used after drinking it. The leftover coffee that stays in your mug can easily be transformed into a wonderful, good smelling body scrub. 

Coffee grounds can actually cleanse the skin from the dead cells as well as toning it. Your skin will feel refreshed and smelling wonderful. There are a bunch of different recipes online to choose from so be creative and have patience to find the right one.

You can also experiment on your own and find other ingredients to put to use from your kitchen. For example, cinnamon has some amazing antibacterial properties. Cinnamon enhances circulation and makes the skin softer.

Similar to sugar – it gives skin a healthy glow. That’s why there are so many sugar scrubs out there! 

Besides, scrub is so easy and quick to make. And unlike ones from the store, you will know for sure it will contain only natural and harmless ingredients.

Candles for a cozy feeling

Zero waste gift ideas

Winters can get pretty long and dark. Each and every candle can be a much needed ray of light and coziness. It definitely makes my days brighter and leaves me feeling better all together. 

Although making a candle is a little bit more complicated than making your own scrub, it is still pretty manageable. It will definitely turn into a fun adventure for you and the person who you’re making this gift for will surely appreciate the effort put in.

When I think of candles, I quickly think of a scented one. That’s the best part of candles – lighting one up and filling your whole home with good smelling scents. You can implement a scent of your choosing in the form of an essential oil. 

Healthy homemade snacks

Zero waste gift ideas

In times of celebrations – birthdays, Christmases etc, it’s often hard to not overeat. Food is everywhere and you catch yourself thinking – but we’re celebrating! To compensate for all the yummy food, it’s good from time to time to make something healthy. 

A healthy homemade snack also goes for a great gift idea. Especially if you’re making it for someone who’s always busy or doesn’t cook/bake themselves.

The gift can be homemade cookies, a healthy banana bread or sweet energy balls from dates, for example. You can variate with all these foods and make them for your liking.

Bath bombs

Zero waste gift ideas

If the person you’re making a gift for likes taking relaxing bubble baths, you can give them something useful in this area. For example, a cool bath bomb.

Here you can allow yourself to be completely creative. You can play with different shapes, colors and even scents. While picking ingredients, remember to stick to the most natural ones. Some that will make their skin moisturized and fresh.

A sustainable coffee mug

coffee mug zero waste

Another sustainable gift idea is a reusable coffee mug. This gift is especially great for a real coffee (or tea) lover.

Often we don’t even realise how much time and money is spent getting coffee during the day. Drive-thru’s, stopping by coffee shops on the way to work etc. You can save your time, money AND resources by just getting a reusable coffee mug and making your coffee at home.

That way you can make coffee for the whole day if you’d like. It’s a great way to live your everyday life more convenient and waste free.

More on this gift idea read in the article Coffee mug – a sustainable zero waste gift.

Good quality tea

Zero waste gift ideas

Another great gift idea that will certainly be used a lot by tea lovers – tea! Pick the tea that would suit the best with the person you want to give it to. This gift idea is useful and can be gifted with much love, since there are teas that help with pain relief, stress relief, bettering mood etc.

For example, lately a super popular choice is a chai tea and chai lattes. Chai tea has a bunch of good qualities. The caffeine in the black tea will wake you up on the dark winter mornings when getting out of bed is a challenge itself.

Keep in mind that chai tea also improves the digestive system, prevents nausea and pain, strengthens the immune system and lowers cholesterol. 

And what’s even better – you can make it yourself too. All you need is good quality black tea and various spices – cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger powder, nutmeg etc. There is no doubt that tea lovers will love this gift!

As I hope you loved these gift ideas! 

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