You have the potential to influence thousands of people. Use your platform and your potential for a great cause, and increase your sales at the same time – offer eco-friendly gifts with designs for any event or season.
Sustainable fashion is the future of online retail. Develop an eco-conscious brand that people can look up to by creating a product catalog from our sustainable gift ideas and best gifts for environmentalists.
Table of Contents
- Why Choose Sustainable Gifts
- Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas with Printify
- Print-On-Demand and Sustainability
- How to Start Selling Eco-Friendly Products
- Conclusions
Why Choose Sustainable Gifts
Being eco-friendly can mean a lot of things. For an eCommerce business, it’s a decision to reduce waste production in manufacturing and limit the environmental footprint during product shipping. We’ve already got that part covered – it’s up to you to choose a collection of sustainable gifts.
Let’s remind ourselves that the surge in global eCommerce did not come without consequences.
Moving to a digital environment has limited paper waste and transport carbon emissions – the move has been positive. The issue is that with an increase in product supply chains, the industry has a sizable ecological footprint, stemming from various aspects of production.
Every industrial process comes with a price. The excess packaging, product returns, and global shipments have made eco-friendly gifts more than necessary for a sustainable future.
Customers are aware of this, too. Buyer interest has moved to more sustainable brands and the demand for eco-friendly products has increased. Customers are becoming more purpose-driven, seeing disastrous environmental impacts more frequently and closer to home.
What will our list of the best sustainable gifts offer you in the short term?
An eco-friendly brand can generate a loyal customer base and more return purchases. It can enable a narrative of responsible selling that you can use to theme your store – use sustainable packaging materials, messaging and partner with responsible suppliers and platforms.
Make It Happen Today!
Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas with Printify
Printify has made the transition to eco-friendly selling simple, offering products and print providers that start and end with a goal of providing environmentally friendly gifts.
Here, we’re highlighting the perfect eco-gift ideas that can be reused, recycled, or made from renewable resources. On top of that, you can place your awesome custom print designs right from our catalog page using the built-in mockup generator.
1. Reusable, Reliable Water Bottles
A single reusable water bottle can save an average of 156 plastic bottles each year. If that isn’t a great gift feature, I don’t know what is. It doesn’t take a genius to know that an eco-friendly option is the only future we can afford. Luckily, we can afford it.
The Printify catalog offers two reusable water bottles with a wrap-around design. Try personalizing our 20oz Insulated Bottle or the more robust 14oz Stainless Steel Water Bottle. Choose between the classic look with a double-insulated finish or the trendy all-around print bottle with a carabiner and keychain top.
2. Camping Mugs for Expedient Environmentalists
Nature trails and national parks are the pride and joy of society, so thank them by offering an Enamel Camping Mug in your store. Or, if you’re itching for a more secure container, try designing a Stainless Steel Travel Mug instead. Help keep the place clean for future generations.
These rounded-corner mugs are a perfect camping and travel accessory that won’t leave a mess. Place a striking color design or a thematic one-liner – it all looks great on the glossy finish.
3. Savvy Traveler’s Food Containers
Arctic Zone is a quality product designer when it comes to style and reusability. Their Titan Copper Food Storage Container has a sleek black finish with 16oz of insulated storage. It’s a great gift for homemade meals in unfamiliar places. The container comes with a foldable spoon and a quality brand logo – like a Swiss army knife.
Of course, bulk and protection aren’t the be-all-end-all for food containers. Take the completely recyclable Paper Lunch Bag, for instance. This classic design is an excellent addition for back-to-school sales and family gifts with the right custom print.
4. Bento Lunch Box for All Natural Dining
Diverge into a more shique black bento lunch box. This food container is one of our most exciting and innovative products, made from 100% polylactic acid, or plant starch, revising the need for recycling completely.
The organic material does not shy away from vivid print textures and convenient bioplastic utensils that all come neatly themed and packaged within the lidded container. Take the completely biodegradable bento lunch box out into the product line and store food in environmental bliss.
5. Custom Stickers in Every Variety
Stickers are the best creative outlet for any and every gift idea. They’re affordable, easy to ship in bulk, and perfect for any demographic and have a variety of potential design ideas. Create character designs, brand logos, slogans, and identity markers that look great on your other products because that’s exactly where you want them.
Our stickers are made with earth friendly eco-solvent inks with a premium water-resistant vinyl body. They’re an extra value touch that makes any gift truly unique. You’ll be pleasantly pleased that we have a whole assortment of different styles and amounts:
- Sticker Sheets
- Transparent Outdoor Stickers, Round
- Transparent Outdoor Stickers, Die-Cut
- Transparent Outdoor Stickers, Square
- Sticker Sheet Bundle, 10pcs
6. Posters to Fit any Fandom
Are you planning on a bigger art piece? We’ve got you covered there, too. Made with recycled papers, printed using green energy or eco-friendly inks, these posters have everything you need to create the perfect fandom piece or graphic scenery for any self-respecting college dorm.
They’re a straightforward and affordable gift for large and attractive designs, especially if you want to show off your art design skills. Check out our list of indoor and outdoor posters:
7. The Artisan’s Canvas
If you want to dazzle your gift-giving audience, pick up our Wood Canvas made with organic, rustic plywood that settles nicely in a proud living room setting or as a centerpiece on a bedroom wall.
Pick out your best high-resolution designs for this – think of an artwork that looks good and means something very special to the right niche audience.
8. Postcards for Seasons and Spectacles
Not every gift needs to be a grand gesture, but even acquaintances deserve a postcard for the holiday season. If you’re eyeing adding seasonal eco-friendly gifts that you can set out and personalize for Christmas, Birthdays, and other occasions, it’s our Fine Art Postcard.
Our fine art postcards have worldwide print providers, whether for a distant relative or a long-lost friend. They’re produced from sustainably sourced materials and have a glossy, high-quality print finish.
9. Phone Case for Personalized Protection
We keep talking about steel and paper but did you know we have Biodegradable Phone Cases? They have a matte finish, come in 40 different phone sizes, and, best of all, have their own recycled gift packaging.
Phones are a very personal item – we spend up to five hours a day on them. They’re our window for connection, news, entertainment, and fond memories. A good phone case will protect a phone, but a great phone case will protect a phone and remind the owner that they have a good friend looking out for them.
10. T-Shirts – the Classic Centerpiece
Time for the centerpiece of your retail gift catalog. By now, everyone knows that t-shirts are the top-selling print-on-demand item by a considerable margin. They’re a staple for customization and a medium of expression, but perhaps the biggest t-shirt market is in their design’s gimmicks, gags, and gifts.
Let’s take this list on an apparel detour and look at some of the stand-out quality apparel gifts for environmentalists – tees made of natural materials in multifaceted styles and combinations.
We’ve already got an in-depth eco-friendly t-shirt printing article with a few choice options. Let’s take a quick run-down as a refresher:
- Unisex T-Shirts
Our unisex tees stand out with a range of colors and full front-and-back print areas. Pick a medium-fit Fuser T-shirt or a relaxed-fit Rocker T-shirt. Or would you prefer the more thick-fabric Organic Classic T-Shirt look?
- Women’s T-Shirts
Women can sport a tight-fit Expresser T-shirt or the easy-going loose-fit Jazzer Tee and Evoker V-Neck – made with a light fabric and breathable combed cotton.
- Men’s T-Shirts
Men can look forward to the Presenter V-neck with a regular fit and its medium-fabric Organic Sparker counterpart.
- Kids T-Shirts
No youth gets left behind with the Kids’ Creator T-Shirt with a wide range of growth spurts for ages three to fourteen and everything in between.
11. Sultry Summer Tank Tops
For the summer months and the close, intimate gift-givers, skip the close-knit commentary – here are some personalized organic ring-spun cotton tank-tops to add to your growing list of eco-friendly gifts.
- Women's Tank Top
The Women’s Dreamer Tank Top has a fitted style with a range of soft, relaxing colors. The ribbed collar and stitching give it a stretchy, comfortable feel for pajamas or layered under-shirts.
- Men's Tank Top
The form-fitting Men’s Specter Tank Top has a more toned-down color choice with always-in-style blacks and greys, but the same warm, flexible and light fabric fit for a comfortable throw-down style with your unique design.
12. Sweatshirts for a Plain and Perfect Balance
Let’s mix things up with a line-up of our heavy fabric sweatshirts for seasonal gift designs or preppy art pieces. The organic cotton and recycled polyester keep the fabric eco-friendly. The mixed blend, stitched edges, and seams give our sweatshirts stretchy and durable quality for long-lasting fashion.
Pick between the Unisex Changer Sweatshirt with its fitted heavy fabric design or the classic-fit medium-heavy fabric Unisex Rise Sweatshirt.
13. Always-in-style Apparel Hoodies
Hoodies, now as much a casual outfit as a remote work uniform, are the apparel gift for any time and place. This spacious yet well-fitted hoodie is excellent for complex graphic design ideas on the front and back.
The sustainably-sourced cotton and polyester blend will leave you participating in the green cycle of eco-friendly retail with ease.
- Unisex Hoodies
Starting with the EcoSmart® Pullover Hoodie, made with 5% recycled water bottles, this piece uses the tubular knit method to limit fabric waste in excess seams. The inner fleece lining makes this a tactile favorite.
Of course, you can also go for the triad of sleek and eco-friendly kangaroo pouch hoodies in the Stanley Stella unisex Cruiser, Drummer, and Sider hoodie collection.
- Men's Hoodies
On the Men’s side of things, we have the Cultivator Zip Hoodie that runs true to size, with a front zipper and consistent dark color options that fit nicely with button-downs or graphic tees underneath.
- Women's Hoodies
Here, women can appreciate the slightly cropped look of the Bower Hoodie Sweatshirt. Perfect for any casual outing with a balance between stretchiness and coziness and the same sustainably recycled materials as all items on our list.
14. Freeing and Fanciful Dresses
Let’s not forget the explicit freedom of a fair-weather dress, especially with a design to keep things fresh and an organic cotton mesh. These wonderful and liberating eco-friendly gifts give an enchanting feel for leisurely outings and relaxing at home.
We have a great set of contenders here – the Spinner T-Shirt Dress with a light fabric medium fit, the Organic T-Shirt Dress with a slim-fit waist, or the incredibly alluring Streeter Hoodie Dress with a medium-heavy cotton blend.
15. Long-Sleeve Tee Throwbacks
We move forward and simultaneously back to the early 2000s, when long-sleeved tees were all the rage and, in some ways, still are a fantastic combo of a warm-weather fabric mixed with sleeved comfort.
Create powerful gift designs that inspire the ageless sentiment of easy-going gents and ladies who know what they want.
- Unisex Long-Sleeve Tees
Try selling our dry organic Unisex Shifts Long Sleeve Tee with 100% combed ring-spun cotton. It’s an ultimate fall comfort item with a medium fabric and fit.
- Men's Long-Sleeve Tees
Maybe you’d prefer to offer the Men’s Organic Sparker Long Sleeve Shirt with slightly more color options and set-in sleeves for maximum comfort at any time of the day.
16. Tea Towel for The Kitchen Connoisseur
Put some sophisticated love into your customer’s kitchen decor with a couple of traditional towel patterns or more personalized modern designs. The Cotton Tea Towel is a great everyday item with an organic cotton beige canvas that’s excellent for house-warming gifts for home cooks.
16. Tea Towel for The Kitchen Connoisseur
Put some sophisticated love into your customer’s kitchen decor with a couple of traditional towel patterns or more personalized modern designs. The Cotton Tea Towel is a great everyday item with an organic cotton beige canvas that’s excellent for house-warming gifts for home cooks.
17. Meditative Scented Candles
Is that a warm, sweet natural scent washing over our page, or do these words just lull your creative pores for a scented candle design idea? Make your own effervescent Scented Candles with non-toxic aromatherapy scents like vanilla bean and sea breeze.
Take it up a notch with a larger full glass Scented Candle. These sensory, eco-friendly gifts come in a paper package with reusable glass containers to keep the peaceful aroma every bit more long-lasting.
18. Tote Bag for the Elevated Eco-Shopper
Organic markets and reusable tote bags – name a more iconic duo. Totes have a quaint and must-have gift-giving potential – people don’t usually get a custom tote bag for themselves, so you’ve got the perfect open invitation to create personalized and unique bags that aren’t just convention or office hand-outs.
You can’t compare our heavy fabric Organic Cotton Tote Bags to their single-use plastic bags. The look, feel, and style put your customers ahead of the rumpled plastic mess we see grazing our polluted lands. So be sure to check out our 100% recycled Woven Tote Bag for the full eco-cycle guarantee and other quality designs with different custom features and sizes.
19. Vintage Wear Linen Bag
Our Linen Bag is another great idea for a more natural, vintage look that’s not just another average gift bag or plastic package. To complement your other eco-friendly gift options, you can impress your gift recipient with these spacious and smooth 100% linen drawstring bags.
20. Wrap it all up with Gift Wrap
For a list this big, it needs a good wrap-up with eco-friendly wrapping paper. Pull out your pattern designs, tape, and scissors for the perfect gift finish. An eco-friendly gift combines perfectly with a smooth satin wrapping paper from a sustainably sourced paper material, neatly folded to tear apart in anticipation.
We have two unique packs of sustainable wrapping paper with worldwide print providers. The Gift Wrapping Paper Sheets fit any medium-sized item, or you can go with the larger Gift Wrapping Paper Rolls for full cover.
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Print-On-Demand and Sustainability
Mass manufacturing has always been a bane to the environment. As many clothes get thrown to waste as they get purchased and used. The sad truth of the fashion industry is that waste production is extremely widespread. It has become an empty demand that’s difficult to change.
Print on demand is one solution – not the solution – but a move in the right direction. Our apparel gets manufactured only when an order is placed. Every piece of clothing or a printed item only exists because someone wanted it, leaving no unused inventory for you to maintain.
Print-on-demand platforms try to innovate access to sustainable technologies. On-demand print or digital printing drastically limits energy usage – there is no minimum print requirement or test batches.
The textile industry has become increasingly globalized and disposable, with long supply chains covering entire global segments. At Printify, we aim to secure localized print providers and encourage direct supply chains that respond and connect merchants and customers faster and with less carbon footprint.
The vision for an eco-friendly industry is a choice we must all come to independently. By choosing sustainably sourced products, selecting print providers that operate close to your shipping area, and creating messaging to impart these values to others, we might shift the balance of mass-manufactured goods slightly in our own favor.
How to Start Selling Eco-Friendly Products
Start selling eco-friendly products with a few clicks of a button. Practice sustainable eCommerce through Printify, and we’ll help you develop a great and ever-increasing selection of eco-friendly gifts to choose from.
We’ll provide a brief sustainable gift guide for you to start selling in four easy steps.
1. Choose a Product from our Catalog
Start by going to the Printify catalog and choosing the Eco-friendly section in the drop-down menu. Make sure you’ve logged in.
Then, select a product you’re eager to design. View the product details to find more information about the quality, manufacture, and sustainability of the product, including additional design features you can modify.
2. Add Your Design and Set Product Price and Details
Once you’ve decided, click on Start designing, and it will direct you to our Mockup Generator. Look at the parameters of the potential design. These can include supported image files, pixel ratio, and DPI resolution, among other quality-control suggestions.
With the free design tool, upload your image to the website and use the placement tool to move your design around the preview canvas. Once you’re satisfied with how your custom product looks, go ahead and click Save product.
3. Integrate a Sales Channel and Publish the Products
Now that you’ve successfully made your product, you can view it in the My Stores section in the upper dashboard. There, you may also edit your new product descriptions, pricing, and other bits of information.
Before you can hit Publish, you will have to integrate your sales channel with Printify. You’ll be pleased to know that Printify supports most of the top eCommerce sales channels currently in the market, like Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, eBay, and others.
Once your store is linked, press to publish, and the item will automatically integrate with your store page and be added to your catalog list.
4. Start Selling and Marketing Your Products While We Take Care of the Rest
You’re through the technical part. All that remains is promoting your store, building your brand, and reacting to the rolling traffic and sales. Printify takes care of product development and shipping so you can put all your focus into becoming a top eCommerce seller.
Conclusions
We finish, as always, with a call to action – a direct and clear one – to take that extra bit of effort to sell eco-friendly gifts as much for others as for you. Eco-friendly gifts might be a quaint and small gesture between two people, but, as a merchant, you can amplify it a thousand times.
Think sustainable with your brand, offer organic, recycled, or reusable eco-friendly gifts, and you’ll be surprised that with well-sourced items, quality and care comes more loyalty and profit.
Make It Happen Today!
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