When it comes to buying the perfect holiday present for your teens, you might be on the hunt for “trendy” or “cool” — but what about “eco-friendly”? What about sustainable ? Let’s face it, we’ve all been at the receiving end of a gift that ended up in the trash after a couple of weeks. So instead of contributing to all the unnecessary waste that occurs during the most wonderful time of the year, consider being kinder to the environment this holiday season and buying some sustainable holiday gifts for teens in your life— not only will they appreciate it, the earth will too!
In order to create this sustainable gift guide for teens, we had to ask a few important questions.
- Will this gift serve your teen over the years?
- Who made the product and are they paid fairly and treated respectfully?
- What is this gift made of? Are the materials eco-friendly?
We have scoured the internet to find the top 21 eco-friendly gifts for our future generations – and we hope you like them! Each brand on this list answered our questions easily and with full transparency – something you do not find every day in the shopping world. Happy holiday shopping!
This post was sponsored by EarthHero. Some of the links below are affiliated; we may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. We only ever add brands & products we truly believe in. Thanks for the support!
Now, Our Top 21 Sustainable Gifts for Teens (Gen Z!)
1. Not Your Average Socks
The perfect gift for the nature lovers in your life! This collection box protects oceans, protects rainforests, and plants trees through Oceana, Conservation International, and Trees for the Future. Complete with three unique pairs of socks, this gift box is the ultimate gift that gives back. Made with organic, Fairtrade certified cotton, these socks are as good for you as they are for the planet. Go green and protect the earth for generations to come in these bold styles.
Price: $44.95
Ethics: GOTS Certified, Fairtrade Cotton, Certified Vegan
Size Range: S-M
Shop the susty socks here
2. In-Style & Timeless Beanie
I have yet to meet a teen who doesn’t love a good beanie. Made from 100% Recycled Polyester and PET bottles, this company wants to show that fashion can be done differently: in touch with nature, fair & responsible. And without the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers. They believe it’s just a matter of mindset and seeing the bigger picture.
Price: $27.99
Ethics: Made in the USA, GOTS Certified, Fairtrade Cotton, Peta Approved
Size: One size / Various colors
Shop the beanie here
3. An Insulated Tumbler for All Those Drinks
A double-wall insulated stainless steel tumbler that will keep their drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12. It comes with stainless steel straw and silicone straw tip. United By Blue believes business not only has the ability to be a part of environmental solutions but also a moral responsibility to address them. For every product purchased, United by Blue removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways.
Price: $28.00
Ethics: Certified B Corporation, Fairly Produced, Made in the USA
Shop the tumbler here
4. A Travel Pack as Cool as They Are
Next up on our guide to sustainable holiday gifts for teens: a super flashy backpack! Show off your one-of-a-kind style with the Repurposed Nylon Allpa Travel Pack from Cotopaxi! Made from 100% repurposed nylon that was headed to the landfill by other factories, this bag features a unique colorway, unlike any others. Plus, this 35L backpack donates 1% towards world-changing nonprofits worldwide!
Price: $179.95
Ethics: Certified B Corporation, Safe and Fair Trade, Upcycled Nylon, Upcycled content
Range: Various colors to choose from
Shop the travel pack here
5. A Notebook to Jot Down All Those Dreams
This is the World’s FIRST ever climate-positive notebook! A Good Company is an eco-friendly company that creates high-quality notebooks for creatives. Made from sustainable stone paper, produced out of reused stones from construction and factories, this dotted bullet journal is tear-resistant (bye paper cuts!), water-resistant, and extremely durable to keep up with your lifestyle. This notebook pretty much has superpowers.
Price: $26.99
Ethics: requires no wood, water, or bleach to create usable sheets, made with 100% solar energy, A Good Company is planting trees in Zambia, Africa together with Weforest, with each tree absorbing up to 22 kg per CO2 a year (multiplied by 30-40 years for a tree’s life span!)
Shop the super notebook here
6. A Geometric Phone Charging Dock
Keep their desk organized, and space beautiful, with the Geometric Wooden Phone Charging Dock from Oakwood! Handcrafted from FSC Certified solid oak or walnut wood, this iPhone, AirPod, or Android charging dock keeps their tech securely in place and easy to locate – all while charging it so they’re ready to grab it and go. A fantastic sustainable holiday gift for any teen on your list.
Price: $48.99
Ethics: Family Business, a tree planted with purchase, Handmade, FSC Certified Wood
Shop the charging dock here
7. Because Teens LIVE in These
Colorful Standard’s Unisex sweatpants (tons of colors) are made from 100% organic cotton and are a perfect sustainable addition to a teen’s closet. They are the best kind of pants, just as comfortable as they are cool. The outside of the fabric is densely knitted for a smooth feel and clean look but brushed on the inside for a soft and comfortable feel.
Price: $75.00
Ethics: 100% organic cotton, Environmentally Friendly Dye – Oeko-Tex®, PETA Approved Vegan, Made in Portugal
Size: XS – 2XL
Shop the CS Line here
8. A Luxuriously Hip Robe to Last
The material innovated by Lapuan Kankurit is extremely absorbent, very lightweight, and quick to dry.
This product is made out of linen, Tencel, and cotton. Flax is grown in Normandy, France and it is traceable 100% European ‘Masters of Linen’ long staple linen yarn. Tencel is made from wood pulp and the manufacturing process is environmentally friendly.
Price: $230.00
Ethics: GOTS Certified, 100% Organic Cotton, Fair Trade, OEKO-TEX Certified
Size Range: S-L
Shop the hooded robe here
9. A Super Comfty & Oversized Sweatshirt
If you didn’t already know, the 90s are back in style and I’m not hating it (luckily the eyebrows stayed in the 90s). So, while I still prefer a fitted sweatshirt, the teens are all about the oversized fit! Don’t worry, we found the perfect one here, by Colorful Standard. Tons of colors to choose from and the line is unisex.
Price: $70.00
Ethics: 100% organic cotton, Environmentally Friendly Dye – Oeko-Tex®, PETA Approved Vegan, Made in Portugal
Size Range: XS – 2XL
Shop the comfty sweatshirt here
10. A Scarf to Keep Warm During All The Things
This may be a cliche, but a good scarf never goes out of style. Next up on our sustainable holiday gift guide for teens is this stylish unisex scarf by Colorful Standard. Made from 100% *RECYCLED* Extra Fine Merino Wool. Modern, simple, and everlasting. A “zero waste” garment knitted from luxuriously soft, extra-fine, Italian-spun merino in 29 stunning colors.
Price: $70.00
Ethics: 100% Recycled Extra-Fine Merino Wool, Environmentally Friendly Dye – Oeko-Tex®, Woolmark Certified Yarn, Made in Portugal
Shop Colorful Standard here
11. Festival Hemp Hop Money Bag
What did I say? The 90s – yep, I was NOT kidding haha. Luckily, this super hip festival hemp hop money bag helps to promote handmade, artisan craftsmanship! Looks great around the waist or worn across the body or thrown over the shoulder. Each purchase provides opportunities for and supports the cottage industry of underprivileged communities.
Price: $22.50
Ethics: 100% Natural Handwoven Hemp, Ethically Produced, Made in Australia (ships worldwide)
Shop the festival bag here
12. Timeless Fingerless Gloves for Texting Needs
A fingerless glove allowing mobile device use; accented by multi heathered stripes for a fresh look – such a great gift! Awamaki means handmade in Quechua. Each of their pieces is uniquely handcrafted by talented artisans in the Sacred Valley, and therefore every single item has a slight variation. The difference from one piece to the next is what makes them so beautiful.
Price: $33.00
Ethics: Ethically sourced, Fair Trade Federation Certified
Shop the fingerless gloves here
13. Vibrate Higher Daily: Live Your Power Journal
Teens and their journals – it’s a match made in heaven. Vibrating higher daily journals are about making intentional day-to-day choices that lift us out of mindsets, habits, and lifestyles that don’t serve us and into ones that do. This book is an invitation to engage with everything that feeds our soul and raises our vibration.
Price: $24.00
Ethics: Plastic Free Shipping, Carbon Neutral
Shop the power journal here
14. An Epic Turntable to Enjoy All Those Vintage Records
Bring the old-school vinyl back to life with the modern innovation of the Stir It Up Bamboo Turntable by House of Marley. The streamlined design is made from sustainable materials like bamboo and recyclable aluminum, with a built-in pre-amp that’s compatible with any House of Marley speaker. It features a 33/45 RPM knob, replaceable cartridge, anti-skating control, and belt-drive turntable. Plus, it’s manual, with an auto-start and stops, so your teen controls the vibes.
Price: $229.99
Ethics: post-consumer and upcycled materials, members of One Tree Planted and the Forest Stewardship Council
Shop the turntable here
15. Tree Playing Cards for Rainy Days
Sustainable gifts for teens don’t have to rack up the bill – sometimes, simpler is better! Every single card in this tree deck was hand-drawn and tree-inspired. Whether your teen is a lover of games, an admirer of forests, or simply enjoys seeing woodland creatures reign- this unique deck is a new must-have. A woodlands-themed deck of playing cards featuring 54 unique, hand-drawn designs. Textured, high-quality poker-size cards.
Price: $20.00
Ethics: Printed on FSC Certified German Black Core Cardstock
Shop the tree playing cards here
16. Plogger Patches BC Every Teen Loves A Good Patch
I love how these are back in style because patches are one of the most useful things out there! Breathe new life into thrifted or tired textiles. Iron or sew onto jackets, backpacks, hats, or any clothes and accessories. Get creative, get crafty – and make your old favorite a new one! Iron-on or sew-on.
Price: $6.50
Ethics: Donation made to Environmental Foundation of your choice with purchase.
Range: lots of options
Shop the patches here
17. Super Soft Tencel Scrunchies
Super durable and soft Tencel scrunchie set by Tentree is a perfect little sustainable holiday gift for anyone with hair long enough to tie up into a bun or into a ponytail! Protect their hair while protecting the planet.
Price: $20.00
Ethics: 10 trees planted for every product sold, ethically crafted in China, 100% Tencel Lyocell, Ships plastic-free in packaging made from post-consumer recycled content
Range: comes in a pack of 3 with 3 colors
Shop the scrunchies here
18. Vintage Band Tees
Ever met a teen who didn’t enjoy a good vintage band t-shirt? Yea, me neither. Societywild has a variety of vintage tees from Pink Floyd to Willie Nelson!
Price: $65.00
Ethics: Hand Curated Vintage Boutique- Second Hand Clothing, Hand made Leather Goods
Size Range: Varies based on availability
Shop the vintage band tees here
19. House of Marley Headphones
Got a teen that loves to blast music but you’d rather drink tea and drink a book? Then this sustainable holiday gift is perfect for you (and your teen!). Powerful 40mm dynamic drivers provide great bass and precise sound, with 10-12 hours of battery life and playtime. The removable braided cable stays tangle-free, so you can convert to and from wireless without crazy cord knots! The travel-friendly foldable design is created from FSC-Certified Wood and recyclable aluminum.
Price: $79.99
Ethics: post-consumer and upcycled materials, members of One Tree Planted and the Forest Stewardship Council
Shop the headphones here
20. Some New Susty Kicks
Teen’s favorite low-cut style sneaker made radically different than any other. The soles are made of natural latex rubber tapped fresh from a rubber tree. The Organic Cotton canvas and laces are hand-stitched by Certified Fairtrade employees. I actually purchased this exact pair for my Gen Z niece and she was ecstatic.
Price: $120.00
Materials: Certified Fair Trade, Organic Cotton, 100% Vegan
Size: US5 – US15
Shop the sustainable kicks here
21. A Cool & Compostable Phone Case
Teens and phones have a relationship beyond most of our comprehension – so let’s try and make it as sustainable as possible! The phone cases by Pela are compostable, hip, practical, useful, and eco-friendly. They have cases to fit every phone and tons of amazing options. A perfect sustainable holiday gift for teens!
Price: $59.95
Ethics: Member of 1% for the planet, donates a % of every sale to Ocean Cleanup and Preservation Initiatives, Responsibly made in China, Sustainable Packaging: Aluminium tins, Wool wood natural filler, Natural twine, Paper, and Cardboard letterbox.
Range: Plenty of options to choose from
Shop the phone cases here
Looking for more sustainable holiday content like this Sustainable Holiday Gift Guide for Teens?
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