Small businesses need our support this year more than ever, and so does our planet. So, in an effort to help you shop small and make Earth-friendly gift choices this holiday season, I’ve compiled a list of over 30 of my favorite sustainable, small businesses below. Not only do all of these businesses carry high quality products, they are also ecofriendly, environmentally conscious, and led by talented and hardworking humans. Lastly but not least, with Small Business Saturday right around the corner, many of these shops are offering great deals to help you make your dollar go even farther.
Note: This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small commission on your purchase of some products.
Accessories
Conscious Step: This brand creates fun, ethically-made, sustainable socks that empower nonprofits to support the causes and communities you care about.
Enbois: Maxim, the owner of Enbois, creates sustainably and consciously crafted accessories (backpacks, sunglasses, watches, bracelets, etc.) that support community-led reforestation and education projects in Haiti, Jamaica, and Mexico. What started as a creative outlet in Maxim’s college dorm room at the University of South Florida, has now turned into a successful business directly responsible for the planting of over 10,000 trees to date.
Global Mamas: I visited a Global Mamas workshop in 2012 while studying abroad in Ghana, and was blown away by the incredible community-led development work that this nonprofit organization does to empower women to reach financial independence. Operating under a fair trade business model, Global Mamas is composed of over 350 Ghanaian women entrepreneurs who make beautiful, hand-crafted traditional items including hand batiked clothing and accessories, jewelry from recycled glass beads, recycled plastic bags, accessories, and much more.
Maykher: This brand works with makers to provide slow, ethical, and sustainable fashion and accessories including bags, scarves, candles, and so much more. Also, 10% of Maykher’s end of year profits help to provide young girls with educational opportunities.
Remember Me Green: This sustainable fashion brand upcycles NYC billboards into one of a kind eco friendly accessories keeping vinyl out landfills and micro-plastics out of our environment. Remember Me Green offers a variety of products such as wristlets, tote bags, and backpacks. Each piece they create is one-of-a-kind.
The Wander Club: This brand offers travel keepsakes in the form of necklaces and keychains that hold tokens engraved with the names of your favorite places or parks. I gave Seth a Wanderchain for our “leather anniversary” back in July along with tokens representing some of our favorite National Parks, and he has used it every day since! This brand has the perfect gifts for travelers ‑ & each purchase made provides a meal to a child in need! Use my code Exploring20 for a sweet discount.
Wildwood Sunglasses: These sunnies are polarized, made of eco‑friendly materials, and with each pair purchased, the brand will fund the planting of up to ten trees.
Home Goods & Decor
Every Day Better by Green Meadows: This eco-conscious boutique, located in the Kaimuki neighborhood of Oahu, Hawaii, is a true gem! Owner Katie, seeks to “offer plastic-free alternatives to lifestyle items, emphasizing natural materials and aesthetic appeal.”
Graf Lantz: This brand’s sustainable products are created from materials like natural Merino wool, vegetable‑tanned leather, and organic cotton all being manufactured in LA. If you choose to pick up one of their organic cotton or European linen face masks, 10 meals will be donated to Feeding America.
Little Leaf: This plant shop holds a special place in my heart because it is located just steps from my D.C. home and provides our neighborhood with a little green oasis in the heart of Washington D.C. Little leaf offers a wide variety of plants, planters, and gifts for plant people.
Yemalla: This brand was created by a husband and wife team who were touched by the artists that they met on a trip to Nicaragua and now seek to offer meaningful and intentional pieces that are sustainable and responsibly handmade by artists from around the world. Yemalla features 100% handmade handbags and home decor created by artists in Nicaragua – many of whom have special needs. When purchasing Yemalla goods, you are not only supporting artists from small communities, you are also supporting the planet, because with each sale, five trees are planted through Ecologi.
Jewelry
Earrings by Dee: Danielle, the woman behind Earrings by Dee, creates unique and beautiful clay polymer earrings, and this Black woman-owned business is based in my home state of Central Pennsylvania.
Madison Ashley: I think of Madison Ashley’s ocean-inspired blue opal jewelry as wearable memories. I have several of these pieces and each one reminds me of a different experience. My Bermuda Triangle ring, for example, symbolizes my first ever time snorkeling and one of my first trips abroad with Seth. Seeing it on my finger brings an instant smile to my face. Also, 10% of its’ profits are donated to support marine conservation efforts. Shop this link for 20% off of your purchase.
Rise: Lisa founded Rise to share the beauty of Hawai’i. She creates beautiful pieces made of ethically sourced ocean finds like sea glass, shells, and shark teeth.
Self Care
Bare Soaps: This small business minimizes their environmental impact by choosing all natural, sustainably sourced ingredients, while using recyclable, reusable or plantable packaging. They also carbon offset each and every shipment. Along with that, they donate 20% of their profits to charities. Check them out for some high quality soaps, mud masks, and candles.
The Healing Garden: The Healing Garden, is a Black, woman owned business based in the DMV. In addition to being an impactful high school social worker, Quinn, the woman behind the brand, creates beautiful and ethically sourced sage bundles, bath teas, and smudge sticks to cleanse and restore energy.
Little Seed Farm: The husband and wife team that run this family business create nontoxic skincare products from their solar-powered, organic farm in rural Tennessee.
Greenvines Skincare: This brand seeks to create conscious, transparent, and clean skincare and operates under the mindset that the more you know, the better you consume. Greenvines products are free of harmful chemicals and are always produced with the Earth in mind.
Puracy: This brand was born six years ago in Austin, Texas when two best friends sought out to create non-toxic, plant-based products that were safe enough to use around their newborn daughters. Today, they offer a wide array of cleaning and personal care products that are safe for people, the environment, and that actually work.
Thanks Morris: Marie, the creator of Thanks Morris is a Speech Language Pathologist and gratitude extraordinaire. She creates gratitude journals for both children and adults filled with simple writing prompts to practice daily gratitude and support mindfulness.
Sustainable Swaps
Ecoigy: This family business is based in Michigan and offers a variety of products that help reduce waste and energy usage. I swear by their 100% wool dryer balls for reducing my time and money spent doing laundry! Use code Aleah10 for 10% off your purchase.
Emerging Green: Emerging Green is a small family business that offers a variety of eco-friendly products and sustainable swaps for everyday products. I was recently gifted a cork yoga mat from this brand and it is literally the best mat I have ever used!
Kiwi Eco Box: This brand’s mission is to help people begin their zero waste journeys by sending them sustainable swaps for every day products via a monthly subscription box!
Loam and Lore: This brand creates phone cases made from recycled products and plants that are cute, functional, and biodegradable.
The Simple Bug: This small business specializes in handcrafted, reusable/zero waste items that are created by a mother-daughters team based out of New Milford, CT.
Wanderlight: This brand creates sand-resistant, quick-dry towels that are perfect for the traveler-on-the-go and so aesthetically pleasing. Wanderlight aims to create the highest quality travel products that are durable, versatile, and compact and in turn help you to literally lighten your load and your impact on the planet. Also, this small sustainable small business donates 5% of their profits to the Intrepid Foundation to support sustainable travel!
Apparel
8000 Kicks: The shoes produced by 8000 Kicks are waterproof, sustainably made using 70% less carbon and water than the average shoe, and are 100% vegan (made of hemp & algae).
EcoEvie Apparel: Founded by 10 year old animal-lover, Evie, this brand’s clothes are inspired by endangered animals and made from recycled water bottles and a portion of each sale is donated to animal conservation efforts.
Samba Sol: This brand creates sustainable sandals that are made from recycled rubber, designed by artists, and are currently BUY ONE GET ONE ‑ with code BOGOFAM.
Suavs: Suavs shoes are functional, comfortable, and are made from plastic water bottles. Win. Win. Win.
Sustainable Goddess: This women-owned small business based in Los Angeles provides ethically made eco-friendly clothing and swimwear made from organic and regenerated materials including upcycling abandoned fishing nets.
Threads4Thought: This activewear brand is committed to reducing their impact on the Earth while positively impacting refugee communities through their partnership with International Rescue Committee. All of Threads4Thought products are sustainably and ethically made, so you can rest assured that by supporting this brand, you can #threadlightly on the planet.
I hope I’ve given you some inspiration to shop small this holiday season! If you want to continue to support these businesses and the talented people behind them, please remember that a follow/comment/review on social media goes a long way!
Interesting list of products., from around the world. Save our Earth.