Are you looking for Christmas gift inspiration for someone who loves to travel and loves the environment equally? Globetrotting can have a bad wrap for being unsustainable, not eco-friendly and unethical. From the fuel used on planes, trains, buses and boats to the never-ending plastic bottles and cutlery eating on the go, to the questionable ethics of human & animal treatment at some touristic destinations.
However, travellers tend to become hyper-aware of the footprint they leave when travelling, the environmental pollution and unethical practises they may see around the globe and many of us strive to leave the destinations we visit at least a little bit better off. And so conscious and sustainable travel has been born!
If you know a traveller who loves to protect the environment and wants to make the world they travel so much even better, help them in their mission by gifting them an eco-friendly travel gift for Christmas.Our Christmas gift guide for travellers is brimming with 20 different ideas, with something that will fit everyone’s budget. Our eco-friendly travel gift guide starts from the cheapest to the most expensive travel-inspired Christmas presents.
These Christmas gift ideas will help travel lovers create a positive impact wherever they go and help to offset the footprint they leave by choosing to embark on adventures. But first discover why it is so important for travellers to be sustainable, ethical and eco friendly!
3 reasons why you should give sustainable Christmas gifts to travellers
1. The environment
It’s important that we protect the environment from pollution and plastics as much as we possibly can. It’s crucial that we don’t add to the problem by purchasing gifts made of non-recyclable materials, which will end up in a landfill or in our oceans at some point!
This leaves a negative footprint on their environment, especially when you take into account the resources used to produce & transport the gift in the first place.
Always opt for gifts that are made of sustainable, biodegradable materials and choose wisely! Choose gifts that you know the person you are buying for will love and use.
2. People
When buying gifts, do your research and make sure the items you are purchasing are Fairtrade and made ethically. Make sure the producers pay their staff a fair wage & they have good working conditions and care about the communities that they have an impact on.
We each have the power to vote for what we believe is right with every single dollar we spend! This is given even more power when you buy Christmas gifts for others using this same moral compass and will really help us in improving the world for all. Everything counts!
3. Wildlife
Wildlife all over the globe is subjected to the negative consequences of pollution and habitat destruction. Don’t be a part of the problem by purchasing gifts that aren’t sustainable! This is especially true if you are buying gifts for travellers who adore our planet and all the creatures that live here with us.
By purchasing eco-friendly & vegan (where possible) gifts goes a long way in ensuring you aren’t contributing to the degradation of habitats and suffering of animals.
Here is our Christmas gift guide for eco-conscious travellers!
1. Alternative by Suma Travel Soap Tin
Bars of soap and shampoo and a no-brainer for every conscious traveller! They save so much plastic, last for ages and don’t come with the risk of exploding in your luggage! Help your traveller friends with transporting their bars of soap with a soap travel tin.
These soap travel tins come in at under £4 so no matter how stretched your Christmas budget is, you can probably afford this. They also make great stocking stuffers!
£3.75
2. Lush Toothpaste tabs
Help reduce the plastic in the world by giving these toothy tabs from Lush as a Christmas gift. You create foam for brushing by nibbling on one tab and you’ve got toothpaste, without the plastic tube!
These handy tabs are also convenient for travelling due to their small size. All of Lush’s bottles are recyclable. Lush is also strongly opposed to animal testing. They are completely cruelty-free and have a large range of vegan products, making Lush a great place to buy eco-friendly gifts!
From £6.50
3. Bamboo cutlery set
When we travel, we eat out a lot and that usually means using way more plastic cutlery than needed. Travelling with your own bamboo cutlery set and saying NO to plastic cutlery can go a long way in helping to reduce plastic and make the perfect sustainable Christmas gift for travellers!
This set by Bambaw from The Plastic Free shop will set you back just £10 and includes a knife, fork, spoon, straw and cleaning brush!
4. Eco Maximum Handmade Elephant Dung Notebook
Now, this is one unique Christmas gift for travellers who love to keep a journal. These notebooks by Eco Maximum are made from real elephant poo! But you would never guess looking at and touching them.
These colourful and quirky notebooks are beautiful and sustainable. They also make for a great talking point on the road. Eco Maximum helps to make a difference to the communities in Sri Lanka that produce the notebooks and raise awareness for the conservation and protection of Sri Lankan elephants.
If the traveller you are buying for is an elephant lover and eco-conscious, this gift is a winner!
From £10.95
5. Liga speckly passport cover
This passport cover is from Liga’s Beach Clean collection and is made from recycled flip-flops and cork. Another quirky and unique gift perfect for the eco-friendly globe trotter this Christmas.
£14.95
6. Vitamin Sea calendar
Does the traveller you are getting a gift for adore the beach? If so, this Vitamin Sea 2022 calendar might just make the perfect gift for them. Give them beach inspiration all year round, even if they are stuck in England! These calendars are designed and printed in the UK on recycled paper. This company uses 80% renewable energy and delivers these calendars in plastic free packaging.
They also have a range of other nature-inspired wall calendars. There is something for every sustainable traveller’s taste!
£16.50
7. Washbag made of plastic bottles from Home of Millican
These toilet bags make for a great gift for an eco-conscious traveller. They are designed in the Lake District and made ethically in Vietnam of four recycled plastic bottles per bag!
Designed in the Lake District and ethically made in Vietnam from recycled plastic bottles (four per bag). Millican also sells recycled plastic backpacks.
£18
8. Wheatgrass phone cases from Wave
Wave is a UK based start-up that produces biodegradable wheat-straw based cases for iPhones, AirPods and the Samsung Galaxy S20 range.
This is a great way to have a stylish phone case that is also eco-friendly! You can have both! There are a number of different colours and patterns to choose from.
Each case is plastic free, biodegradable, wireless charging compatible and comes with carbon neutral shipping!
From £18
9. Let’s Get Lost photography book
If the traveller you are buying a Christmas gift for is also a fan of aesthetically pleasing accessories for their home combined with travel inspiration, you may have found your gift with this book!
The Let’s Get Lost book was curated by Finn Beales and showcases over 200 images of the world's most stunning remote locations. It features images of beaches, mountains, forests, lakes and rivers by 21 different photographers.
Keep the travel inspiration flowing with this stunning book!
£25
10. Patagonia Bum Bag
Patagonia is an outdoor brand that is world-renowned for its efforts in sustainable clothing and accessories. Their bum bag is the perfect little Christmas gift for the eco-conscious, adventure-seeking traveller.
This timeless classic has been made from recycled nylon and polyester in a fair trade factory and will fit all the essentials like phone, keys, cards and sunglasses. This will help keep all of their most valuable possessions safe and easy to access while also being super cool and eco-friendly at the same time!
£25
11. Sustainable sunscreen
A bottle of sustainable sunscreen is an incredible gift to give an ocean-loving, free diving beach bum this Christmas. It is well known that the chemicals in sunscreen are damaging our reefs so it is so important to have a sunscreen that is safe for use in the oceans and is also good for you and your skin!
Sustainable sunscreen isn’t exactly cheap so it makes for a great Christmas present!
Our top pick is Tropic Skincare Great Barrier sun lotion. It’s free of nasty chemicals and is 100% ocean-friendly.
From £28
12. One Life, Live It! Recycled Silver & Vegan Paracord Bracelet
This unisex bracelet is the perfect gift for a traveller. This unique travel gift is made from a recycled silver hallmarked charm engraved with the words ‘One Life, Live it!’ which is fixed on a vegan-friendly sliding knot paracord bracelet.
This is the perfect eco-friendly and cruelty-free travel gift that comes with an inspirational message for all travellers out there living in the moment and exploring the world.
With its positive message for those who love to wander and explore, each charm is handmade in silver wishing the wearer good travels and safe journeys, wherever the road takes them.
£45
13. Travel gift sets from Kip Hideaways
Kip Hideaways is a members-only boutique staycation site and they have a new travel gift set. Each set comes with a year’s membership to the site and a number of other goodies which include Elizabeth Scarlett Velvet Everyday Swallows Pouch, Bramley 100ml Travel Set containing Body Wash, Body Lotion, Shampoo & Conditioner.
An annual Kip membership gives full access to their unique collection of the very best small self-catering hideaways across the UK, plus lots of member perks.
They also plant a tree for every set sold! A great gift for a traveller and for our planet.
£53
14. Bellyboards from Dick Pearce
Bellyboards promise us surfing “without all the fuss, with all the fun”. These bellyboards are handmade from sustainable birch plywood in Cromwell. These are a fantastic alternative to the regular polystyrene boards that are common at the beach. This is the perfect gift for an eco-conscious traveller who adores playing in the waves but perhaps isn’t quite a surfer (yet)!
From £55
15. Sustainable sunglasses from Waterhaul
Sunglasses are yet another everyday item that is usually made of plastic! They are also absolutely essential for all travellers to have. These sunglasses from Waterhaul are made from recycled fishing nets that have been collected from UK beaches. How incredible is that?
All purchases go towards supporting their recycling workshops in schools and local communities making these sunglasses more meaningful than your average pair of shades.
From £60
16. Travel Safe Recycled Silver Key Ring
Send them off on their world adventures with a positive lucky talisman - 'Travel Safe' carved into a 100% recycled silver charm fixed to a sturdy silver key ring. This is a classic split-ring style with a weighty feel, perfectly suited for heavy use.
Each charm is handmade in solid silver wishing the wearer safe travels wherever the road takes them.
£59
17. Limited-edition prints from The Woods
Does the traveller you are buying a Christmas gift for also have a taste for inspiring home decor? If so, these limited edition prints from the Woods make the perfect gift to bring the globe right into their living room!
The Woods sells fine art photography inspired by travel, nature and adventure. Each print is limited edition, making it a little bit extra special. All photos are printed in London as well!
From £70
18. Climbing Carabiner Wanderlust Silver Necklace
The climbing carabiner is a mountaineer and climber's essential – a symbol of safety, strength and adventure. This necklace is a working silver carabiner pendant finished with a charm made from recycled silver engraved with ‘Wanderlust’ to bring luck to their travels.
It can be worn on and off the peaks as those epic landmarks are explored! The screw closure carabiner and engraved charm are solid silver, with a simple silver ball chain that works for both guys and girls.
This is the perfect gift for climbers, hikers, mountain and adventure lovers!
£85
19. House of Marley Liberate Wireless Earbuds
It is absolutely essential for all travellers to travel with headphones. Whether it is to listen to music, podcasts or to drown out other peoples voices at a hostel, this is one item every traveller needs to have.
These wireless earbuds from House of Marley are not only compact, wireless and of great quality they are also eco-friendly! Made from bamboo, natural wood fibre composite and their signature fabric, these earbuds are sustainable, sweat-proof and water-resistant.
They have an impressive battery life, making them the perfect companion for long haul travel.
£129.99
20. Adventure rucksack from Stumble & Co
This rucksack is our premium gift selected for this post and is the perfect way to spoil a special adventurer in your life this Christmas. This 42-litre rucksack has been designed with practicality, adventure and quality in mind.
There are many easy to access pockets for laptops, cards, shoes, water and valuables yet it is compact enough to be used as carry-on! This is perfect for someone who loves to pack light and travel far.
The best part is this amazing bag is made from recycled plastic by a British brand.
£185
