These eco-friendly gifts make terrific Valentine’s day gifts, especially if you bundle them up together with a surprise “romantic” family road trip! Each of these items replaces every day “throw away” items that contribute to landfills so that you can reuse, reuse, reuse and therefore reduce your garbage usage.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a percentage if you buy something using them at no cost to you. I only recommend places and products that I know and trust which I believe you will love and enjoy as well.
Top Eco-Friendly Gifts for Sustainable Travel
Reusable Water Bottle
I am always thirsty and really only drink water so having a to-go water is essential. We also have a reverse osmosis water system at my house so I get pretty much the best water possible from home. 2 years ago I made it my goal to not purchase water bottles and while I wasn’t perfect (always thirsty and forgetfulness isn’t a good combination). I’m slowly getting there- although I’ll admit that it’s still hard to turn away the free bottles of water that are offered out everywhere…
There are so many options out there that you really can’t go wrong. Contigo metal water bottles are fantastic. Their only real issue is that they don’t hold temperatures and drinking from them after a full day of sitting in the bottle can sometimes give off a slightly metallic taste.
We also have loved using the smaller kid Contigo water bottles with our son as he can’t spill with them! That being said the tops to the kids bottles have slowly lost their operating skills over the past 2 years so I probably wouldn’t buy them again (because soon they will just be more plastic waste).
Yeti or Hydro Flask Double Wall Stainless Steel Water Bottles
Yeti and Hydro Flask are two great company options that offer stainless steel, eco-friendly water bottles with a double wall that keeps your beverages cold (or hot if that’s the route you prefer)! Remember my issues above with the kids Contigo water bottles? Well I just got my kiddos the Yeti 12 oz. kids water bottle with straw and cap and it is a huge hit.
To make your gift for Valentine’s Day stand out even more, you can order your Yeti Water Bottle with a personalized message for only $5.00!
If your special Valentine is a heavy water drinker like myself, I strongly recommend considering the 36 oz. Vacuum Insulated Yeti Water bottle. It’s a game changer!
Reusable Straw
I personally don’t like straws and won’t typically use them, but hate that most dining establishments feel the need to provide you with one, even when you specifically ask for one. I’ve found this especially true when it comes to “kids drinks”.
By traveling with a reusable straw in my purse at all times I have been able to show the wait staff as I make the “no straws” request that I already have a straw, and it seems to be working so far.
Reusable Stainless Steel Silverware Set
Get this sustainable gift for yourself and your Valentine and never use the one and done plastic “cutlery” ever again. I personally love that it comes in a small transportable case. My purse (where I store my sets) gets notoriously dusty down in the corners and the case keeps my silverware clean!
Just stash the flatware set away in your purse or car glove box so that it’s always available. It’s the moments you don’t plan for when plastic rules the roost, so by always having a set or two on hand you’re always a step ahead of the game!
If you do a lot of camping and outdoors activities (or any actually) step up your game on the flatware set and get UST’s Utilitensil Stainless Steel set with multi-functional handles. Talk about making the most of what you’ve got!
Note: a lot of the stainless steel silverware sets do come with a reusable straw, so look into buying this first and save yourself some money by not having to purchase them separately.
Keep Cup Barista Style Coffee Cup
If coffee is your jam or your jam’s jam, then you’re going to want to keep this reusable coffee cup on hand at all times. Invented to take the place of the barista style coffee cups that land in landfills by the millions each day (even when they’re compostable).
You can still enjoy the simple beauty of your coffee, foam, and flavor, just without feeling the guilt about the “to go” cup. Get you and your boo matching cups for weekend coffee dates at your favorite local coffee shop!
Cloth Tote Eco Friendly Bag
Your cloth tote bag doesn’t need to be fancy, it can even have been free, just make sure that you have it when you need it! Plus it makes a great “wrapping” paper for all these other eco-friendly gift goodies that you’re going to get your partner.
A tote bag tends to be larger and more heavy duty than a regular reusable grocery bag which means you can haul more in it and may only need one bag for the grocery store rather than the 3 I always seem to need. Ha!
PrAna Collapsible Travel Fedora Hat
This hat packs easily and holds its shape, making it easy to throw on dress up any outfit (or hide a bad hair day). Made by PrAna whose company philosophy on sustainability and saving the environment is very much in line with my own.
PrAna offers a wide range of clothing made specifically for the outdoors loving traveler. Their clothing works for a wide range of activities including yoga, working out, swimming, climbing, plus other outdoor and travel activities.
Check out these great clothing options for men.
Check out these great clothing options for women.
Shampoo, Conditioner, and Soap Bars
If you’ve ever traveled with liquids you’ve probably have the inevitable spillage into your luggage (and over EVERYTHING). Well spill no more- shampoo and conditioner now come in solid bars (and are so much better for you and the environment!). A typical shampoo bar is so concentrated that it contains as much shampoo in it as 3 or 4 bottles of shampoo – Think of all the money and plastic waste you’ll be saving!
Shampoo Ethique
A typical shampoo bar is so concentrated that it contains as much shampoo in it as three or four bottles of shampoo – Think of all the money and plastic waste you’ll be saving! Talk about sustainable gift giving!
Conditioner Ethique
The Guardian Conditioner is their best conditioner packed full of lots of coconut oil, vitamin B5, and lime oil and it replaces five bottles of conditioner! That is an awesome eco-friendly gift if you ask me!
Compostable Poop Bags For the Dog-Loving Traveler
These zero waste compostable poop bags are made with a blend of cornstarch and other bio-based components, they’re 20 microns thick to spare your hands and prevent any leaking. They have full ASTM6400 certification and are capable of breaking down and decomposing in 90 days.
It may cost more than regular poop bags, but it’s worth it. This eco-friendly gift would be perfect for your environment-loving fur baby.
Any Valentine’s Day Gift on its second (or third) life!
Thrifting, Garage Sales, or making something new out of something old are all great ways to show your love- both for your Valentine and the environment!
- These repurposed book covers make beautiful eco-friendly jewelry boxes.
- Have a bird lover as a lover? Why not make them a super simple bird feeder out of old yogurt jars!
- Want to keep a bit of Christmas going after the holidays? Why not repurpose your tree into a sustainable gift or two.
An Experience
Make a meal composed of wild edibles that you harvested together (or do a pickle tasting of locally canned pickles!). Have a movie night picnic. Go on a road trip to a National or State Park that you’ve been meaning to visit (Bonus sustainability points if you take public transportation to get there).
Keep your experience zero waste and you’ll have created the dream Valentine’s Day Gift.
Being Eco Friendly and Sustainable:
I have listed where to purchase each of these eco-friendly gift items brand new, but if you want to be completely sustainable and environmentally friendly I highly recommend that you shop pre-owned first.
Every thrift store I have ever been to has a plethora of cheap and never been used water bottles for sale. They also all sell silverware and flatware. Bonus is that not only are you helping save the planet by not contributing MORE to it, but you also get to own something that no one else has! Just think- you could buy a cool set of mismatched MCM silverware.
My favorite online places to shop pre-owned anything are Poshmark (use code GRENTICO for $10 off your first purchase) and eBay.