Coming up with corporate gifts your associates will love is easier than you think. You simply need to narrow down criteria.
- You want company gifts that anyone can use and enjoy.
- You want your gift to show your appreciation in a unique and memorable way.
- You want your gift to say a little something about you, too.
Giving company gifts made from sustainable materials with eco-friendly processes will help narrow your choices down by meeting all three criteria!
Whether choosing the best corporate gifts for the holidays, a company event or an employee recognition program, sustainable gifts speak to your company’s values. Sustainable gifts also tend to be created in smaller batches for higher quality and character. They make gifting simple, memorable and fun.
Our favorite sustainable gifts for 2023
Making an impact with gift boxes
Gift boxes filled with edible treats and other goodies are always a favorite. They’re like stuffed stockings for adults with fun, variety and professional yet enjoyable packaging. Gift boxes containing only sustainably grown and produced treats say a little something extra about your commitment to economic and ecological stewardship. Woman-owned Packed with Purpose stands out for its amazing variety of gift box assortments, with each supplier committed to sustainability from small batch producers.
Organic, fair trade coffees and teas
Just about everyone loves either coffee or tea. Finding out your team’s preference is as simple as a quick, digital survey like you’d use for a luncheon event. But many coffees and even teas may be produced by using ecologically damaging processes, poor labor practices and harsh insecticides. Companies such as Indigo Coffee offer fair trade, organic and kosher blends in a wide variety. They offer subscriptions and gift certificates, too. For tea drinkers, check out Numi Teas for fair labor, fair trade organic teas.
Sustainable swag
A great way to build relationships with new clients and employees is with a fun package of branded company swag. For the small effort it takes to find sustainable options, the payoff is enormous. Sustainably manufactured tees and hoodies show your commitment to the future. Gifts like tumblers and thermoses help reduce the use of plastic bottles. And while company branded items such as pens are common, choosing cheap products to save pennies says something about you. Consider office supplies such as pens, notebooks and phone cases from agood company or similar sources committed to reduction of plastics. Put it all together in a fashionable and sustainably produced tote bag from Baggu, and you’ve welcomed your new teammate with style.
Sleep and meditation app membership
Some gifts require no materials or shipping at all. I’ve raved about the best sleep and meditation apps before. In researching those I spoke with friends, and every single one of them showed interest and wanted to know more. While seeming niche, the importance of mindfulness and progressive well-being is on just about everyone’s mind. Proper sleep, self-care and well-being have finally come into the mainstream with wellness apps such as Calm and Headspace. Even employees who may resist the concept of meditation will appreciate calming music at work and deeper sleep at home.
Eco-friendly slippers
Shoes are the most personal item of clothing we wear. We’re picky, and so we don’t usually give them as gifts. Slippers, on the other hand, are something we wear out too quickly, and we always need another pair. Eco-friendly slippers from companies such as Dooeys provide comfortable home footwear made from sustainable materials and processes. Just don’t be surprised if your employees love them so much that they wear them to the office!
Membership with a local co-op
The best onboarding gift I ever received was membership to a local farming co-op. Their stores usually provide locally grown, small batch organic foods. Maybe even more than that, the membership invited me into the wider community. I met top leadership shopping there in jeans and a flannel, and I learned the produce seasons in a part of the country I’d never known. Nearly every community—whether urban or rural—has some form of co-op food market. A gift membership invites your associates into the community and shows that you think locally, communally and with a commitment to environmental sustainability.
Environmentally sustainable meal kits
Your employees are busy. Work, self-care and family take time. And while we all try to cook properly as part of our daily routine and nightly wind-down, we sometimes stop on the way home for the convenience of fast food. And then we crash—physically and mentally. Prepared meal kits provide a better meal solution for those rushed days, and they make great gifts. Plus: Eco-friendly meal kits offer the variety and deliciousness you expect, but with sustainable packaging and healthier ingredients. Along with brands you likely already know like Blue Apron, check out Purple Carrot as featured in Fast Company and Inc. for your meal kit gift.
Bryan enjoys the digital space where arts and technology meet. As a writer, he has worked in education, health and wellbeing, and manufacturing. He also assists smaller businesses in web development including accessibility and content development. In his free time, he hikes trails in central Florida.
