The best sustainable gifts of 2022

It's easier than ever to shop for sustainable holiday gifts. Holiday shopping usually means festive gift bags, masses of sparkly ribbon and loads of plastic packaging that winds up in a landfill. But it doesn't have to. It's 2022! The best holiday gifts can also help save the planet.

We've found a bunch of sustainable gift ideas for everybody, including Christmas and Hanukkah gift must-haves from popular brands such as Fig.1, Thousand Fell, Paravel, Summersalt and more.

We've selected gifts that are made with recycled materials, come in refillable bottles and are packed in biodegradable wrapping. Some of these eco-friendly purchases even give back to the community. Want to give gifts that help protect the Earth? Keep reading to discover more sustainable gift ideas.

Fig.1

The skincare fan who learns all their tricks from TikTok will thank you for this skin cycling set from Fig.1. The brand is offering a bundle of everything you need for your perfect skin cycling rotation, including a Glycolic Glow Treatment for exfoliating night, Retinol Night Cream No. 1 for retinol night, and the Fig.1 ceramide moisturizer for recovery night.

Senior writer Lily Rose loves that the brand's airless packaging system both protects the potency of the skincare actives and is refillable. Once you use up the product, order a refillable cartridge. Keep the original glass bottle, pump and cap and then pop the new cartridge inside. "I love not having to order a whole new bottle of product," said Rose. "Keeping the original container helps reduce waste. Plus, I love having the option of traveling with my skincare without worrying about damaging any glass packaging."

Fig.1 skin cycling set, $99 ($118 value)

$99 at Fig.1

Thousand Fell

Gift the perfect white sneaker. Thousand Fell's shoes are made with materials that can either be biodegraded, recycled to make new shoes, or upcycled into materials for new projects. While we're a huge fan of the plain white design, Thousand Fell offers a bunch of cool designs and colors.

The brand is currently offering 20% off all sneaker orders, plus a free, limited-edition hat.

Plus, as of Oct. 28, you can now donate ANY textile (from shirts to sneakers) and earn $5 in credit for every item you send in (up to $30) to be used towards a new pair of Thousand Fell sneakers.

Thousand Fell Women's Court, $124 (regularly $155)

$124 at Thousand Fell

Our Place Home

This Our Place two-piece set was designed to replace 16 pieces of traditional cookware. This set includes a 5.5-quart Perfect Pot and a 10-inch Always Pan.

The Perfect Pot can be used as a stockpot, dutch oven, sauce pot, roasting rack, steamer, strainer, braiser or a spoon rest. The Always Pan is a nonstick fry and sauté pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, spatula and spoon rest, all rolled into one.

The pot and the pan are both made with a non-toxic, non-stick ceramic coating. The Always Pan is made with recycled materials. Our Place's packaging is 100% free of plastics, fully recyclable and biodegradable.

Both items are available in a variety of colors.

Our Place Home Cook Duo (2 pc.), $250 (regularly $310)

$250 at Our Place

Paravel carbon-neutral luggage set

Paravel creates sustainably made travel accessories. Its carbon-neutral luggage set is made with materials that help offset carbon emissions from manufacture and shipping. The luggage set features a recycled polycarbonate exterior, recycled zippers and vegan leather details. The luggage lining is a made from recycled plastic water bottles. The Paravel luggage set comes in five colors and includes a suitcase and carry-on.

Paravel carbon-neutral luggage set, $775

$775 at Paravel

Summersalt

Summersalt makes excellent swim and sleepwear. These gift-worthy silky pajamas are made with 100% recycled polyester material. They come in more than ten festive and fun prints, four of which are part of Summersalt's limited-edition Rifle Paper Co. and Summersalt sleepwear collection.

Summersalt The Cloud 9 silky PJ set, $95

$95 at Summersalt

DedCool

This Los Angeles-based beauty business offers a sample set of six 100% biodegradable and plant-based unisex fragrances. Better yet, the entire sample set is 100% recyclable, including the aluminum tin it comes in.

If you've fallen in love with a scent and want to buy one, full-size scents come in recyclable glass bottles and are printed with biodegradable ink.

DedCool fragrance sample pack, $30

$30 at DedCool

Avocado

Give your friends and family a super-soft alpaca wool throw this holiday. Avocado makes mattresses, sheets, blankets and more. This cozy present is ethically sourced from a high-elevation meadow in the Peruvian Andes and is made with 100% natural alpaca.

Choose from six colors.

Avocado alpaca wool throw, $157 (regularly $174)

$157 at Avocado

Kada sweater dress

This chic-looking sweater dress is made of recycled viscose yarns.

Choose from two colors. Dress runs up to an XL.

Kada sweater dress, $248

$248 at Kada

Kate McLeod

Kate McLeod makes sustainable body care. This trio of plastic-free, zero-waste moisturizing body stones includes three full-size, scented, moisturizing body stones.

The trio's limited-edition packaging sleeve features original artwork by Brooklyn-based artist Sara Boccaccini Meadows.

Kate McLeod Winter Eden limited-edition holiday trio, $92

$92 at Kate McLeod

Leaf Shave

Give the gift of smooth skin while combating plastic waste. Leaf Shave's Super Bundle includes the Leaf razor, 10-blades, the Leaf stand, 50x single edge blade pack, a recycling tin, a Leaf case, Leaf Shave soap bar, Leaf grip sleeve.

According to the brand, more than 100,000 Leaf Shave users will keep 2.5 million disposable plastic razors out of landfills this year. The company also packages and ships products without plastic.

Leaf Super Bundle, $139 (regularly $163)

$139 at Leaf Shave

Pact thermal waffle crewneck

Pact's thermal waffle crewneck is made with organic cotton in a fair-trade-certified factory. The crewneck is available in four colors and runs up to a size XL.

Pact thermal waffle crewneck, $58

$58 at Pact

Levity Scandinavian lounge chair

Looking for an ultra-cool Scandinavian lounge chair that you can actually eat and drink on without worrying about stains? Check out Levity.

Levity's chairs feature machine-washable, interchangeable covers with a water-resistant base. These covers can withstand oil, wine, coffee and even pet accidents.

Levity Scandinavian lounge chair, $499

$499 at Levity

Girlfriend Collective

These eco-friendly compression pocket leggings are one of Oprah's favorite things of 2022. The lifestyle guru loves these "sweat-wicking, high-compression and high-waisted," leggings from size-inclusive brand Girlfriend Collective. The comfy athleisure wear is made out of recycled plastic bottles.

Available in sizes XS to 6XL.

Girlfriend Collective compression pocket leggings, $70 (reduced from $88)

$70 at Amazon

Holiday gift guides

As always, check back to CBS Essentials for holiday gift guides for every special someone in your life. Check back for more throughout the season.

Lily Rose

Lily Rose is a senior writer for CBS Essentials and the site's expert in home appliances such as washers, dryers, refrigerators and ranges. When she's not writing about how you can upgrade your laundry room, she's writing about home and kitchen essentials that will transform your space. Her favorite appliance is her air fryer. She firmly believes that it can make the crispiest sweet potato fries.