changeadminGifting is not easy; it gets even more difficult if you are looking for an eco-friendly gift you can feel good about, and the receiver also appreciates gifting.
Given the growing problem of emissions, plastic, waste, and unsustainable manufacturing practices, it is important to consider the environmental costs when deciding on a gift. However, one of the biggest conundrums is where to buy a sustainable gift.
A large number of brands have responded to the call. In the last few years, many sustainable gift companies in India have emerged that follow ethical and transparent processes and leave a much smaller carbon footprint.
We have selected the companies that make sustainable gifting options that are budget-friendly and will be appreciated by anyone.
Before listing them here, we spoke to most of these eco-friendly gift companies in India to understand how each of them truly prioritized aspects of sustainability.
From renewable and recycled materials to empowering local communities, these companies are leading the change.
Clan Earth
Clan Earth offers sustainable bags and a range of other eco-friendly gift options. The Kolkata-based startup works with slum communities to manufacture its products. Clan Earth is among the growing list of companies that plant trees for every customer purchase.
The company was founded by Priyanka Mandal and Broteen Biswas. Priyanka started her career as a software engineer, and along the way, she got involved in the social sector, eventually starting Clan Earth in 2019.
In our conversation with her, she shared her personal journey, her experience working with slum communities, her zero-waste lifestyle, and the company’s future plans.
Shop Clan Earth products on Amazon
BioQ
Delhi-based bioQ eco-solutions is among the eco-friendly gift companies in India that have taken strides in transforming the stationery industry. The company makes and designs sustainable stationery products and eco-friendly gifting options.
Most eco-friendly stationery products are made with recycled paper, but the USP is a plantable product. A pen or pencil is fitted with small capsules that hold seeds that can be used to grow plants after the stationery’s primary use is over.
Apart from plantable stationery and products made with recycled paper, BioQ also manufactures environment-friendly gifting options made with bamboo and cork.
The traditional stationery industry mostly uses plastic that is thrown away after use. When Saurabh Metha joined his family’s traditional stationery business, he decided to make a change.
In 2018, Saurabh started BioQ, and he reckons “in the last 2-3 years, there has been a lot of action happening. People are becoming aware and are adopting eco-friendly stationery and products in their lives.”
Shop BioQ products on Amazon.
Eco Right
EcoRight is another eco-friendly gifting company in India, like Clan Earth, that makes carry-bag products using sustainable materials. These include tote bags, slings and shoulder bags, and handbags, among other items. Founded in 2017, Eco Right sells its products in India and internationally.
The bags are made using materials like cotton, jute, recycled cotton, and recycled plastic in a manufacturing facility powered by solar energy. The bags have elements of creativity and quirkiness to spread the message of the environment and sustainability.
Shop Eco Right products on Amazon
Green Souls / Mitti Se Mitti Tak
Green Souls offers a diverse range of eco-friendly products under the brand name ‘mitti se mitti tak,’ which means from Earth to Earth.’ The Mumbai-based company makes products that are eco-friendly, recyclable, biodegradable and upcycled. It even tries to minimize the transport-related carbon footprint by sourcing the materials locally.
The sustainable gift options include festive lanterns and decoration items, face masks, eco-friendly stationery, and combs made from neem wood, among others.
The product development is entirely done by women artisans from socially underprivileged backgrounds. The company was started in January 2017 by three women entrepreneurs, who happened to be neighbors – Avani Dave, Shweta Vijayan, and Nehal Desai.
In our conversation with one of the co-founders of Green Souls, Nehal shared how she got together with her other co-founders, the help that Green Souls received from the Amazon Saheli program, and their future plans.
Shop Green Souls products on Amazon.
Phool
Founded in 2017, Phool is a recycling company primarily working on India’s temple waste problem. The Kanpur-based company provides innovative solutions to the flower waste generated in Temples. According to the company, it collects 8.4 tons of floral waste from temples in Uttar Pradesh daily and prevents it from polluting the water bodies.
Their eco-friendly gifting company products include charcoal-free incense sticks, wellness products, home decor items, and biodegradable packaging materials, which are sold online and also through its retail outlets.
Shop for Phool products on Amazon.
Ecentric
If you want to gift some eco-friendly clothes, you can try hemp.
Hemp, whose application is limited to being used as a medicine or a recreational drug, is, in fact, a wonder plant that is not only environmentally sustainable but has many varied usages.
Industrial hemp is cultivated and is used across personal care products, nutritional supplements, fabrics and textiles, paper, construction materials, food, and beverages.
Bengaluru-based Ecentric is an Indian sustainable fashion brand that makes hemp garments for both men and women.
We spoke to the founder of Ecentric, Salendara Gupta, and he provided his reasoning for using Hemp in fabrics. “Hemp is a cannabis plant that is a bast fiber like linen or other natural fiber, and its environmental impact is almost four times less than cotton. It doesn’t require fertilizer or pesticides, and it helps in protecting against soil erosion. I was very intrigued by the environmental impact and the quality of the fabric. It keeps you warm in winter and cools in summer. Then I thought, let me take forward this idea by starting this brand using hemp fabric.”
Shop for Ecentric products on Amazon.
If you are looking for environmentally friendly and sustainable clothing as a gift, here is the link to our article, Sustainable Fashion Brands in India.
If you think plant-based and vegan meat is a good sustainable gifting idea, refer to this article about Plant-based food companies in India.
It is your decision what you buy and from where you buy, but we may receive a commission if you shop through the links we have provided. This will help us deliver meaningful content.
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