A Few Of Our Favorite Sustainable Things: 2021 Gift Guide
What’s this? A gift guide from a green infrastructure project development and engineering firm? Why yes, yes it is.
Because at Nexus PMG, we help you build a better world. That starts with walking the walk in our own lives—or in this case, shopping the shop. As we’ve upped our conscious consumerism game, we’ve discovered some products and services worth passing on. And our gift guide was born!
In this sustainable gift list you’ll find personal favorites from the Nexus PMG team and beyond-basic eco-friendly gift ideas from innovative companies you might have heard about on our podcast. There’s something for everyone here—even the person who has everything. To reduce your gift giving’s environmental footprint further, check out these tips for reducing your waste during the holiday season.
StepTire Recycled Rubber Shoes
Our COO Roshan Vani recommends StepTire’s handcrafted shoes made from used tires rescued from the North Texas area. You can choose from sandals or sneakers for men, women, and kids.
Each pair is made in the USA, and they donate a pair of shoes to an African village when you enter the provided code on their website. Being made from road-ready rubber, you can expect this gift to keep on giving comfortable, quality wear for years to come.
Learn more about StepTire in an interview with Managing Partner and Co-founder Blake Bassett on the Bigger Than Us podcast.
The FinalStraw Reusable Straw
“Use a reusable straw,” they said. “It’s easy,” they said. Yet there you are, toting around a straw too big for your pocket, sticky with smoothie goo. Surely that isn’t an experience you want to share this holiday season.
Enter: The FinalStraw. We can’t think of a name more fitting for this collapsible straw with a handy keychain-sized carrying case. With a silicone, tooth-friendly tip and included cleaning tools, it really is the only reusable straw you and that lucky person on your gift list will ever need. Stuff one in every stocking to encourage sustainable cocoa sipping.
Listen to an interview with the CEO and Founder of FinalStraw Emma Rose Cohen on the Bigger Than Us podcast.
Klean Kanteen Reusable Water Bottle
Using a water bottle instead of single-use cups, cans, and bottles is one of the quickest ways to reduce your waste production. This makes it a great gift for people just getting started on their sustainability journey—this might even be their first step!
Being Dallas-based, we prefer insulated water bottles, which keep our drinks frosty cool in the summer heat, or toasty warm in the blizzards that we now apparently have from time-to-time.
There are many great insulated water bottles out there, and Klean Kanteen is one of them. They offer several vacuum insulated water bottles in a range of colors and sizes with lids for every type of beverage. We especially like that they’re a Certified B-Corporation, are Climate Neutral Certified, and are a 1% For the Planet Member.
Goldilocks Beeswax Wraps
The average person uses over 2,000 square feet of plastic each year. Help your friends and family slash their single-use plastic use with Goldilocks beeswax wraps!
You’ll find dozens of wrap patterns, all made by hand and coated with beeswax sourced from Canadian beekeepers. Beeswax is a natural way of preserving food. Simply use the heat from your hands to wrap it into any needed shape, and wash with cool water between uses. When the beeswax wears out, the wrap can be composted. Which brings us to our next gift idea…
Learn more about Goldilocks Wraps in an interview with their CEO and Founder Amy Hall on the Bigger Than Us podcast.
A Compost Bin or Compost Tumbler
Composting at home has many benefits, like reducing the amount of food waste you send to landfills and nourishing your home garden. Since everyone’s home situation is different, we aren’t recommending one specific compost bin or tumbler. Instead, consider what would be best based on your gift recipient’s available space and waste management needs.
For example, if they live in an apartment or condo, a countertop compost container might be the best way for them to manage their food scraps. If they live in a home with a garden, a compost tumbler will give them a larger bin and more compost to use.
Turn Compost Services in Dallas
Not everyone has the desire to compost at home, but not all municipalities offer curbside composting services. Without organic waste infrastructure, food waste often ends up in landfills where it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
Turn Compost offers composting services in the Dallas, Texas area. They offer pick-up services to haul food and yard waste away, then drop off compost twice annually, as well as drop-off services if you don’t want to receive compost in return.
Composting couldn’t be easier! A 3-month Turn Compost subscription is an outside-the-box gift anyone who eats food will appreciate.
Listen to an interview with Turn Compost CEO and Founder Lauren Clarke on the Bigger Than Us podcast.
Deadstock Textiles from Queen of Raw
Have a DIY-er or crafter on your list? Prepare to amaze them with the outstanding deadstock fabrics from Queen of Raw.
Deadstock is unused but perfectly good fabric that’s often burned or buried, further contributing to waste and climate change. Queen of Raw makes deadstock accessible through their online database of quality fabrics. They have fabrics for fashion, upholstery, and interiors. Being deadstock means these fabrics are rare and unique. If you aren’t sure which fabrics to choose, their Scrap Packs are filled with small portions of fabric that are great for crafting.
Learn more about Queen of Raw in an interview with their Co-founder Stephanie Benedetto on the Bigger Than Us podcast.
The Gift Of Knowledge
Know someone who prefers to exchange ideas rather than wrapped gifts or subscriptions? Invite them to listen to Bigger Than Us, a podcast that focuses on ideas that will shape the future of our planet and ultimately, our existence. New episodes featuring clean tech, green tech, and sustainability innovators are released every Tuesday. And for parents and teachers of grade school kids, Mira & Nexi’s STEAM videos series is a free entertaining educational resource.
