Zero-Waste + Practical Gift Ideas
Nikki (left) and I are the founders of Wisdom Supply Co. There's a 23 year age span, and no I am not her mom (frequently asked), though we're family bound by the experience of working to build a purpose driven company that is fueled by our determination to consciously uncouple humans (especially kids) from disposable plastics.
Here's to making the most of the most unusual holiday season.
Stay healthy + Stay hopeful 🌈
Heather + Nikki
| Nikki's Recommendations | Heather's Recommendations |
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($3.95) Stabilo 3-in-1 Markers I'm in the young nephews/niece, and friends with little kids stage of my life and I love gifting these markers because it's awesome to be able to entertain them with drawing on the windows (hangman for days!) We also offer these as a boxed gift set. |
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🎧 Curated playlists have been such a favorite gift to receive, I'm going to create my own to give to friends and family this season. It will most definitely include a song or two from my favorite Nelson's (Willie + Lukas). |
NPR's List of 100 Greatest Comics + Graphic Novels The list is from 2017, but the books are timeless. I can't think of a better gift for kids period. Graphic novels and comic books are my all time go-to for kids of all ages. Independent bookstores are the best source for great recommendations. |
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($32) Outer Being Face and Body Oil Heather gave me this oil as a gift and it's so good I have to gift it to as many people as I can. I put it on my face throughout the day because I love the way it makes my skin feel, and I am obsessed with the clean woodsy smell. LOVE. THIS. STUFF. |
($24) Aesop Hand Balm Love the ingredients, the natural scent that fades quickly, how effective it is at moisturizing, and the crinkly, recyclable aluminum tube. Also love this citrusy version Rind Concentrate Body Balm |
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($38) Serrated Air Ranger Yes, really, a pocket knife. My foldable, clip on knife was a gift that I find to be genuinely useful and I have grown to love it. I didn’t realize how often I would need it until I actually started carrying it around with me. |
($21) Metal Tube Wringer An all-metal (made in USA) tube wringer for getting every last drop out of any tube: the hand balm above, toothpaste tubes, ointments, paint tubes... |
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($14) Cotton To-Go Kit The cotton canvas bag was made for us in Brooklyn (we found our seamstress through Etsy), and we filled it with our zero-waste to-go essentials: organic bamboo utensils, and our stainless steel straw (Wisdom Supply Co. is etched on the straw). |
($24) Ambatalia Bento Bag I like to gift these linen bento bags filled with lemons or tangerines because the presentation is beautiful, and the bag is incredibly handy for carrying lunches or farmer's market produce ever after - a gift within a gift. |
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| My roommate makes homemade loaves of sourdough bread and the thought of receiving a whole loaf as a gift would spark nothing but joy for many meals. Not everyone has the time or patience to troubleshoot bread making, myself included, but a good loaf of bread from a local bakery could change someone's life. (I used to think bread was boring but I was just eating the wrong bread). |
($12.99) Enzo Organic Meyer Lemon Infused Olive Oil I think some infused oils taste like a scented candle (in a bad way). Enzo's Organic Meyer Lemon Olive Oil is exceptional (in a good way) for salad dressings and roasted vegetables. Would be fantastic paired with Nikki's roommate's sourdough bread on the left. |
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($6.50) Miyoko's Vegan Butter *available at grocery stores I love this vegan butter. It tastes great, it’s easy to cook with, it’s made in a kitchen (not a lab) by a female chef in Petaluma, CA., and it doesn’t include soy or palm oil. It’s a winner. It pairs beautifully with homemade sourdough bread! |
($7) Glass Straw *can't believe (yes I can) that Nikki has butter as a gift recommendation, but I agree it is delightful butter. |
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($9) Dog Shampoo Bar I'm gifting this to Heather's dogs because they're almost out of their last bar! |
($15-$20) Organic Cotton Dog Toy No poly filler = no synthetic microfiber mess/pollution when your dog chews it to bits. Just received my order of big and little orcas this week and they're fantastic! 100% doodle + terrier approved 🐾 |
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($16) Zero-Waste Pencil Tin Set I would not recommend this item if it wasn't something I have used daily for the past 3 years. I love this product so much because it helped me realize the genius of minimalism. It's perfectly compact, it holds just what I need, and it's lined with climate beneficial wool (local sheep grazing helps to reduce the risk of California wildfires) to keep the contents from rattling around. |
($32) 100% Recyclable Weekly Planner The back page of our weekly planner lists the top 12 reasons we design zero-waste school and office supplies. It is imperative that we design our way out of the growing mess of disposable plastic items (like virtually all other weekly planners). Waste is a design flaw. |
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Plastic-Free Gum Sold at grocery stores. This one is a nice post-lunch mouth freshener. I love that it has little papers inside for disposing of your chewed gum (this gum can be composted). Conventional gums list “Gum Base” as an ingredient- which means plastic. Instead of plastic, they use chicle, a sustainable tree sap sourced from Central America. |
($12) Tin of deodorant that actually works. No joke. Have tried dozens of natural deodorants over the years with moderate (low) levels of success. This is the one for me. Portlandia deodorant skit: Mother's Sun |
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($55) Wisdom Boxed Gift Set Admittedly, a little self promotey, but the planner and pencil tin set are truly practical tools that will be used every day. Every single item in this set is designed or chosen to prevent waste, down to the packaging. Printed in algae ink are notes about why we care so much about waste and why we named our company after an albatross. This set makes a great gift for someone who's new to zero-waste, as well as the one able to fit a year's worth of waste in a jar. |
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