From reusable gift wrap to recyclable backpacks, these products might just keep you off the naughty list.

BY GABRIELLE BIENASZ, EDITORIAL ASSISTANT, INC. @GBIENASZ

Illustration: Getty Images

Throwing away gift wrap is bad for the earth. That’s why Meagan Downey, an avid gift giver who worked for two decades in nonprofits, wanted to do something about that. So she developed Shiki Wrap, a sustainable wrapping alternative.

Drawing inspiration from the Japanese method of fabric wrapping, Shiki uses a polyester-based wrapping fabric made from certified recycled plastic, dyed in a zero-water process, and laser cut to make soft, reusable sheets of fabric for wrapping presents. “It’s about diverting waste from landfills and preserving water,” Downey says. 

The Shelburne, Vermont-based company launched in 2021. It is not profitable yet but has secured a lead investor for a seed round. Downey also hopes to eventually use more sustainable materials and is working with experts in that realm.

Here are a few other green gift ideas to keep you off the naughty list this year.  

FEATURED VIDEO

From the Inc. 5000 to Industry Leaders: The Journey of Iconic Brands

On February 19, 2020, Cam Brensinger, founder and CEO of NEMO Equipment—a two-decade old adventure gear company based in Dover, New Hampshire—wrote a memo to his product team.

“Product team: What would it be like—hypothetically—to make truly sustainable products?” he asked. As in, no carbon footprint, responsibly sourced materials, and lifelong company investment in the products (repairability and recyclability). 

“We’d have to be infinitely responsible for the product,” he wrote. 

His product team was enthusiastic, Brensinger says, and after three years of arduous research and development, the Endless Promise Collection launched in 2023 with a fully recyclable sleeping bag, with fully recyclable backpacks added the year following. 

The products........

© Inc.com