Eco-Friendly Gifts for Dad

Duffel Bag: Terra Thread's Bumi Eco Duffel Bag is made from Certified Fair Trade Organic cotton canvas. It's a great size for weekend trips or as a large gym bag. It has a large main compartment and an exterior and interior pocket. Zippers are lead-free. The bags are handmade in a Fair Trade factory in India and shipped in plastic-free packaging. It's rugged and practical and the colors are as rich in person as they look online. 

Berkey Water Filter. The Environmental Working Group recently tested the effectiveness of a number of  water filtration systems at removing toxic PFAS chemicals. Their first choice was the Travel Berkey filter system. Though it’s suitable to bring along on travels, it’s also appropriate for a kitchen counter. In addition to PFAS, the filter system, which uses activated carbon to cleanse water, also removes a long list of other toxins including heavy metals and inorganic materials. No plumbing hook-up or electricity needed. Berkeys come in several sizes, for spaces large and small.

Swiss Army knife: This classic tool never goes out of style and always comes in handy. They are compact, well-made and versatile, coming to the rescue time and again. Maker Victorinox has been in business since 1897 and the pocket knives are still made in Switzerland. Their original army multi-tool fieldmaster pocket knife has nine tools including a scissors, saw and Phillips Head screwdriver. 

Work Tote from Terra Thread: Terra Thread's Executive Work Tote for businesspeople is made from 100 percent organic cotton. It fits a ton of stuff, stands up on its own for easy loading, has a smart professional look and has a pocket for laptops. Great for a dad who needs a work bag but doesn’t want to carry a briefcase. Purchases support Feeding America's campaign to end hunger by helping to donate meals to families in need.

Cork Briefcase: For dads who want a more traditional briefcase, the cork briefcase from Corkor has a classic look but is made from cork, which is a very eco-friendly and strong material and one that mimics the look of leather. Cork trees are an ideal source for biodegradable materials because they draw carbon from the air at levels better than most trees, helping to reduce CO2 pollution. Even better, after the cork bark is harvested, which doesn’t harm the tree, the tree draws even more carbon from the air as it works to regrown the removed bark. So cork is truly sustainable and beneficial to the environment.

Cork belts from Corkor look and feel like leather but they are eco-friendly, vegan and cruelty-free. Made in a work shop in Portugal by a family business that also makes a large line of cork products. Cork's increasing popularity is without a doubt due in part to a growing interest in eco-friendly plant-based and vegan products. 

If a dad on your list loves to cook, a cast iron pan is a great gift. Cast iron is considered the safest and best quality metal to cook with and is aesthetically pleasing too. They also last forever if well cared for. Cast iron is non-toxic, unlike a lot of popular cookware, such as aluminum and pans with non-stick surfaces. (Stainless steel is also safe.) Lodge Cast Iron has been making pots and pans since 1896 and is a reliable retailer to buy from. 

Sunski’s lightweight sunglasses are made entirely from recycled post-industrial scrap plastic. They are mailed in a plastic-free cardboard box cleverly folded inside to protect the glasses and avoid the need for additional cushioning. The lenses are 100 percent UV protected and polarized, to help reduce glare and protect your eyes from harsh sunlight. Sunski is climate neutral and a member of One Percent for the Planet, donating one percent of profits to environmental causes. 

Garden Helper tools have been made by hand in Japan since 1960, using traditional Japanese craftsmanship and metalworking technology. This three-piece set is made of stainless steel and beechwood. It includes two trowels and a claw-style hand rake. Each piece has a hole in the handle for easy hanging in a shed or storage area. Plastic-free means the tools are better for the environment and will last a lot longer than tools that includes any plastic features. 

The sporty Lifefactory reusable water bottle is made of glass and has a silicone sleeve to prevent breaking and provide a secure grip. Its flip cap is BPA-free. Lifefactory’s bottles are made in France and the caps are made in the U.S. The wide mouth makes it easy to add ice cubes, lemon wedges or tea bags. They’re great for taking water, juice or other drinks with you when you’re on the go or just outside. In addition to being more eco-friendly, drinking from glass reduces the level of harmful microplastics you ingest. 

Is a River Alive?: This entertaining and informative new book by Robert Macfarlane is both a tribute to rivers and their vibrant ecosystems and a warning of their threats, such as pollution and dams. It’s currently on the New York Times bestseller list. It’s a great gift for any dad interested in earth sciences and the hum of life beneath our everyday view. The book takes readers to the amazing cloud-forests and mountain streams of Ecuador, to the creeks and lagoons of India and to the wild rivers of Canada― all threatened by pollution and human activity — and to the the fragile chalk stream near Macfarlane’s home. After finishing this book it’s not likely any reader will ever look at rivers the same way again. 

Cedar Birdhouse: A bird house is a wonderful gift for just about anyone as long as they have a spot to hang it. Watching birds come and go is relaxing, fun and even educational. This birdhouse has a traditional simple design and is made entirely of cedar and stainless steel rust-free hardware. It’s plastic-free. Cedar is naturally pest and rot resistant so it’s an ideal wood for outdoor use and avoids the need for chemical treatments. This birdhouse has an elevated metal mesh floor, air vents, a clean-out door and kerfs for baby birds to climb up and access the opening hole to peek out or feed. 

Organic cotton bathrobe: There's nothing like a thick cotton terry bathrobe to relax in on weekend mornings or to wrap yourself in after a shower. Avocado Green Mattress' cozy French cotton robe is made of GOTS-certified organic cotton ethically grown in India. Non-toxic and free of pesticide residue -- because none were used to grow the cotton. Not only is organic cotton safer and cleaner, it has half the carbon footprint as conventionally-grown cotton and uses less water to grow. 

Rothy’s are made from recycled plastic bottles — they estimate on their website how many bottles were kept from the waste stream for each style — And some styles also have hemp, rubber and organic cotton. They’re made in Rothy’s zero waste factory that earned TRUE Platinum Certification in 2023. The designation certifies that facilities are environmentally responsible, cut greenhouse gases, litter and pollution, are more resource efficient and help turn waste into additional income streams. The factory is also LEED Gold, a designation issued by the US Green Building Council that recognizes a building's commitment to sustainable practices. 

Socks that help protect the planet. Conscious Step donates one dollar to respective nonprofits for every pair of their issue-themed socks sold. Purchase of this "Protect the Planet" sock set supports three environmental organizations: Conservation International, Trees for the Future and Oceana. They are made in India with 75 percent organic Fair Trade cotton and recycled polyester for elasticity. The motifs are ocean waves, palm trees and pine trees. Conscious Step also donates at least one percent of all sales to global environmental causes through 1% For the Planet.  

Hemp Wallet: Hemp is one of the most environmentally-friendly materials available for textiles. It benefits the soil and ecology as it grows, requires no pesticides or other chemicals to produce and uses less water than cotton and other fibers. It’s abundant, non-toxic, biodegradable and naturally antimicrobial. It’s a win-win. This “skinny” wallet from 8000 Kicks is minimal and functional. It's made entirely of hemp and also has an RFID shield to protect your information, such as credit card numbers. 8000 Kicks also has hemp shoes for men.

 Air tube headphones are a must for using cell phones and other devices because their hollow tube design blocks EMF radiation that you would otherwise be exposed to with traditional wired headphones or wireless products like Bluetooth. Regular wired headphones do not block radiation and in fact deliver a harmful signal directly to your head. Theses air tube headphones use copper to block Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) electrical signals. The hollow air tubes then switch the electrical signal to an acoustic signal, preventing any ELF radiation from reaching your head. 

Sun Hat: This handsome Stetson hat is made from 100 percent organic cotton and has a  UV protection factor of 40+, making it ideal for outside summer activities. Its retro look is attractive and in style all year round. The wide brim helps to keep sun off of Dad's face and neck and the ventilation eyelets on the side help create a cooling air flow inside. It has a cotton lining for extra comfort.