Best Eco-Friendly Gifts for Teenagers

Skateboards are fun and can massively up anyone’s cool quotient but there’s a lot more to consider when buying a skateboard for a teenager than just how impressive it looks. Conventional skateboards are made using maple and this can be extremely destructive for the planet. Maple trees require 60 years to mature so that they can be harvested and this has increased the rate of deforestation.

Gifting your teenager an eco-friendly skateboard made of bamboo instead will ensure that trees are saved and the rate of deforestation is reduced. It takes just 3 to 5 years for bamboo to mature and be harvested. Your teenager will still get to enjoy a strong, durable skateboard that they can do all sorts of tricks on without contributing to the destruction of the earth’s forests.

We can’t possibly talk about eco-friendly gifts for teenagers without mentioning Greta Thunberg. At the age of 15 (August 2018), Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg skipped school to protest against the climate crisis. Over time, Greta has become the face of the environmental movement, with her actions sparking a global movement for climate justice called Fridays for Future, where millions of students held strikes for the planet in over 150 countries. Her work earned her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination and laid the foundation for governments to listen.

No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference is a powerful collection of her speeches that have captivated audiences worldwide. Whether it’s her speeches from United Nations, street protests, or Capitol Hill, this collection makes a powerful argument for getting charged up and fighting to protect our planet.

It’s a powerful collection that can inspire any teenager to live more sustainably, making it one of the best eco-friendly gifts for teenagers.

Every teenager needs a backpack, whether it’s for school, a night out camping, or just a sleepover with friends. All backpacks aren’t created alike, and the reality is, most people entering a store to buy a backpack have no clue what went into manufacturing a specific backpack.

Eco-friendly backpacks are made using materials like cotton, natural denim, and other sustainable materials that require a minimum amount of resources in the production of the final product. They don’t compromise on quality, design, or comfort, which means that your teenager will still get the benefit of rocking a stylish backpack while knowing that it has been produced sustainably.

Plastics are destroying our oceans and with so many people drinking from plastic straws, marine life is threatened. About 500,000,000 plastic straws are used on a daily basis in just the US alone. If we continue at this rate, there’s going to be more plastic in our waterbodies than marine life. Plastics break down into microplastics in the water and pose a serious risk to the health of marine lifeforms, especially sea turtles. They’re also non-biodegradable, making them bad choices for the environment.

Reusable stainless steel straws are the perfect solution to combat the problem of plastic straws. These straws come in different shapes and sizes with their very own cleaning brushes and cotton bag.

Their long lifespan can eliminate the use of 500 plastic straws. Their small size also means that teenagers can carry them around easily in their backpacks and whip them out every time they need a drink. Once they’re done, they can clean it and pack it for the next use, which means that it won’t end up in the oceans and threaten marine life.

Stainless steel water bottles do a lot more than just carry water. They will help to protect the health of your teenager by avoiding BPA and plastic that can contaminate the contents of the water bottle over time.

Many of these also avoid plasticizers, polymers, and synthetic materials common in other bottles, making them an eco-friendly gifting option for teenagers.

Apparel is a major form of self-expression, so why not gift teenagers stylish yet sustainable apparel that doesn’t come at the cost of the environment? These can be anything wearable, including dresses, pants, shirts, scarves, jewelry, and more.

Eco-friendly options source resources responsibly to minimize their negative impact on the environment and can be a great way to reinforce sustainable living through daily choices teenagers make.