13 Practical Eco Friendly Teacher Gifts They Will Adore

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Looking for some eco friendly teacher gifts but wondering what in the world you should gift the person that is educating and caring for your children all day long?!  

This post contains 13 practical eco friendly teacher gifts that the educators in your life will truly adore. Although teachers appreciate all the gifts and support they receive, sometimes they tend to get a lot of repeat gifts (i.e. mugs) or things they won’t really use. 

Because of this, I wanted to whip up a list of teacher gifts that will be used all school year (or outside of school, yay for self care!) and that are made sustainably (or help people reduce waste).

As an educator myself, I know how much it means to receive an intentional gift and handmade cards from my students. That is where I got a lot of these ideas for eco-friendly gifts from! 

By the end of this list you will have plenty of sustainable teacher gift ideas to say thanks while minimizing your impact on the environment. 

This post is all about the best eco friendly teacher gifts.

The Absolute Best Eco Friendly Teacher Gifts

1. Gift cards to local shops and restaurants (through email)

This is kind of the classic teacher gift but I can assure you that they are very much appreciated. 

Giving money allows teachers to choose exactly what they want as opposed to families buying them items that they might already have a million of (mugs, candles, coffee/tea etc.) Really any gift is thoughtful but it is nice to give them the option of what they would prefer and get a lot of use out of! 

A big part of sustainability is simply minimizing overconsumption and giving the teacher the opportunity to “choose their gift” does just that! 

If the shop or restaurant that you chose has the option of emailing your teacher a gift card instead of giving you a plastic card-choose that! 

Best places to get teacher gift cards and gift certificates: 

• Local coffee shops
• Bookstores 
• Local restaurants 
• Small businesses in your town 
• Local spa 

2. Reusable Stasher bags to store and organize classroom essentials

Stasher bags are so versatile and convenient so they just had to be on the list!

Stasher bags are silicone reusable bags that can be washed by hand or just thrown in the dishwasher. They help to cut down on a ton of plastic waste that normal plastic sandwich bags create.

These are some ways teachers use Stasher bags in their classroom:

• Snacks 
• Organizing supplies 
• Organizing cords 
• Icepacks for classroom 

Teachers can customize the bags by writing on them with a sharpie. They come in all sorts of fun colors if your teacher has a theme to their room or you can stick with the transparent option which is even more versatile! 

This is the perfect gift if you want to make sure your teacher gift is practical.

3. Essential oil diffusers or just essential oils

Classrooms can get pretty stinky. 20+ people coming and going from gym, recess etc. 

Not only that but essential oils are used by a lof of teachers to create a calm space for children while they are testing or simply going about day to day lessons. 

Check with your kids to see if their teacher already has a diffuser and if so you could get them extra essential oils. 

Great essential oils scents for classrooms: 

• Lavender=calming 
• Lemon= refreshing 
• Pepper mint= wake up 
• Holiday themed sets= just fun and festive!

I have found that Doterra offers the best essential oils because they are sustainably sourced. Here is more information about their sustainability initiatives. 

{RECOMMENDED POST: Our Favorite 8 Zero Waste Gift Wrapping Ideas For Every Occasion}

4. Sustainability focused books for their classroom

Unfortunately, teachers get a very small budget for decorating and supplying their classrooms. 

Even though they can check out books from the library it might be fun to have a new book for the kids and teacher to enjoy too! Why not choose one that is sustainability focused and get it from your local bookstore? 

Here are some ideas of sustainability focused children’s books that would be a great addition to any classroom! 

• Old Enough to Save the Planet By Loll Kirby 
• Kenya’s Art By Linda Trice
• One Love By Cedella Marley 
• The Lorax By Dr. Seuss 
• Seeds of Change: Wangari’s Gift to the World By Jen Cullerton Johnson
• Charlie and Lola: We are Extremely Very Good Recyclers By Lauren Child 

I think this is one of the best sustainable gift ideas because it is a gift that keeps on giving!

5. Sustainably made reusable tote bag

This is probaby the most practical item on the list.

I promise you, your teacher will get a TON of use out of a quality tote bag as they bring your kid’s assignments to and from class, pack it full with holiday treats and much more! 

Terra thread 

I use my terra thread tote bag every day! SO grateful they gifted me one. They are extremely durable and I love the simple earthy colors they come in. 

Terra Thread is an incredible brand because they are B corp certified, use organic cotton, are carbon neutral, fair trade certified and much more! (learn more here!)  It’s a great quality bag that will last your teacher years and years. 

Baggu Bags 

Baggu bags are really convenient because they wrap up small and your teacher can leave them in their car or even purse/backpack for when they need to make a quick shopping run! 

They also come in the most adorable fun patterns. Their bags are made with recycled material, they phased out using leather in their products, and they minimize waste in the production of their products. You can read more about their sustainability efforts here. 

6. Zero waste kit (zero waste self care kit, zero waste kitchen kit etc.)

The best teachers are the best learners too. Life long learners! Why not teach them about zero waste living with a kit of zero waste products they can use at home? 

It might seem odd to give a teacher a dish brush set as a gift but most zero waste products are beautifully made because they are built to last! So you are kind of giting them home decor, kind of. The link below has tons of ideas for zero waste kits that will get your teacher started on their sustainable living journey! 

{RECOMMENDED POST: 8 Zero Waste Kits That Are Perfect For Beginners and Zero Waste Gifts} 

7. Eco friendly school supplies

As I mentioned before, unfortunately, teachers don’t get the biggest budget for their classrooms. 

Also, a lot of school and office supplies are made out of plastic. There have recently been a lot of companies coming out with more sustainable supplies! Check out this post for more info about eco friendly supplies.

This is a great practical gift that will get a lot of use!

8. Experience gift rather than a physical item

Instead of gifting a physical gift you can always opt for a ticket to an experience gift! Here are some ideas to get you started but choose whatever you think your teacher would love the most! 

• Movie
• Zoo
• Sports event 
• Etc. 

I love experience gifts because they generally create much less waste than a physical gift and create new memories!

9. Plant for their classroom (if they are a plant person)

Make sure you are positive they would appreciate another thing to take care of (other than your kid!).

But plants are a great way to liven up the classroom and some people love to add to their plant collections! 

Here is a list of the best classroom plants for teachers! Really any of the house plants on this list will make a great gift since they are low maintenance but brighten up the classroom!

10. Homemade plant-based food

Food is generally a crowd pleaser! Just be mindful of allergies. If you have a popular cookie recipe, I’m sure your teacher would love a sweet treat!

Food as a gift is a great idea because it’s end of life is in their tummy rather than the landfill! 

Here are a few more ideas of homemade food gifts for teachers: 

• Jams 
• Pasta 
• Bread 
• Desserts 
• Dehydrated fruit

11. Teacher gift baskets

If you are feeling a bit indecisive about what to gift your teacher, you can always just choose a few things and pop them into a thrifted basket! 

I think teacher gift baskets work well when they are a bit themed so here are a few themed sustainable teacher gift basket ideas: 

• Self care gift basket 
• Their favorite snacks gift basket 
• Holiday themed gift basket 

12. Homemade gifts they will get a lot of use out of

I think this is my favorite teacher gift idea on the list! If you have a special skill and are able to make a gift (maybe with the help of your kids!) that your teacher would love and could use then go for it! 

If you aren’t super crafty maybe there is someone in your family or community that you could support by buying their creation and gifting it! 

Here are some ideas of homemade teacher gifts you may know how to make or could learn off of Youtube/Pinterest: 

• A jam from your garden 
• Knitted item 
• Embroidered item
• Homemade soap or candles 

13. Thrifted items as sustainable gifts

I know I bashed mugs at the beginning of this post but a thrifted mug is much better than a brand new one! I think a mug with candy in it would be well loved! 

Some other great thrifted items: 

• Brand new school supplies 
• New cleaning supplies 
• Books, toys, and games for the classroom 

Yes, some thrift stores end up getting brand new items like office supplies and cleaning supplies from larger stores that had overstock! 

If you want, you could write a note about why you chose to thrift the item. 

{RECOMMENDED POST: 12 Essential Thrifting Tips for Beginners} 

14. Regifting as a sustainable gift idea

Some say it’s tacky, I say it’s sustainable. And I can promise you, your teacher will have no idea it is regifted (just be sure to get rid of name tags!). 

Maybe you received a gift that you didn’t quite get a lot of use out of but it may work well for a teacher! It is much better items go to people that will actually use them rather than in the trash or to the thrift store where they may or may not be bought (or trashed eventually :() 

What are you planning on gifting your child’s teacher for the end of the year gift? Let us know in the comments below! It can help other families and caregivers as they try to figure out the best teacher gifts for their child’s teacher! 

Be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you would like sustainability and wellness tips sent directly to your inbox!

Stay well, 

Maggie 

This post was all about the best eco-friendly teacher gifts. 

Other posts you may like: 

• How to Seamlessly Introduce Your Kids to Zero Waste Living
• The 5 Best Sustainable Notebooks For School, Work and Journaling
• 5 Unique Sustainable Holiday Cards For Your Zero Waste Holidays

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