Over the past couple of years, many of us have shifted our focus to a greener, more eco-friendly lifestyle. It starts with small changes, like recycling more, using reusable shopping bags, and switching to LED light bulbs. A lot of us also began making more environmentally friendly choices when buying technology or home appliances by choosing Energy STAR certified options or sustainably made products that help save energy, money, and the earth.
While the holidays tend to generate more waste, you can keep your sustainability trend on track during the festive season by choosing eco-friendly gifts everyone will love. Read about a few green gift choices for yourself or anyone on your list who wants to go greener this year, then enter the contest and you might win some of these items.
Climate-friendlier holiday gift ideas
Whether you’re almost finished holiday shopping or you’re just getting started, take a look at these five categories with products that are either sustainably made or will help you in your quest to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Smarter, more sustainable gifts for everyone
From gifts that help save on electricity to growing their own fruit and vegetables, there are quite a few smart home devices for everyone on your gift list.
Smart gardening with Click and Grow
Living small is one way to make less of an impact on the globe. The only downside to living withs a smaller footprint is the lack of space for things like gardens and plants. With a Click and Grow Smart Indoor Garden, your gift recipient won’t need an outdoor garden. They can grow strawberries, basil, red kale or fruit and veggie mix right on a bookshelf.
Click and Grow has built-in sensors and Smart Soil to monitor every part of the life cycle of your plant. From seed to seedling to your plate, this smart garden lets you set it up and simply enjoy watching your plants grow.
Smart plugs help reduce electricity use
A smart plug is a plug that fits into any electric outlet and connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network. Once it’s plugged in you can add any of your small appliances, lights, or other devices to the plug and control them via an app. You can choose indoor smart plugs like the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Lite or outdoor smart plugs like the TP-Link KP400 Smart Outdoor Plug.
Smart plugs are a thoughtful sustainable gift for an eco-friendly friend or family member. They will be able to turn any appliance or device on and off on a schedule. It also gives them control of that device when they aren’t home, so if they are worried they forgot to unplug a flat iron or coffee maker, they can use the app to turn it off instead of driving home.
Smart devices save time, energy, and money
A smart display is a great gift if you’re looking for something that will improve the functionality of any home. They help individuals and families save money by controlling all of their smart home devices in one location. You can set your smart lights on a schedule and sync them with other devices like thermostats so they automatically turn off when you’re not home. The Google Nest Learning Thermostat (shown above) remembers what temperatures you like, learns your schedule, and programs itself to conserve energy use.
There are a few smart display options including Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show 5. Google Nest Hub works with Google Assistant and will stream video, turn on your lights, lock your doors, and even monitor your outdoor cameras. Amazon Echo Show 5 connects to the Alexa voice assistant. You can ask her to stream music, put on your favourite TV show, or control your smart home devices. One of the best parts of having a smart display is how you can use it to keep in touch without needing to travel. Instead of adding to the carbon emissions created by flying, you can make video calls to anyone, even if they are halfway around the world.
Go greener in the kitchen
A great way to help the environment at home is to be eco-smarter in the kitchen. Here are a few sustainable gifts that help you do that.
Vitamix Powered Food Waste Recycler
Throwing food waste in your trash is very damaging to the environment. Not only will it not decompose properly, but it also creates methane, a greenhouse gas that’s very damaging to the environment. If you’re choosing a gift for someone who is already dedicated to composting or for someone who wouldlike to compost more, the Vitamix Powered Food Waste Recycler will be a nice addition to their kitchen. It has a 2-litre capacity and can convert your food waste and scraps into fertilizer that’s ready to use in your garden.
LARQ PureVis Self-cleaning Water Bottle
We can all keep our landfills and oceans free from excess plastics by making use of stainless steel water bottles. The LARQ PureVis makes it easy to stay green and hydrated, and it can clean itself too. It has a built-in UV-C LED light that purifies the water whenever you’d like it to, and there is a self-cleaning function that turns on every 2 hours to keep your bottle fresh and clean. You can choose a variety of colours and sizes for everyone on your gift list.
Eco-friendly electronic transportation
Electric scooters and electric bikes are so fun to ride you’ll forget you’re helping the environment when you use one. Here are two sustainable gift choices for someone who loves to blaze a trail outside.
Segway Ninebot G30P MAX Adult Electric Scooter
The Ninebot by Segway is a speedy scooter that runs on electricity. A single battery charge will last up to 65km, so you can use it to commute to work or grab a few groceries at the store. With 10″ pneumatic tires, you can cruise over all types of terrain. You’ll never have to slow your roll on this scooter because it can reach top speeds of up to 30 km/hr.
If you’d like to see a comparison of the Ninebot with a few other scooters, take a look at Andy’s article on all three. You can also check out the E-transportation page and the E-transportation buying guide on the Best Buy blog.
SWFT Zip Fat Tire Electric City Bike
Just because you choose eco-friendly transportation doesn’t mean you can’t have a blast while getting from point A to point B. The SWFT ZIP Electric Bike has rugged fat tires to take you everywhere in style. You’ll have battery life to spare because a single charge gives you up to 59.5km of time on the bike, and you can reach top speeds of up to 31.8km/hr.
An eco-conscious computer for the techie on your list
If you have someone on your gift list who would love a computer but you’re concerned about the plastics used to create it, you’re going to love the latest Acer laptop.
Acer Aspire Vero 15.6″ Laptop
The Acer Aspire Vero is an eco-friendly computer made from 30% PCR plastic to reduce the environmental impact of harmful CO2 emissions. It also has an OceanGlass touchpad made of ocean-bound plastics and uses VersoSense software for more energy saving.
While it’s designed to be friendlier to the environment, the Acer Aspire Vero is also a speedy laptop designed for work or play. It has a 10-core 12th gen Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB RAM, and 512GB solid-state drive for all of your storage needs. The large 15.6-inch screen with 1080p Full HD resolution is the perfect portable screen for watching your favourite videos.
Accessories to help you go greener
Looking for a new laptop bag or iPad case? There are quite a few different tech accessories you can choose as gifts that are sustainably made from bioplastics, biodegradable materials, or PVC-fabric.
Tucano Biodegradable iPad Case
Using an iPad or tablet for notes or as a portable computer is a great way to save on paper waste. To keep their iPad safe, why not give them the gift of a Tucano Biodegradable folio case? It keeps the iPad safe from bumps, drops, and scratches but has a sustainable style with 100% biodegradable construction, a bioplastic interior, and a wood pulp exterior.
Targus Balance EcoSmart Backpack
The Targus Balance EcoSmart Backpack is a stylish bag made from PVC-free fabric that’s woven from recycled water bottles. It’s weather-resistant, has recyclable zipper pulls, and will protect your laptop and other devices when you’re on the go. It also has an adjustable design that evenly distributes the load in your bag so you don’t have a sore back from heavy books and other gear.
PKG STUFF Recycled Laptop Sleeve
When they want a lightweight, eco-friendly way to take their laptop on the go, the PKG STUFF Recycled Laptop Sleeve is the perfect gift. It’s made from recycled water bottles, is water-resistant so it can stand up to all types of weather, and has a laptop compartment with padded walls to protect against drops or bumps.
Rechargeable batteries keep you charged without creating excess waste
Rechargeable batteries are a more environmentally friendly way to keep all of your devices, toys, and tech charged and ready to play.
Energizer Rechargeable Batteries and Battery Charger
Energizer rechargeable batteries are a great option for everything from remote control toys to handheld video games or battery-powered smart devices. You can choose AAA, AA, and NIMH AA-2 rechargeable batteries for every type of device. To keep them charged there’s the Energizer Recharge Value Charger or the Energizer Pro Charger. The Energizer Pro includes 4 AA batteries and charges in 3 hours. The Energizer Maxi also comes with 4 AA Ni-MH batteries and can charge two or four batteries at one time.
Recycle your old tech and batteries at Best Buy
Choosing sustainable gift options is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and keep your focus on going green. There are also a few other ways you can reduce waste from the holidays this year. If you’re holding onto old electronics or empty batteries, consider recycling them at your local Best Buy store. You’re always welcome to bring your tech waste in for recycling, even if you didn’t purchase it at Best Buy.
There are also Best Buy trade-in promotions that happen throughout the year. You can visit BestBuy.ca for more details on what products qualify for trade-in and what types of old tech are accepted for electronic recycling at a store near you.
Creating a greener world, one step at a time
Best Buy has a great selection of sustainable gift choices for everyone on your gift list. For the holidays, birthdays, and beyond, you can shop in store or online to find the perfect gift for someone special. Some of the many sustainable choices are included in a prize bundle that you can enter to win in this contest. Here are the details:
How to enter
Entering this contest is easy and you can enter in two different ways:
- In a comment below, tell us what eco-friendly device or green tech program at Best Buy discussed in this article are you interested in the most and why.
- For up to two (2) additional entries, create a public post on a social media channel (one entry per channel!) sharing with your friends and followers that you are entering a Best Buy Blog contest for a chance to win a green lifestyle prize pack; include the hashtag #BestBuyGreenLifestylecontest, so we can find your post, and include one of the pictures showing on this article. Then return here and tell us in a comment below on which channel you posted it and the name of your channel (since many people use pseudonyms) so that we can check and verify your entry. You can use any social media channel (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.), but the post must be public so we can verify it is there.
What you can win
At the end of this contest, we will randomly draw one winner from all eligible entries to receive a sustainability prize package that includes a Google Nest Wi-Fi Smart Learning Thermostat, a TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug lite, and a LARQ PureVis 500 mL Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Self-Cleaning Mode.
This contest runs from Dec 15th to Dec 29th.
Remember you can enter in two different ways as mentioned above. Many of your friends and family are likely also interested in sustainable tech. Send them the link to this contest so they too can learn from this article and enter for a chance to win this great prize bundle.
Win a sustainability prize package Rules and Regulations
Good Luck.
The smart plugs – TP Link Kasa Smart Wi Fi Plug lite – anything that helps with reducing energy consumption is wonderful.
We like the Vitamix Powered Food Waste Recycler because it would be a great option for all my kitchen waste
I like the Grow Smart Indoor Garden is what I’m most interested in. Indoor winter Garden
I am intrigued by the Vitamix powered food waste recycler as I would like to use the compostable material to enrich the gardens here. And we would need the green bins less often.
I like everything in this list but the indoor garden is especially cool
The trade in promotions are a no brainer
I’m most interested in the Google Nest Learning Thermostat because it will remember what temperatures I like and programs itself to conserve energy use. Yay!
I think the Grow Smart Indoor Garden is what I’m most interested in. Indoor winter Garden
I’m most interested in the Click and Grow Smart Indoor Garden because I am becoming more interested in being self-sufficient and this sounds like a simple way to get started with gardening
The Smart Garden Click & Grow would be SO perfect for our condo. We don’t have the luxury of a patio, backyard or even a balcony so this would be nice for us to have. We’d grow herbs and condo-friendly plants.
Can’t go wrong with Energizer Rechargeable Batteries and Battery Charger I have a battery operated lantern that’s beautiful and I love to have on I switched over to rechargeable batteries but the brand I used stink barely hold a charge
Twitter; @ElbowBrius
Energizer Rechargeable Batteries and Battery Charger; great for both the environment and my wallet!
I like the Acer Aspire Vero 15.6″ Laptop because it would be useful for work
The Best Buy Trade-in promotions throughout the year seem like a really good idea for what to do with my older stuff.
i would love the smart garden. i like taking care of plants all year around
i really like the smart garden. will allow veggies all season (:
i love gardening so i think the smart garden is awesome
i like the smart garden because i love growing my own fruits
i love the bio degradable iPad covers because it’s such a unique concept
like the Vitamix Powered Food Waste Recycler because it would be a great option for all my kitchen waste
the smart garden because i love growing my own herbs
Definitely the smart thermostat is the most useful for energy conservation
The smart garden. I live in a small codo, I would love to grow my own herbs.
I think the bio degradable iPad covers are a great idea as so many are landing up in the landfills
I like the the smart garden you can grow your own vegetables.
Segway Ninebot G30P MAX Adult Electric Scooter so I can keep up to my son on his scooter
Vitamix Powered Food Waste Recycler – it would help with reducing waste!
Electric City Bike – great way to get around the neighbourhood
The smart garden!
SWFT Zip Fat Tire Electric City Bike—its small great for the lake.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janice-cournoyer-b8463838/ Janice Cournoyer
https://twitter.com/janicour/status/1605583053316706304 @janicour
heEverything listed is amazing! I love my huge garden in the summer, but this would be perfect to have fresh all year round. Love to own the Smart garden to grow lots of delicious/healthy greens indoors. This is such a WOW prize package!!
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I like the the smart garden you can grow your own veggies
I like the the smart garden you can grow your own veggies
The smart plugs – TP Link Kasa Smart Wi Fi Plug lite – anything that helps with reducing energy consumption is wonderful.
le jardinage Click and Grow permettrait d’avoir des herbes fraîches sous la main et d’éventuellement faire des semis pour l’été prochain pour éviter le gaspillage et économiser
The Vitamix Powered Food Waste Recycler would be a great option for recycling kitchen waste and the end product would be great for either my house plants or as an addition to my vegetable or flower gardens. Thank for the giveaway and a chance to win.
I love the smart garden click and grow, you could grow your own veggies year round!
Le Jardinage intelligent avec Click and Grow m’intéresse beaucoup pour avoir des produits à l’année et toujours frais chez-moi et les voir pousser aussi.
I’m interested in the Segway Ninebot G30P MAX Adult Electric Scooter the most – I like to go to my local library and coffee shops near my house – sometimes I’m too lazy to walk, so I drive there – having this as another option would definitely be a lot greener!
The Click and Grow I think it would be great to grow fresh herbs in the house all year round. Definitely greener then buying them- them going bad before I can use them and throwing them out.
The Best Buy Bundle would be Great to win because everything is Energy efficient and Eco- Friendly and Smart for Today and the Future!
Everything listed is awesome but it’s got to be the Smart garden to grow lots of delicious/healthy greens indoors
I’m most interested in the tech eco conscious laptop. Mine broke recently, and I have a writing project I’d like to work on. Plus it is always nice knowing your using less electricity, and resources that take from our mother earth. The other item is the slef- cleaning water bottle. I only use reusable.ones, to reduce plastic. I also always forget things, and it would be nice to have a separate one for home.and work.
Energizer rechargeable batteries are very eco-friendly and can be recharged and recycled very easily.
Interested in the electric bike because it would be great alternative to the car for going to work and get fit.
Click and Grow Smart Indoor Garden, so I can grow herbs easily
Vitamix Powered Food Waste Recycler would be used by everyone in my household
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