For the person who tells you they really don’t want anything—because they’re paring back and trying to tread as lightly as possible on the planet.
For Tiskets and Taskets
The onion basket is a pantry staple and longstanding Remodelista favorite for gathering produce, eggs, and more—Erin Boyle of Reading My Tea Leaves uses hers as a cell phone keeper.
Waste-Not Rug
Alt Sponge
Soft and sturdy Felted Wool Scrubbing Pads—one oatmeal, one brown—are $8 for a pair from Farm Fresh Fiber on Etsy.
On our Must Try list: Soap Nuts, a natural laundry detergent alternative: the dried shells of fruit from the Sapindus mukorossi tree are rich in saponin. Instructions and a small wash bag included; $7.11 for up to 80 wash cycles worth from Battle Green.
Nature’s Laundry Soap
From Marie Kondo’s new KonMari online shop: Food Containers by Orez (zero spelled backwards) are made of oven- and stovetop-safe enamelware with acacia wood lids that have airtight seals; $34 each (larger sizes also available).
Leftover Joy
Brookly’s Package Free owner Lauren Singer has just opened a second shop—in NYC’s Chelsea Market. For Lauren’s tips, see A Beginner’s Guide to Zero-Waste Living and Use This Not That Plastic Thing: Expert Advice for 5 Easy Eco Swaps in the Kitchen.
Market Kit
Broccoli-Powered Shampoo
Now you can eat your greens and keep clean with them, too. Consider pairing with Haeckels’ Kelp Bioferment skin and scalp treatment, £22, and Seaweed Soap, £4.
Bamboo Brushes
Made of sustainably harvested (and biodegradable) bamboo, Mable toothbrushes are designed to stand up; $10 for a two-pack.
Cleopatra-Style Potion
Kindred Black’s reusable apothecary bottles are hand blown in Oaxaca from recycled glass and have wax-sealed cork stoppers.
Minimalist Lunchbox
From Japanese brand THE, The Lunch Box of anodized aluminum—a mere 3.15 inches long—stands ready to be inventively filled; $28 from Ode to Things.
Moveable Feast
Aplat of San Francisco specializes in pie, casserole, and bread satchels.
Full-Use Recipes
Two cookbooks that detail how to make the most of ingredients that otherwise get tossed.
Feline Fun
The Sonoma Wool Company’s Cat Toy, $11.95, is modeled after its dryer balls downsized for floor play.
From Terrain, the Kitchen Garden Seed-Starting Kit, $40, contains everything you need for propagating a windowsill nine-pot starter veggie and herb garden. For more ideas, see last year’s Gift Guide for the Zero Waster.
Your Own Sugar Snaps