With Memorial Day being just around the corner, you might be in a rush to find the right Memorial Day gift. Double that for eco-friendly Memorial Day gifts.
It’s not that Memorial Day is a difficult day to shop for, it’s that shopping for Memorial Day gifts sustainably is a challenge. Unlike other celebrations, Memorial Day does not have a large gift pool to choose from.
We are here to bring you the most sustainable gifts for Memorial Day, as well as how to get them for the lowest price.
What is Memorial Day?
For many Americans, Memorial Day is synonymous with cookouts, hamburgers, hot dogs, swimming pools, and summers. However, it is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the deaths of the United States military soldiers while serving in the United States armed services. It takes place on the final Monday of May.
It’s a solemn American holiday rooted in history and tradition. Following the Civil War, mourners laid flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate troops on “Decoration Day.” Yes, Memorial Day has come to represent the “unofficial” beginning of summer, but it is also to remember the soldiers who made it all possible.
What eco-friendly gift to pick on Memorial Day?
A good Memorial Day gift revolves around the theme of appreciation. That means, the gift you give should reflect this theme. Bonus points if it also carries a military theme.
Eco-friendly Throw Pillows
Throw pillows make good room décor. They are a terrific example of good house décor: they aren’t a huge solid piece like a coffee table and can be quite movable. Also, they are great conversation starters.
Cheap throw pillows are usually stuffed with non-biodegradable polyester, and poor quality filling. Instead, go for sustainable throw pillows if you are looking for an eco-friendly Memorial Day gift. Something that is red, white, and blue will be a good fit for the theme.
A few stores that offer eco-friendly throw pillows:
- Passion Lilie Fair Trade Throw Pillow Covers: Passion Lilie’s Fair Trade Throw Pillow Covers are made from recycled fabrics. Because they are handmade from upcycled fabrics, each cover comes with its own unique color palette.
- The Citizenry Bali Indoor/Outdoor Pillow: The Bali Indoor/Outdoor Pillow is made of sturdy palm leaves and is deck-ready for outdoor use. The tight weave, created by the Artisans of Java co-op in Cirebon, Indonesia, adds natural beauty to your living areas.
- Jungalow Ritual Round Pillow by Justina Blakeney X Loloi: Design by Justina Blakeney inspired by Suzani embroidery of Central Asia. Jungalow Ritual Round Pillow is 20 inches around and available with either down or polyester filling.
DIY Memorial Remembrance Box
A memorial remembrance box is a container that keeps significant items that you own. It might contain images, favorite music, letters, or a recorded message. These products and phrases might assist in reminding your children or loved ones of wonderful times spent together and providing comfort.
A sustainable memorial remembrance box is a rare find on the Internet, but thankfully, you can make one yourself. Simply buy an eco-friendly wooden box to serve as the base of your box, and decorate it with a Memorial Day theme.
Eco-friendly materials for your wooden box that are also super affordable:
- Birch Plywood: Birch plywood is one of the most cost-effective materials, with a great strength-to-weight ratio.
- White Pine: White pine is a superb softwood that is exceptionally lightweight and is used to make the majority of wooden wine boxes.
- Cherry: Cherry is a premium material that offers a luxurious look for your memorial box.
- White Oak: White oak, sourced from FSC-certified forests, is a hefty hardwood that has been used for ages to make long-lasting items.
Eco-friendly Memorial Day T-shirts
One of the most popular gifts on Memorial Day, t-shirts are what people or families wear when enjoying a day outside at cookouts or relaxing by the pool. But t-shirts are far from being eco friendly, with textile waste being one of the main contributors to global pollution,
You can buy t-shirts as eco-friendly Memorial Day gifts from top eco-friendly t-shirt shops:
- The Classic T-Shirt Company: All tees by this company are made with 100% GOTS certified organic cotton. Non-toxic Azo-free dyes, ring-spun, and pre-shrunk so the final product is designed to maintain color and shape over time.
- The Good Tee: The Good Tee uses 100% biodegradable, fair trade, and GOTS-certified organic cotton for their ethical t-shirts. Each garment can be traced back to the farmer who grew the fiber, the mills that produce the fabric, and the factory that pulls it all together.
- TENTREE: Organic cotton, TENCEL, hemp, REPREVE® recycled polyester, and elastane are the most common materials.
Red Poppy Bouquet
The traditional flower for Memorial Day, the red poppy is the official flower to honor the sacrifice of the troops who dedicated their lives for the sake of the country. Because flower delivery leaves a heavy carbon footprint, you might try making your red poppies greener by shopping for them from these eco-friendly stores.
Orders your red poppies from these eco-friendly flower shops:
- Bloom & WildBloom & Wild: Bloom & Wild letterbox packaging is now fully recyclable, and the company sends no waste to landfills. The brand also says it works with global projects to offset its carbon emissions.
- BunchesBunches: Standard bouquets are wrapped in non-biodegradable cellophane, whilst letterbox variants are just wrapped in paper and cardboard.
- Interflora: Interflora does not use glitter and its packaging is well-designed; gift boxes are created with recycled materials and are entirely recyclable, cellophane and flower food sachets are biodegradable, and the ribbon is made in the UK using only recycled plastic.
If you prefer to plant trees instead of buying red poppies, we’ve got you covered with recommendations for memorial trees as an eco-friendly Memorial Day gift.
Eco-Friendly Memorial Keychains
Memorial keychains are small but are excellent gifts for just about every occasion. It’s a gift your loved ones will treasure and remind them of the happy moments you’ve had every time they use their keys. Keychains are modest and lovely expressions of love for another person. Some stores even offer to customize your keychain, so you can create your own design to fit the Memorial Day theme.
The thing about eco-friendly memorial keychains is that they have to truly be sustainable. While you can buy memorial keychains anywhere, just make sure that they are made from materials that are actually eco-friendly.
Eco-friendly materials for memorial keychains include:
- Wood: Wood is biodegradable, and is easy to engrave and style. Bonus if you can prove that the woods are ethically sourced.
- Recycled materials: For keychains, the recycled materials are usually recycled woods and metals, even plastic.
- Organic fibers: Some keychain stores offer keychains that are made from natural fibers like hemp or coir, which make for very lasting and washable keychains.
Eco-Friendly Customized Dog Tags
One of the most popular Memorial Day gifts, dog tags are a symbol of anyone who serves in the military. It is a symbol of service and personal sacrifice. And above all, it serves as a reminder of the potential of the ultimate sacrifice by American soldiers.
This makes them an ideal eco-friendly Memorial Day gift. You can even engrave special loving messages on the dog tags. Just like Memorial keychains, military dog tags are sold in many stores – and there aren’t many stores that are dedicated to eco-friendly dog tags. (They are an incredibly small niche.)
Here are a few materials to pay attention to:
- Wood: Wooden dog tags are not aligned with military standards, but they are becoming more popular. They are light and can be just as easily engraved as metal.
- Recycled wood: Same as wood, recycled wood is biodegradable and is made from leftover wood from carpentry.
- Recycled metals: A very popular option. Recycled metals feel just as authentic as military dog tags.
Tips to save money on eco-friendly Memorial Day gifts
Here is an inconvenient truth: Anything eco-friendly is bound to cost more.
That means, in order to show your appreciation on this day via gift-giving, you are going to have to pay a little extra. Research shows that eco-friendly products are 75 to 85% more expensive than their counterparts.
But have no fear! As a site that focuses on helping save money on their shopping, Tenere can offer you a few tips to shop for eco-friendly Memorial Day gifts for a very low price:
- Hit the sales: Thankfully, Memorial Day is the biggest sale of the year! Even better, these sales tend to happen at least a week before Memorial Day. That means your eco-friendly Memorial Day gift shopping is going to be a lot cheaper if you hit these Memorial Day sales.
- Use coupons: Another way to save money on your gift shopping is by redeeming your coupons. Many stores offer coupons for their online purchases, so you are likely to find one for your eco-friendly Memorial Day purchase. As a coupon site, Tenere is proud to supply you with the latest coupons.
- Make a list: Plan what you are buying in advance to avoid shopping for what you don’t need. If you still don’t know what to shop for when going Memorial Day gift shopping, go back to the gift suggestions above and start planning now.
- Skip the non-essentials: Because Memorial Day is one of the biggest sales, a lot of stores are going to offer you coupons and sales for everything. Even non-Memorial Day, non-eco-friendly things. Just skip items like electronics and swimwear if you wish to spend less on the day.
- Know your budget: The most important tips. Since everything will be on sale on Memorial Day, you might find it tempting to spend more on the day. Keep track of how much money you can spend on Memorial Day to avoid overspending on unnecessary products.
For more sustainable shopping, check out our tips right here.
