Sustainable Incentive Gifts

Incentive rewards are a great way to communicate appreciation for your top employees, clients and partners. By choosing sustainable gifts, companies show recipients they support socially- and environmentally-responsible brands. 

What Makes an Incentive Sustainable?

Sustainability isn't a regulated term, but the buzzword generally includes incentive rewards that fall into one of the following categories:

• Gifts made from eco-friendly, recycled or repurposed material
• Items that include locally sourced or organic material
• Items with alternative materials or those made from certified sustainable processes (e.g. free from harmful dyes)
• Items that can help eliminate single-use plastic
• Products that have achieved certification for sustainable industry standards

Following, we showcase some top sustainable incentive gifts. 

A Cut Above

Packed With Purpose curates beautiful, themed gift boxes (pictured at the top of this article) with ecological and socially conscious components. This collection features a handmade ash-and-walnut cutting board crafted of reclaimed wood, a trio of organic jams made with sustainable and fair-trade ingredients, and all-natural raw honey produced by a collective that helps bring formerly incarcerated persons back into the workforce. Cost: $115. 

Sustainable Style

Looptworks aims to shrink the carbon footprint of the global textile industry by taking discarded fabric scraps and unused yardage and turning them into handsome, durable garments. The sporty lines of this duster — available in men's and women's versions — will complement a wide variety of styles. Cost: $99 each; wholesale discounts for larger orders and customization are available. 

Savvy Sleeve

Handmade in Haiti of vegetable-tanned leather, these laptop sleeves will keep computers safe and sound in style. Each Haiti-made carrier from Gifts for Good provides four hours of dignified work for young locals transitioning out of orphanages. Cost: $110 each; customization starts at 50 cents per item; setup fee, $100. 

Beverage Box

This gift box features sustainably sourced and grown coffee and cocoa, along with a pair of ceramic mugs handmade in Morocco. The Little Market also offers a slew of options for customization and upgrades. Cost: $84. 

Made in the Shade

Maui Jim's Zeal Optics brand is purely plant-based: The frames, lenses and even the polarization coating are made of durable, vegetation-derived polymers rather than nonrenewable resources. Cost: $149. 

Down to Earth

Tommy Bahama is synonymous with relaxation, but there's more to this popular brand than gifts that evoke island vibes: The company offers garments with an earth-friendly cred, too. This soft and breezy polo is made primarily of Tencel, a fiber created from renewable, easy-to-grow bamboo. Cost: $110.

Grid and Griddle

This combination portable smokeless camp stove and grill, distributed by Rymax Inc., plus electricity generator lets winners prepare a warm meal and charge a device without using fossil fuels. BioLite donates a portion of the proceeds from every grill sold to its program providing similar devices to people in sub-Saharan Africa. Cost: $230.